1.

I felt the sun beating against my eyelids before I could open them. Squinting through the brightness I saw the clear day overhead and felt the grass and dirt under me, groaning as I sat up straight coming face to face with a large white building – Kai's childhood home. I stayed sitting for a beat longer, momentarily frozen with panic over all the different ways I could find Kai and what state of mind he will be in. Letting the moment pass I hoisted myself off the ground and walked up the steps on the porch, hesitating at the door before opening it.

The sight of Joshua stopped me mid-step, standing 10 feet away and walking towards me. My breath caught and I took a step backwards about to take another when he turned to the right and walked into the next room. I followed him into their living room and walked in front of the TV; directly in his line of view from the couch. He didn't bat an eyelash at the obstruction to his view so I stepped closer until I was in front of him, leaning forward to be eye level and seeing a distant and blank stare looking through me like I wasn't even here.

"At least you can't make things worse in these dreams."

I straightened and with one last suspicious glance at his father, I walked into the adjoining room and made my way around the first floor without coming into contact with anyone else. Heading up the stairs I took in all my options to choose from and heard a mumbling behind the door at the end of the hall. Pressing my ear against it I heard what sounded like children's voices, a girl and a boy. I opened the door to be sure and found a 10 year old version of Kai and Jo sitting on his bed in deep conversation.

Even as a child it would be easy to spot Kai out of a classroom of students; his bright blue eyes and baby face looking adorable in his young age. I stepped closer into the room towards him hoping he would see me but knew better than to think it would be that easy. To find Kai I will need to first go through his memories – whether they are good or bad – and try to go far enough into his mind to save him from himself.

"What happened at recess?" Jo asked.

Kai crossed his arms, huffing out with his eyes down and eyebrows crinkled.

"I punched Jimmy in the nose."

"Why?"

"Cause he's stupid."

I couldn't help smiling at Kai's mini-me; a different outward appearance but still very much the same person on the inside.

Jo didn't say anything, a soft expression on her face as she swayed her head from side to side waiting until he was ready.

"He just bugs me, and he had it coming! He's always making fun of me and telling me I'm weird when he is the weird one, he doesn't go anywhere without his group of wannabes." Jo laughed and I watched some of the tension slip off his shoulders. "He kept pushing my buttons saying I had no friends and that our family's all messed up too and I wanted to shut him up."

I couldn't help but let out a sad sigh, the significance of this memory slowly starting to reveal itself and casting Kai as an outcast even in his young age.

"You do too have friends!" she said agitated. "And I am one of them! You are my best friend."

"I'm your brother," he retorted.

"So? I trust you more than anyone and I hang out with you every day; best friend. And I'm yours too."

"Oh really," he laughed "are you telling me this?"

"Yes," she laughed as well "just in case you forget."

I watched him try and push it all out of his mind but there was something in his eyes that he couldn't shake. "Am I different?"

Her eyebrows drew in confusion as she stared, realization settling in and her expression changing.

"We both are," she smiled and bounced on the bed once, smacking the side of his arm. "We are in a coven of witches! We read spell books! And we are the two that were chosen and destined to be a powerful leader!" Her excitement was causing his darkness to slip away leaving a grin in its place. "We are different Kai; we're way cooler than those losers at school, and it's always going to be that way. As long as we stick together we'll be okay, I promise."

"Family over the coven," he stated, his smile flashing wide.

"Ah dad would be so proud," she rolled her eyes and laughed, leaning over the bed to hug him and he wrapped his arms around her too.

Their figures started to fade out like a hologram before my eyes, getting lighter and more distant until they were gone completely; leaving me alone in his subconscious. I blinked, slightly panicked, and seconds later they were back on the bed sitting across from each other, a scowl on Kai's little face.

"What happened at recess?"

I tilted my head, perplexed, and put together that the memory is set to replay on a never-ending loop. I blew out a sigh of relief, grateful that his first memory didn't end in tragedy and turned back around to the door, inches away from a deep void on the other side; encased in darkness. Checking to see if there were any other ways out, I took a deep breath and walked into the dark shadows.

2.

I found myself walking back out the front door and into the yard in the middle of the night, an invisible pull dragging me until my feet were planted next to a large tree. I felt a headache brewing in the back of my skull and glanced up at the decent sized treehouse hanging overhead, my gut telling me Kai was sitting inside.

"Malachai!" came booming from the open door behind me. Joshua Parker stormed across the yard and stopped within a foot from where I was standing, oblivious to my presence. "Malachai get down here!"

"Why?" I heard from up above.

"Because you are being idiotic – sleeping in your treehouse? It's one thing that I let you build the thing in the first place but this is ridiculous."

"It helps," I heard as he appeared in the doorway, swinging his legs over and looking down at his father. "I can't sleep, I keep having nightmares that I can't wake up from and they're freaking me out. Up here is quiet, it helps me relax."

Staring up at the newly teenaged Kai it was hard to imagine him building a treehouse on his own from his scrawny appearance. It would have taken more than hard work to be able to pull off something that revolved around time, effort, and a lot of strength.

"Oh please Malachai, they're just dreams. They cannot hurt you – it's all in your head."

"I know they can't, but – dad, some of the things I see... it scares me."

"Son," he sighed "you are going to see a lot of scary things in your life. How are you going to lead this coven if you can't handle a couple of bad dreams?"

"They're not just bad dreams!" he argued "they feel real –"

"It's been months..." he interrupted

"And they're getting worse," Kai continued as if his father hadn't spoken, glancing back down and I frowned at the broken look on such a young face. "I don't want to kill Josette."

His father crossed his arms in front of his chest, a condescending look on his face. "You wouldn't be killing her; you would be winning the merge and thus becoming the next leader of the Gemini coven. Traits of her personality would be adapted into you and you would become one."

"I know," he sighed.

"Besides," he shrugged "this is all if you win the merge. If you can't do what needs to be done in a dream, how do you expect to when the time comes?"

Kai stared down at him and tilted his head to the side, nodding before pushing himself backwards out of sight. I took the opportunity to climb the rope and made my way to the top fairly easily. He was leaning directly across from me against the other wall, head back and eyes closed as his chest rose and fell. I climbed in and sat on the wall to the right of me on his left.

"Come back inside."

"No."

"You're acting like a child, Malachai! Get down here right now."

His eyes shot open and sliced into thin slits, looking at the open door before crawling over - stared down at his dad - and pulled the rope up out of his reach all the way to the top.

"Hopeless," I heard Joshua grumble from below. "Fine, stay out here all night, see if I care." he huffed before walking away.

"I will," Kai mumbled. "And you won't."

He sighed and looked to his sides, picking up a tin box next to him and popping it open. He leaned back and pushed his knees up, flipping through the baseball cards aimlessly as he slowly evaporated from sight.

I knew in the next few seconds Joshua would be yelling from down below and turned my head towards the opening – now pitch black and impossible to see through. I scooted forward until I was an inch away and tried to look at the ground as I heard 'Malachai' coming from the other side. I shook my head, steering myself for what is to come next, and climbed through.

3.

I walked out the back door onto the porch and felt a wave of disorientation pass through me feeling like I was in a fun-house walking through one door and ending up somewhere else but within the same place. I also felt uneasiness; starting in the pit of my stomach and working its way up to the same spot in the back of my head that hurt in the last memory, amplifying from being a level deeper into his subconscious.

A voice bellowed from across the yard in such pain and anger I swear I could feel the wood vibrating underneath my feet. My breath caught at the instant recognition to the broken sound, my feet propelling over the steps and hitting the ground running. I was fifteen feet away when the door swung open and Kai and Jo appeared on either side.

"Go Josette, I'll be fine."

Jo mimicked his hold on her forearms against his. She glanced behind him and he did the same, pushing her out the last step and yelling 'run!' before slamming the door.

"Kai – damn it," she mumbled to herself, turning the knob with no success and hitting her fist against the wood once.

She turned and leaned her back against the door, her panicked breathing and tears streaming down her face for her brother hitting a deep spot in my chest. After a moment she pushed herself off and walked past me back towards the house, climbing the few steps and sitting facing the shed. Placing her hand over the burn mark on her forearm - me fully aware of the pain that came with it - she chanted a spell, gritting her teeth and letting out an agonized noise before breathing deeply and lifting her hand to a now burn-free arm.

Another minute passed before the door opened and their father walked out, a distant and cold look on his face as blood covered his nose, chin, and the top of his shirt. He didn't give Jo another glance as he walked around the side of the house towards the front. Jo stood and raced towards the shed, me following close behind, and Kai appeared at the door as she did leaning against the frame. She went to put her arm on his shoulders to help him up but he leaned away.

"Stop it, I'm fine."

"You are far from fine Kai, let me help."

"Josette-"

"Shut up," she lifted his head to see if there were any marks on his still untouched face and put his arm around her shoulder, careful to avoid putting her hand against his back and led him towards the house.

I followed behind as they walked through the door and up the stairs turning the corner and walking to same door at the end of the hall. Jo pushed it open with her foot and stepped through the opening sideways; the bright colors giving me the distinct impression this was no longer Kai's room too.

"Take off your shirt and lay down," she said pulling his arm off her shoulder and standing in front of the bed. He stayed where he was, a confused look crossing his face as he cocked an eyebrow. "Just do it!"

"Ooookay,"he laughed raising his hands in front of him before pulling off his shirt slowly, breathing in sharply at each little movement. He leaned forward and crawled across the bed resting his head up near the pillows slightly diagonal. Jo crawled on one side of him and I took the other side, tears blinding my vision seeing the dark red whip marks up close.

I glanced up at Jo and she was wearing what must have been the same expression as me; shock and horror. The marks flittered all across his back; some small and minor barely breaking the skin while others cut so deep his first layer of skin was inches apart with blood streaking down out of the ends. I thought I could be sick just from the sight, adding in the factor of Kai suffering setting me over the edge until I leaned forward to steady my dizziness and covered my mouth with the back of my hand.

"Okay, this is really going to suck, but you'll feel better after I swear."

Kai let out a noise of despair, gripping the pillow tighter under his chin and tensing. She let out a shaky breath and focused on the small flesh wounds, repeating the chant as Kai let out a variety of sounds of discomfort until she moved onto the more brutal slash marks.

"Agh!" he bellowed as she started in on the one near his left shoulder blade with both hands covering it.

His entire body was coated in sweat and he gripped the back of his slicked hair with fisted hands, angry groans spilling out of his mouth nonstop. She stayed on that mark longer than any of the others and Kai tried nudging her off by moving his shoulder and leaning the other way.

"I know, I'm sorry, I'm almost done. There's just... one more." My eye-line followed hers and I shook my head, my hatred for his father tipping into a new rage that felt so white-hot and vivid it caught me by surprise. Jo's hands shook an inch above his back, breathing deeply as a tear slid down her cheek. The slash mark was inches wide in width with multiple layers of skin broken through. The length of it was excruciating; starting below his right shoulder blade and slicing diagonal between his ribs and the small of his back on the left. "Take a deep breath."

She pushed her hands into his flesh and he let out a noise so full of torment my eyes could not stop welling with tears no matter how many times I blinked them away. I tried to see Jo through my haze and saw she was doing the same thing, her words getting clogged with tears as she closed them to continue.

I looked back at the wound and saw the magic was causing his skin to fuse together, the sound coming out of him sounding like something stuck in his throat. My heart sank even lower wondering if the pain was causing him to break down like his sister and I and all I wanted in that moment was to comfort him, even if it was just a memory of a traumatic time.

His loud broken sounds simmered into whimpers, his deep breathing getting slower as his posture started to relax and it registered that he was passing out from the pain.

"Okay, okay I'm done," she lifted her hands off his back and he let out a deep breath, his entire back still looking rigid and sweaty. I checked to see her healed work and my lip quivered at the deep red mark that was still visible on the last slash mark. "Kai I – I healed all of them and almost every single one is gone but – but there's one that was too deep..."

"So'kay," he mumbled into the pillow.

Jo grazed her hand over his back, resting over the mark and him jumping slightly from the ache. She sniffed and leaned forward; grabbing his hand from under the pillow and pulling his arm back towards her. Wrapping her other hand around his she closed her eyes, his sharp inhale and breath of relief as he clenched her hand a clear indication he was siphoning her magic – or – was she willingly giving it to him?

My eyes darted from the back of his head to the side of her face to their interlocked grip, the intense feeling that I was invading his privacy but wanting to know everything that was happening. I tried putting my hand against his back but it went straight through like I was the real-life version of Casper.

"What was happening out there?" she asked and her voice was an octave deeper from her emotional state.

He didn't speak for a moment, pulling the pillow in closer before loosening his grip.

"I want my magic."

Her head shot up. "And you think that's how you get it?"

"Nothing else has worked so far," he shrugged a shoulder.

"Kai – that's – are you out of your mind?!" Josette exclaimed letting go of his hand and got off the bed pacing the room, him groaning as he turned to his side to face her. "Do you know how stupid that is? Purposefully putting yourself in a position of pain – TORTURE – for the sake of it maybe triggering something in you? "Why are you smiling? This is not a smiling matter! What is going on Kai, why are you doing this?""

My chest was hit with a pang seeing the true love and affection his twin sister had towards him and the smile on his face told me he knew it too.

"I'm okay Josette, really, you can come back down to Earth now I think your steam just shot you into space."

"This isn't funny!" she huffed and stopped pacing, crossing her hands over her chest. "Why?"

Kai let out a breath, looking away and shaking his head before sitting up and swinging his legs over the bed - me sitting right next to him.

"Because I'm sixteen and I'm supposed to be a potential leader of this coven but I still have none of my own magic. I can't even do a basic cloaking spell without hijacking someone else's, plus it's only temporary. Dad suggested physical pain being the barrier I needed to break through and – shit – I've gone through enough by now that I had to see if it would work." Kai looked at her the entire time he spoke, Jo's tension never wavering from her rigid stance leaning against the dresser. "I didn't know what he was going to do, and I didn't know you were home. I never meant to bring you into it too."

"Well I kind of brought myself into it, seeing my brother getting hit by my father and all." She shook her head "I can't believe you."

Kai shrugged once and nodded, grabbing his shirt next to him and putting it back on with a much easier effort and stood up as she was already walking towards him and didn't stop as she barreled straight into his chest. Kai almost lost his balance from the momentum but composed himself wrapping his arms around her too. I stood up and walked around them, the resemblance even at this age between them eerie; from their dark hair and bright blue eyes down to their build and height, Kai only an inch or two taller. From a third person standpoint I would assume Kai and Jo were as close as any other set of twins could be. I would never guess what they would grow up into from being in this moment.

"You're going to get yourself killed."

"The irony would be poetic."

"There's got to be an easier way," she mumbled into his shoulder.

"For me? No way," he laughed and I saw her hug him tighter.

I stayed facing Jo's back and I watched Kai's expression change, the façade of a smile dropping and his chin resting against her shoulder, his eyes staring down to the side at the floor. Even for a person that has no emotions I could see the beginning of a war rattling around under the surface, itching to break free. Their embrace started to fade before my eyes and I knew I reached the end of the memory, my brain so wracked with all the new information I am seeing in vivid detail I couldn't think straight. My heart still ached as I turned around towards the door leading me down to the next level. I didn't think twice as I walked straight through.

4.

I felt a burning behind my eyes, covering them with my hands and groaning from the sudden and intense pain. I tasted copper and knew what I had anticipated to be true; the deeper into his subconscious I got the more of my magic drained away and I was on a limited supply.

"Happy birthday!" a girl squealed and I felt the wind pass as she ran by me.

Blinking a few times, my eyes adjusted to the brightness and I looked to my right finding Kai in a locked embrace with a tall Spanish girl. I looked around the rest of the scenery and noticed all the stores surrounding us with the food court directly behind him.

"Thank you Gabriela," he chuckled, pulling her tighter before letting go first.

I looked at her when they broke apart and was slightly taken back – she was stunning. Years ago Caroline was obsessed with 'Secret Life of the American Teenager' and this girl looks exactly one of the main characters; dark complexion, black hair, and all curves. She wore a black and red leopard print dress that on anyone else probably would have looked ridiculous. I checked out his outfit as well and couldn't help laughing at the blatant 90's style he was already sporting; a white unbuttoned shirt over a black skateboard tee with a chain underneath, a matching black hat on backwards, and jeans that are definitely a shade too light.

"I can't believe you're already seventeen! And Josette! I know we've only been friends for less than a year but it feels like longer."

"I've known you for longer than that," he smiled "You've been hanging at the house for years."

"I know," she blushed, and my head tilted with a new peaked interest in the conversation. "But we were never that close before."

"I guess," he shrugged, oblivious to her come-on.

"So I was thinking," she stepped forward until their chests were almost touching again "maybe we get closer."

Kai's smirk widened into a full grin as he stared into her eyes, her height the same as his in her heels. "Oh yeah?"

"Oh yeah."

My eyebrows rose at her forwardness, leaning forward and kissing his cheek before casually walking past him to their group of 4 or 5 friends already in the food court.

"Hm," he hummed, snickering to himself before following her. I stayed by his side when I noticed a small curly haired blond pop out of the circle and beeline it for him.

"Oh boy," I murmured, glancing at Kai who was still staring at the other girl.

"Happy birthday!" she sing-song'd hugging him tight.

He smiled and leaned down to hug her back, a look of genuine happiness spreading across his face.

"Thank you Courtney."

"So what movie are we seeing?" she stared up at him eagerly when they separated, the top of her head coming up to his chin.

The outward appearances of the two girls couldn't have been more different; from skin tone, to hair color, to their height. The only thing they seem to have in common was that they both had their eyes set on Kai.

"Pet Sematary."

"Is it scary?"

"It better be," he laughed and she smacked him on the arm taking a step closer.

"I hate scary movies! I freak out over everything!" she slid her hand up his arm and back down to his hand. "Will you sit next to me?"

Kai looked down at their interlocked hands and smirked through his squinted stare. "Uh, yeah, sure."

Squeezed his hand and letting go, she practically skipped back to their friends. Jo looked at the girl walking towards her and back to her brother, giving the same squinting expression Kai was wearing and walking towards him.

"What are you doing?" she asked accusingly.

"Nothing," he cracked up.

She poked him in the chest, "and why don't I believe you?"

"Maybe you have trust issues," he smirked and Jo stared him down, eyes squinting into slits until he burst out laughing.

"Stop flirting with my friends!"

"Our friends," he corrected "and I am surprisingly not the one doing the flirting."

Her face turned mortified, spinning her head to look back at her friends before whipping it towards him,"gross."

"Nice."

"Well, before I go throw up – here, this is for you."

Kai looked down at the box in her hand then back at her face. "How long have we been doing this now? It's both of our birthdays – we don't get each other anything."

"I know, but I hate that rule – and we don't follow it half the time anyway. Besides I didn't even buy this so it's not the same thing." He sighed, his hands still in his pockets. "Are you really not going to accept my gift?"

"Not when I don't have one to give back, no," he stated and his sister pulled his arm out of his pocket by the sleeve, placing the small box in his hand. "

"You're horrible at accepting presents, you should really fix that." Jo stared at him until he gave in, opening the box and instantly smiling, pulling out a silver chain with a pendant on the bottom. I looked closer and noticed it was the same necklace I always saw Kai wearing. "It's called a Dara Celtic knot," she stated, grazing her thumb over the symbol. "I don't know too much on it but I researched a little bit; it's supposed to act as a symbol of strength during challenging times, and gives off energy vibes of wisdom, power, destiny, and leadership. And its origin is an oak tree so I thought 'family tee, strength and wisdom'..." she put out her hands as if she was weighing things on each.

With a wide smile he put the chain over his rest, resting it over his shirt and flashing it for her to see.

"You like?" She giggled and pushed his hand away before walking into his embrace. "Thanks Josette, I love it."

"You're welcome," she smiled "happy birthday."

"Happy birthday to you too," Kai said hugging her tighter.

"Come on!" one of the guys in the group hollered. "We're going to be late for the previews and I love that part!"

Both of them laughed and leaned back, a genuine smile on their faces as they made their way to their friends, evaporating from my sight with each step farther they got. I stayed there a moment longer, enjoying the piece of happiness I know Kai got to have in his life – away from his father and coven drama. I looked around me and saw an array of open doors but they all lead into the stores and none were black on the other side. I made my way around the rest of the second floor before taking the escalator down to the first and the entrance catching my peripheral. Walking straight through the first set of main doors I didn't break my stride as the opened the second set and was consumed by darkness.

5.

I came stumbling through the open door, bent over coughing. I felt my heart beating fast and the vertigo hitting me all at once, staying in my bent position so I didn't fall over on the spot. My energy was being pulled from my body at a steady pace through each level, the effects more severe with each memory I get dropped into. I closed my eyes and tried to steady my breathing, giving myself a pep talk of why I am here and what the goal was. Standing up I steadied myself, let my equilibrium settle, and headed through the double doors – landing in the middle of a crowded auditorium. I quickly scanned the crowd and didn't see anyone other than adults.

"Josette Parker," a voice boomed over the loudspeaker.

Everyone cheered as Jo took the stage in her white cap and gown and shook the man's hand before taking her diploma and turning to smile at the camera.

"Malachai Parker."

I didn't hear much from the audience but the students erupted in hoots and hollers, Kai's bright smile breaking out as he walked the stage in his black cap and gown, shaking the man's hand and smiling at the camera before taking the diploma and thrusting it in the air. He looked exactly how he does right now, only younger. Even in current day he could pass as an 18 year old with his baby face so this graduate still had a few years to catch up to. The classmates continued their cheers through the next student's name and one of staff had to tell them to settle down. I looked over to where Kai had sat next to Jo and could tell he was still laughing, Jo joining in too. I waited until the rest of the names were said and the ceremony ended – all of the students throwing their caps in the air before breaking out in celebration.

I spotted Kai in the crowd and moved quickly to not lose him but when I was within an arm's length he was pulled away. I squeezed through the students and searched around for him, his laugh catching my attention and drawing my eyes to the stage where a girl was pulling him off to the side out of view. Cocking an eyebrow, I ran up the stairs and turned the corner to find Kai with his body pressed up against a girl, kissing her deeply with his hands in her hair. She moaned and pushed herself into him harder while pulling him closer like she couldn't get enough. He groaned low in his chest and picked her up by her thighs, pushing into her and slamming her off the wall. He trailed his hands down her sides until they rested against her hips. A flush of heat spread through my body as my hands fisted at my sides, quickly unclenching when I noticed the jolt of anger surge through me. Shaking my head, I cleared my mind and focused on what was happening.

"Hi," he said when he leaned back.

"Hey," she smiled, and I noticed it was the same Spanish girl from his last memory. "I miss you."

"I'm right here," Kai smirked but his eyes darkened when she rolled her hips into his.

"I really miss you."

His fingers flexed against her thighs and he turned his head looking straight at me. I froze, my heart in my throat at his intense stare but he continued his look around and turned his head back to her.

"And with only an auditorium full of witnesses, your timing is impeccable as always," he teased leaning back in to kiss her and the quick peck turned passionate in an instant, my skin feeling prickly watching amateur porn in person.

"Kai," she started after they broke apart "I need to talk to you about something."

"Hm," he murmured "you know I've heard stories about what happens when someone says that line, it usually doesn't end well."

She frowned for a brief moment while Kai's face was still out of view but her smile was in place when he looked back.

"Oh, don't be so dramatic! It's about us! And school, and our future-" his groan into her neck cut her off. "Fine, forget it."

"No no, go ahead, tell me all about it."

"You're not taking me seriously."

Sighing, he kissed her nose before grabbing her thighs and putting her back on the ground, leaning forward with one hand against the wall near her head. "I'm listening."

"Well, as you know I've been applying to a lot of fashion schools in New York just fishing, not expecting to hear back from anyone but I actually did and I got in!"

I could tell she was trying to keep her emotions in check but she was showing barely contained glee.

"That's amazing Gabby," he said back genuinely. "What school?"

"The Art Institute of NYC; they have fashion design and fashion merchandising and it's in the middle of New York and the school looks unbelievable-"she cut herself off, knowing she was rambling. "I'm really excited."

"I can see that," he smiled "I'm excited for you too; I know how much you wanted to get in there."

"I want you to come with me," she rushed out.

Kai's smile caught, fading as his eyebrows went down with it. "Move to New York?"

"Yes."

"I-"

"I know - you haven't applied to anywhere there or given it any thought but there is still time! And your grades are one of the best in the class you can go anywhere you want, why not New York?" I was standing a little too close for comfort, what would seem stalker'ish and overbearing to the average person but fortunately I was in a world all of my own at the moment. I watched her joyful expression turn confused as Kai's face stayed frozen, genuinely shocked. "Answer me."

"I can't-"he lifted his other hand from his side and dragged it down the side of his face in discomfort. "I can't move across the country. My mom, she just got pregnant and there's so many tiny people running around they need Jo and I there."

My breath caught at the mention of his mother, never hearing anything about her before and the sharp twinge over the pregnancy that will bring the new set of twins into the world; setting off the ripple effect of Kai's demise.

"Your dad can handle that on his own, and he will have Jo to help him and your mom right after her pregnancy. They don't need you, I do – please."

Kai smiled at her kind words and the hidden truth that she didn't realize she said but I could still read tension from his posture. "It's complicated."

"What's so complicated? Its family issues I know all about it, the farther you get away from them the better off you'll be."

"You're right about that."

"Then let's do it! I'm in love with you Kai, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

"You don't know what you're talking about," he answered instinctively.

Gabby's head shot back taken by surprise and her tone was sharp. "Excuse me?"

"No, it's just... you don't... know... what you're talking about." I could see the wheels turning and the gears locking in place as Kai tried and failed to figure out the correct thing to say.

"And what don't I know what I'm talking about over? That I love you? I want to spend my life with you?"

"No, well yeah, but –no! I'm talking about my family; we're not like everyone else, and we have these different set of rules-"

"'Well yeah'?" she quoted, pushing him by the shoulders and him letting her by taking a step back. "It's been a year and you don't know if I love you by now?"

"That's not-"

"Or that I wouldn't know if I wanted to be with only you forever?"

"Well..." he shrugged in a 'give or take' gesture.

Stepping forward Kai's girlfriend him across the face and the crack echoed behind the stage, looking at her out of the corner of his eye through a sliced stare and stepped closer while she stood her ground.

"Why did you do that?" he said in a gruff voice.

"Because you don't believe me!"

"I wouldn't believe anyone who said that to me!"

"Wha - why?"

"Because it's bullshit."

My eyebrows shot up at the drastic turn of events, the girl wearing an expression like he had slapped her back.

"You're such an ass," she let out as her eyes watered.

"Gabbs," he sighed, reaching out for her but she put up her hand to ward him off.

"You don't want to spend forever with me," he smiled "you don't even want to spend this moment with me; it's okay"

"That's because you're being a jerk."

"I'm being honest," he said with sincerity, and I had to admit for the terrible way he was breaking the news to her he was trying to be kind and let her down not-so-gently.

Tears streamed down Gabby's face and he looked torn between continuing and stopping for her benefit, or his own – crying seemed to make him extremely uneasy. Kai walked forward and the strength in his chest easily won over the strength her hands had pushing against him. He crushed his body into hers and wrapped her up tight, her body shaking from sobs as he dropped his chin on her shoulder. He turned so his back was against the wall and they held each other in silence for a minute.

"I love you," Gabriela mumbled into his shirt and a look of sadness took on his features. "I love you," she said with more confidence, most likely assuming if she said it enough he would believe it.

"No, you don't," he murmured and she tried pushing herself out of his embrace but he held onto her. "I'm sorry, don't be mad, I just know... you don't – you can't."

"Get off of me!" she yelled still trying to yank herself out of his grip with no success. "How do you know what I feel?!"

"Because I know how you feel about me," Kai responded in a calm voice. "I've had a year to see it from a different person's standpoint. I know you like hanging out with me, and doing things together, and the sex is phenomenal - but that deep connection that drives couples insane with jealousy and insecurities isn't a part of our relationship. We don't argue, we've never really fought over anything the entire time we've known each other; there's no drama."

"Because you're easy to get along with!" she shot back, "I do love you."

"If you loved me, you would have tried to kill me by now," he smiled.

"That's ridiculous! Why is it so farfetched to believe?"

"Stop it Gabby."

"No, tell me."

Letting go of her she backed away out of his reach with her arms crossed, and he tried switching tactics. "I know you believe it."

"But you don't."

Blowing out a breath Kai leaned off the wall, walking farther backstage and putting distance between them. "I knew this conversation wasn't going to go over well."

"Because you're saying all the wrong things," she swiped at her cheek.

"That's nothing new," he smirked  and she walked over to him putting her hands against his stomach.

"I love you, I'm gonna keep telling you until it finally sinks in. I love-"

Kai gripped her wrists with her hands still against his abs, his expression changing with the shift in the atmosphere. "Knock it off."

"I love you Malachai Parker, with all –"

"No you don't!" he pushed her hands off his stomach and she pushed him back.

"Why not?!"

"Because nobody could!" Kai boomed, his voice echoing behind the stage and bringing people's attention from the audience. His breathing was harsh as his mind played through what most would consider emotional as he fought his way through to get out the words. "I don't get a happy ending, and I don't end up with the girl."

"You have me," she said, her startled expression telling me exactly how confused she was.

"You don't know me, Gabby, not as well as you think. You can't love me because you don't know the real me – you wouldn't like him."

"Let me get to know the real you then."

"Well that would be great if you weren't moving across country to go to a kick ass school in New York."

I could see he was trying to let her down and avoid a major blowup but I got the sinking feeling that both were inevitable. "Then come with me Kai, we can start fresh, we-"

"I can't leave my family," he said with a tone of finality.

"You would choose them over me?" she asked with bewilderment.

"I'm choosing me, Gabriela; you wouldn't understand why and I can't explain it."

Nodding and standing tall I could tell from the change in her stance that she switched up tactics as well. "Do you love me? Because I think if you did there would be a moment of thought to leaving with me. Or hell – even hesitant to me leaving in the first place and asking me to stay here."

"Why would I do that? I know how much you want to be in New York."

"Because you don't want us to be apart!"

I really felt for both of them in this moment; Kai and his genuine confusion to every emotion this girl is throwing at him and Gabriela for not knowing the real person behind the façade.

"We - never," he scratched the back of his head and walked up to her before she could back away, holding onto the sides of her upper arms. "Oh man, I've seen one too many movies I already know where this is going. You know I like you Gabby, and that I like having you in my life – but when we first got together I told you it wasn't going to get serious and turn into living together and babies because that's not me. I like spending time with you, and I will miss you, but I'm not moving away with you."

I had to give this girl credit for not falling into a puddle on the spot because I could see her heart was breaking. Even if Kai couldn't recognize it, she was definitely in love with him.

"Do you love me, Kai - did you ever?" Gabby questioned and he didn't break eye contact but made no inkling to speak, clenched his jaw and searching her eyes. "Just say it!"

"No," he sighed, "I didn't."

Kai glanced at her hand and sensed it was coming but let her slap him anyway, watching her turn and run across the stage to the other side of the curtains and out the Exit door. I turned back to Kai who was still staring at where he saw her last, his hands fisted at his sides before turning and pushing open the other Exit door.

I looked back at both doors again for good measure, wondering if it was going to be like a movie where one runs back in and realizes their mistake then the other follows within seconds – but this is his 7 levels of Hell, not a fairytale; and Kai's life was definitely not a movie. I already felt queasy with the insight of knowing I was going to feel worse the moment I step through that door but my feet refused to break their stride as they brought me through the same exit that Kai just walked out into utter darkness.

6.

I came stumbling through the front door of the house landed on my hands and knees, throwing up what little amount I had in my system. My vision blurred and I couldn't see past the black spots that blinded me, shutting them tight and trying to steady my breathing. After a moment the nausea passed and I opened my eyes, the dizziness still there but slowly dissipating. Holding onto the doorframe behind me I stood up and heard laughter as kids ran past me. I turned and watched two squealing kids, no older than 11 dart around the corner into the next room and a girl that couldn't have been a year or two older running closely behind. They all giggled and yelled as they chased each other around and continued out the back door into the backyard.

I smiled as I followed the laughter down the hall, looking at all the open entrances along the way and not finding another person. I headed up the stairs straight for Jo's bedroom and found no one inside but did come across another sibling sitting on his bed looking like he's close to graduating in one of the other bedrooms. My heart sank at the feeling of dread that flooded my system; if one of Kai's siblings is at least 16 then he would have to be getting close to 22. My blood pressure spiked up a notch as I took the stairs two at a time back down and heard a crash from another room. I ran around the corner and came face to face with present day Kai, my feet melting into the floorboards on sight.

Kai wore a basic white t-shirt with the dark red maroon sweatshirt he wore the first time we met and typical 90's jeans. His boyish face looked even more innocent in his flashback, not realizing until this moment that the years spent in the prison world did age him in more ways than one. He bent forward to pick up the box full of papers and I noticed his chain hanging in front of him.

"Let's try this again, I'll take this box, you grab that one – and I'll lead the way!" he laughed and stumbled towards the door.

He glanced next to him and stopped, balancing the box on his knee in one hand and reaching for the liquor bottle with the other, dropping it in the box and walking past me and around the corner. I followed him as Jo trailed behind me and came to an open door leading downstairs as he hit the last step and turned to the right. I ran down the stairs and my eyebrows rose in surprise.

From the bottom step the wall trailed all across the left side and brought me into a small living room in front of me with a loveseat and recliner on the far wall. Kai sat down on the loveseat and put the box down next to him as Jo started down the stairs. I got off the step and looked off to the far right hand corner past the few pillars that separated the rooms and noticed a large desk in the corner with a bookcase and big lamp in between. I crossed the room and looked through all the books surprised to find a lot of great American Literature authors within the spell books and Grimoire's that Kai would have read in his free time. I couldn't help smirking at his pristine desk and how everything was in its place. My eyes kept trailing to the right to the rest of the room.

From this view Kai and Jo were off to my right in his hangout area, the stairs are directly across and his Queen-sized bed was to my left. Something on the wall caught my attention and I stepped closer until I saw the purple light attacked, checking the posters and laughing at the fact that Kai had a black light and posters in his chill pad in the basement. The basement had been completely refurnished and rearranged to become Kai's bedroom, with half of the floor near his living room area carpeted and his bedroom section still concrete with throw rugs. Overall I felt like I stepped into the 90's and I had the Nirvana and Alice in Chains posters to prove it.

"Dad is going to kill us," Jo mumbled, picking up one of the folders.

"Oh don't fret, he'd come for me long before you – plenty of time for a quick getaway."

"Yeah right," she rolled her eyes, swiping the half full bottle of booze and taking a long sip before handing it back to him. The dark liquid sloshed against the sides as he took a gulp, and then another, his lips shimmering when he pulled the bottle away. I walked over to where he was, glancing at the papers in his hand before sitting down across from them on the recliner. "What are we even looking for?"

"Evidence," he stated, his eyes clearly glazed over and his lazy smile giving away his tipsiness. "A clue, a breadcrumb – something. I'm going to find out what's going on the best way I know how; stealth-mode."

"Kai, we're 21, I think our 'stealth-mode' antics became well known once we hit double digits."

"21 ½," he corrected "and we are constantly switching up our game plan to keep them on their toes – fight the man – all of that motivational talk!" he thrust the bottle into the air for added effect. "We've looked through everything else in his study and came up squat, these are the last two boxes in this house that I have not looked through, and they were buried in the corner of the locked closet piled underneath a mountain of crap."

"You know you're obsessed, right?" she concluded and Kai picked up one of the boxes and dumped it on both of their laps and picked up one of the folders, flipping through the pages reading the titles and headers on each one. "Because this, what's been going on for over two years is borderline dangerous in how much it has consumed and controlled you-"

"Nothing controls me."

"It has a grip on your mind," she shot back, "it has a hold on you and is changing you so – yes Kai – it is controlling you."

Kai shrugged and took another sip, "something isn't right."

"They are our brother and sister," she stressed.

"They are our competition," he said back with enunciation "how don't you see that?"

"Maybe because I'm not so dark and twisty, and that's not a usual thought that crosses my mind. I like to see them as our loving little siblings-"

"That will take our power-"

"That we need to protect." she finished.

"Protect?" he asked baffled, looking away from the papers.

"Yes Kai, protect them – from dad, from..." she glanced away not able to meet his eyes and he stayed staring at her, his eyes still glazed and hazy but unwavering.

"From what?"

"From... what he does, how he would treat them, what he would put them through..."

"You can say what he does - to me - it's alright, I already know." Josette tried to roll her eyes at him as a brush off but ended up just looking down at the carpet, momentarily lost in thought. "And we don't need to protect them from that," he continued "he's not going to treat them the same way, just like he hasn't treated any of his other kids like that."

"That's different," she countered, "they aren't twins."

"Doesn't matter, they'll be fine," he tossed the folder back into the box and grabbed the next one.

"How can you be so sure?" she questioned and he ignored her interrogation, scanning through the pages at a rapid pace until she smacked the side of him arm. "Kai!"

"Because I am! I know him better than anyone, and I know exactly how he thinks. I know he won't hurt them just like he hasn't touched any other coven member because the rest of you are normal." Throwing the folder into the box and pushed it away from him Kai reached for another in the one Jo was holding. "He's not after twins, Josette, he's after me. I am what he's spent our entire life trying to break and mold into something else, you've just been the innocent bystander by my side."

"I thought he was trying in his own sick way to help you?"

"I did too, and he planned it out so methodically - so manipulative. The man is smart, but I may just be smarter." He stopped flipping one of the pages, reading the title and bringing it up closer. "Medical records of patient Mrs. Elizabeth Parker (Maiden name: Laughlin)."

"I don't think you should be reading that," she tried to snatch it out of his hand but he stood up and wandered around the immediate area.

"Came in for premature labor of twins, no complications through childbirth. Severe complications post-labor, major hemorrhaging and abdominal pain," he said everything out loud but he was saying it to himself. I felt the air thinning in the room, my head feeling light from the sudden loss of breath over what he is saying. Up until this point I've never heard Kai speak a word about his mother, good or bad, and it always bothered me that I had no idea what her story was. "Aren't problems during childbirth – you know – during childbirth? She shouldn't have been having problems after when she was fine the whole way through."

"I don't know, it's not unheard of to have complications after." Looking back at the paper his face turned into an impassive mask as he read all the way to the bottom, gripping it in his hand as he put it down to his side. "What is it?"

"Look," Kai mumured staring dead ahead at the wall avoiding her gaze, his vacant stare bringing an icy chill down my spine.

Josette got off the couch and grabbed the folder out of his hand, scanning to where he read last and reading through the rest, her confused look turning uneasy as her face turned a pale shade of green. "Autopsy showed uterus was charred from within with a brand burned into the side," she read through a shaky voice "cause unknown and under suspicious investigation."

"Look at the bottom," his voice deadpanned.

"Symbol 1A (center, right) two straight vertical lines, two curved horizontal lines on either side; similar to Roman Numeral," she read looking at the picture and up to him,"Kai that's-"

"The Gemini symbol; odd how that would somehow end up inside her," Kai observed taking the folder and flipped back a few pages. "If this is what happened to her at the end, there has to be something on what was going on during," he murmured before stopping on another page.

What?" she asked nervously and he glanced from the page to Jo's face half a dozen times before speaking.

"You've got to be kidding me. The twins; they're not supposed to be twins!" Kai laughed harshly walking the few steps to her and thrust the papers in her face pointing to a spot. "Mrs. Elizabeth Parker monitored through first trimester with healthy vitals of baby, brought back in during second trimester and discovered there was a second heartbeat that was overlooked the first time; extremely rare."

"What... does that mean?"

"It means I'm not the only abomination in this family. Mom was only pregnant with one child, magically a second one appears and after that her womb was cursed and branded with our sigil – I wonder how that could have happened."

I had to sit back down on the recliner, my hand over my mouth as I absorbed all of this information at once. Kai's mother – who is deceased – passed away during childbirth of the other set of twins; a pregnancy that Kai is just discovering was not the usual or uncomplicated routine that it was so many times before. In one way or another Joshua Parker used magic on his wife to ensure that she finally had another set of twins to become the next leader, consequences be damned.

Kai walked over to the loveseat, grabbing the bottle off the couch and kicking the box next to it, papers flying all over the floor. He huffed and flipped over the next box, his posture tensing as he turned and let out a frustrated noise hurling the bottle at the wall above his desk.

"Jesus!" Jo yelled jumping back a step "what the hell?!"

"Don't you get it?" he yelled back, turning to face her so they were only a foot apart. "He planned them, he made sure another set of twins were born so we wouldn't be able to lead. He wanted to make it so we would have a limited amount of time – if any – and a definite way to knock us back down." I could tell his breathing started to pick up and his eyes got darker – calmer – a dangerous look I've seen once or twice before. "If he used magic to make it happen, he must have been desperate by that point. What if he was trying to have twins the entire time?"

"That's ridiculous," she said shaking her head "they wanted a big family, a base for the coven and for the Gemini coven to get stronger off of... you know this."

"I know that's what he has told us," Kai countered "and I know what my own opinion is – they seem to counteract each other."

"Kai," she walked in front of him and gripped his wrists "please, don't do this. Don't let him get in your head again you're stronger than him-"

"I know I am."

"So don't let him get the upper hand! Even if he did do that... which I'm not saying he did because that is seriously messed up but even if he did we are still going to be the leader of this coven regardless."

"For 18 years, not a day longer. You really want to have a time frame on how long you can rule over what has been rightfully given to you that you worked for? It's supposed to be one of our children - not our siblings, that takes the throne and I didn't plan of having any kids in this lifetime."

"Kai please, nothing good can come from this. You've been drinking and you get really impulsive and stubborn, if you question him on this he'll be furious, he'll-"

"Malachai!" boomed from the floor above, causing all of us to look overhead then back at the papers on the ground.

Jo let go of him and scrambled to pick up the papers but he crouched down and reached out for her shoulder.

"Don't bother, he already knows. Besides - I'm ready for him." Kai smirked and her eyes shot looking panicked as she shook her head.

"We can leave right now," she wrapped her hand back around his wrist. "I'll give you a quick dose of magic and we can cloak ourselves and walk right out the door."

Jo tried to keep her voice steady but her eyes were pleading and he smiled at her attempt, taking her hand off his wrist. They glanced overhead when they heard heavy footsteps heading towards the basement door and she stood up quickly.

"You should go," Kai suggested standing up casually "you probably won't want to be here for this."

"I'm not leaving! We both broke into his study and looked through his stuff."

"Not going to solve anything if he's yelling at us both," he said glancing at the stairs leading up to his door and heard his dad trying to open it struggling against what must have been a lock Kai put on. "Time to go, run along."

"No."

"Off you go," he did a 'shoo' motion towards her with both hands.

"Kai-"

Jo was cut off by the door breaking through the lock and banging off the wall, his loud footsteps slowly descending. Kai's eyebrows drew in and he grabbed her wrist pulling her towards him.

"Leave." It wasn't a question.

Searching his eyes for another moment before sighing and closing hers, Josette mumbled the chant quickly and evaporating the same time Joshua Parker came into view, looking passed Kai at the papers thrown around behind him on the floor and couch.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Oh, just some light reading," Kai said nonchalantly, lifting his arm and gesturing to everything behind him. "You'd be surprised what you can find in this house, some really interesting things you'll learn. Like this one, for example," he turned picking up the folder off the couch that had everything on his mother and shook it in his hands taking a step closer, the scared thirteen year old and intimidated sixteen year old nowhere to be found in his cold stare. I took a few steps back so I was leaning against the pillar between the two a safe distance away for good measure.

"Did you know that during your wife's pregnancy of the twins their comfy home was being charred to a crisp all around them?" Kai let in a sharp breath through his teeth, making an 'eeek' face as he shrugged a shoulder. Seeing his calm and playful composure on the surface and knowing how truly enraged he was underneath sent a jolt of awareness through me that triggered another wave of vertigo, my hands clenching at my sides over my uneasiness. "I don't know that sounds like more of a personal problem for mommy dearest and yet – I have the distinct feeling that you had something to do with it."

His father didn't say anything as he stared him down with a ruthless expression, possibly expecting Kai to bend under pressure but he held his ground with his cheeky smile. "Dip into the magic fund and conjure up a fresh new set of twins, did ya'?" he cocked his head to the side, his eyes flashing the heat simmering behind.

Without a word Joshua lifted his hand towards him and closed his fist, a strangled noise coming from Kai's throat as his airway got cut off. "You shouldn't go poking around in things you don't want to know the answer to, you could get hurt."

Kai tried not to make a sound to show weakness, his eyes closing briefly as he gripped the front of his chest. His eyes sliced into his fathers and he walked towards him without breaking stride taking Joshua by slight surprise. He unclenched his fist to open his airway and lifted his hand palm towards Kai and nudged forward sending him backwards onto the couch. He let out an annoyed grunt and quickly got up barreling towards him but Joshua's palm moved down to the floor and Kai was frozen in place.

"Are you really that afraid of me?" Kai asked through gritted teeth. "You need to make up these Frankenstein hybrids to lead this coven over me - your first born son?"

"There is something wrong with you Malachai, you aren't fit to lead this coven... you never were."

"You made me like this!" he yelled, struggling to break through the spell. "Just like you made the twins for your own dark demands – I wonder if good ol' karma will drop by with a present for you."

"I did what was necessary!" Kai barked out a laugh. "I thought that if I could break through to you then your magic would be triggered and the dark cloud would be lifted, but there is no cloud – you are the darkness, and you are a danger to us all." I expected Kai to say an angry comment back or be a little wounded at his father's remark but a soft smile started in the corner of his mouth and spread across the rest of his face; a chilling look that was deeply unsettling. Kai let out a breath and stumbled a step forward from pressing up against the invisible wall. He glanced at his foot then back at his father, taking another step and breaking into a wide grin. Joshua held up his other hand and closed his fist, Kai hesitating slightly before pushing through it and walking straight for him. "How are you doing this? Did you devour your sister's magic again?"

Kai didn't slow down his momentum and rushed forward slamming him into the wall, locking his hands around his forearms and squeezing. A pained noise left his father's lips as Kai snarled and tightened his grip so hard his knuckles were white.

"No, just yours."

"Agh!" his father roared sending Kai flailing backwards into the wall and landing on the loveseat.

Putting up his hands towards Kai's face, flashing a pained expression before shaking himself out of it, he stood facing him head on and cupped his hands together puttig his lips between his thumbs like he was trying to warm them up.

Phesmatos Pyrox Morsinus Illum

he said into his hands before unclasping them and leaving his left hand in front of him fisted as his right palm facing out pulled back towards him and thrusted forward, sending a grunt out of his father as he leaned forward.

"Again," he did the same motion towards his head and it cracked backwards off the wall; repeating it as the final one hit his dad's chest and he wheezed trying to catch his breath. "Did you know that I can harness the magic and physically push it out of my body? Kind of like little magic death blows. Pretty cool right, yeah I've taught myself a few things."

Joshua threw up his hand palm up but Kai raised his clenched like a claw and seemed like he caught his father's magic, taking a step back from the force. Closing his hand he took a deep breath, swallowing the magic and pushing it back out through his other hand with a fatal strike to his face.

"Malachai-"

"Oh yeah,I can actually break through the witches hold on their magic once it leaves their body too; I guess I forgot to mention it." The noise I heard from Joshua was more of a roar then anything, baring his teeth and looking like a rabbit animal as they thrust both arms towards Kai and had him in an invisible vice grip, squeezing the air out of his body and throwing him at the pillar. I dove out of the way but I felt his body collide through my lower half and the instant disorientation had me falling to my knees. Kai tried standing but his father slammed his hand off the ground, keeping him on the ground. "I know what you're planning old man, it took me years to figure it out but my eyes are wide open – and I see you... you don't scare me."

Namia Exom Solvos

A flame rose from my peripheral in front of Joshua and wrapped around him until he was encased in a ring of fire. Kai stood slowly, walking within an inch of the fire and stared into his father's eyes. "You're a coward, and a liar. I have fought my entire life to have magic – to be powerful - and I will make sure that happens no matter what the cost. You think your B-twins are any match for me?"

"They will take away everything that's yours!" Joshua argued, "It's why they were created, to make sure you fail – and you will Malachai. They will become the 2.0 twins; new and improved and stronger than you and your sister could ever be."

"One of us exudes magic, and the other devours it – I don't think you'll find anyone more forceful than us." I was standing next to them and I wasn't sure if I was seeing the flames reflecting in Kai's eyes or if it was his own simmering rage setting himself ablaze from within. He stepped even closer to the point I was positive he could feel the heat burning his skin. "Remember this moment dad; when I win the merge – and we both know I will –"his voice dropped to a low whisper "you're the first person I'll be visiting."

His father attempted to hit him with another dose of magic but the ring of fire rendered his feeble try useless. Kai smirked and without another word, walked around him and upstairs heading for the back door. I just made it to the top step when I noticed Jo was waiting there for him.

"Did you stay for the show?" Kai asked amused and Jo tried not to be a dead giveaway but she couldn't help it, shrugging and laughing along with him. "I told you to leave I could handle it."

"Yeah, like I was really gonna leave," she pushed his shoulder "besides, I just wanted to even the playing field. A protection shield goes a long way with you."

Kai shook his head and looked out the door but I could see the hidden smile behind his eyes, unintentionally showing his gratitude. Kai walked out the door and she followed behind, soft chatter between the two as they faded away and a black haze took their place.

I stared straight ahead, my equilibrium still not feeling entirely in tact since I walked into this level and gave me sense of fight or flight against my next and final feat; his seventh level of Hell – where I would find the real Kai not a dream or memory. I closed my eyes, not wanting to think about what I was about to find and ran full force through the entrance.

7.

I felt the cold night chill hit my face and bare arms as a chill raced up my spine against the hard ground. I turned my head to the side, groaning with my eyes still closed as bright streaks flashed behind my eyelids. I stayed in the same position for what felt like minutes, trying every twenty seconds or so to open my eyes or lift my head with little success. The nausea was so clear it felt like I was fighting against a mean hangover, my body rejecting any and all attempts of life, my subconsciously slowly trying to take over and pull me out from the deepest level of Kai's mind.

A scream from within the house forced my eyes open, followed by another painful shriek from the same young girl's voice. I lifted my lower half off the ground and took in the nighttime scene of Kai's house and heard a loud crash from inside. As quickly as my body would manage I pulled myself up off the ground and dragged my heavy legs across the yard – my entire body feeling like I was moving underwater.

I leaned against the door to push it open and screamed; a teenage boy and girl were hanging from the stairwell railing six feet off to my left. I stumbled backwards into the doorframe, covering my mouth with the back of my hand and gagging at the sight. My vision blurred with tears and my head started to pound, the heaviness amplifying with each emotion I feel. I heard a splash coming from the backyard followed by a garbled scream, my heart dropping to the pit of my stomach as I internally battled with myself over going outside. My body won against my mind as my feet forced me to the backdoor and onto the porch.

"Kai," I let out horrified, my eye-line going directly across the yard to the aboveground pool.

Kai was standing on the latter leaning over the brother in high school and holding him underwater, the terrified sounds and violent splashes sending a sharp sense of panic through my entire body. I ran over to him and tried to push him off the latter but my hand went straight through him and I landed on the ground.

His brother continued to thrash and fight against his tight grip on him but no matter how hard he pulled he couldn't lift his head above the water to take a breath. I looked through blurred tears from the pool to Kai's unrecognizable expression and the devastation knocked the wind out of me as I bent over taking short breaths and gasping for air. I could feel my body sway and knew if I didn't get it together I was going to pass out, or be catapulted from his mind. I heard the splashing go still and hesitated before glancing up at the back of Kai's head walking back towards the house. I didn't dare look back at the pool as I chased after him.

"Where are they, Josette?" he hollered with lightness in his voice, walking around the first floor and grabbing a bat that was leaning against his door. "Come on out Jo, I know you can hear me."

Kai's outward appearance was off-putting against the current situation to say the least. He wore a pink shirt that had different colored circles making a target in the front, a white long sleeve underneath and faded green cargo pants. Blood covered parts of his shirt and hands; dark red marks were near his pockets from constantly wiping them clean and his innocent face was long gone under this penetrating stare, giving me the gut feeling that this is in fact the Kai that I've come to know.

"Come on Kai, snap out of it! This is a dream! It's all in your head, come back!"

I screamed as I walked all around him and followed him around the house, trying to touch him, throw things at him, and block his path all to no avail. He opened the last door downstairs then headed for the second floor but I got to the stairs first and sprinted to the top, running through the closed doors and walls and finding Jo instantly; holding her bloody stomach with a knife behind her back, motioning for the twins to get under the bed.

"We're just playing a game, shh, let's play hide and seek."

Kai walked in the moment they were settled under the bed, scanning the room and walking around slowly, making his way over to the bed and pausing before over to the dresser. His hand was raised to open the door when he stopped, glanced over his shoulder, and went back to standing in front of the bed. He reached down for the box spring and I held my breath as he flipped the entire bed and frame over and found Jo underneath.

"Where are they?" Kai asked quietly and she whimpered shaking her head as he went around the room, switching between looking for the twins and staring back at her. He opened the walk-in dresser and slammed the doors then kicked them, loud noises echoing from the wood and Jo's cries and walked back over to her picking up the bat on his way over. "WHERE ARE THEY?"

Kicking her in the stomach where she was wounded Josette cried out causing the twins to run from their cloaked hiding place in the dresser out the bedroom door. Kai looked back at them then glared at her before following them out and down the hall. I knelt down next to Jo and tried desperately to get her attention to it was no use; it was the equivalent to talking to any other figment of my imagination. I leaned forward on my hands and knees to steady my breathing and listened to Jo's whimpers to herself about needing to get up, need to find the twins, need to use her magic against him-

I looked over at her quickly, a thought blinding me with how fast it hit me. I let out a fast breath and turned to her with my hands raised over her chest, starting to chant and almost throwing up from the last bit of magic tasting like battery acid on my tongue as it surged out of me. I felt a sharp jolt and closed my eyes through the pain, opening them to find myself lying on the floor, holding the wound on my stomach. I looked around the room then back at my bloodied shirt and sighed with relief, at least one thing I tried has worked. I got up as quickly as I could – the stab wound in my stomach feeling painfully real – and followed Kai's voice down the stairs.

"Olivia... Lucas... come out come out wherever you are..." I was almost to the last step when Kai turned the corner and stared me down. "Just tell me where they are Josette, you know I won't kill you."

Kai's voice was soft but his demeanor was lethal, his posture rigid and his eyes too far gone for recognition.

"Kai, can you hear me?" I rushed out "I'm not Jo, I'm Bonnie – something really weird is going on and-"

Yanking me off the last step and pushing me into the wall next to it he pressed his forearm underneath my neck. "I'm not playing games Josette, tell me where they are."

I grabbed onto the sides of his face making sure his eyes were locked in on mine. "My name is Bonnie Bennett; I am trapped in a prison world created for you because of what you did tonight. Your sister tricks you to protect the twins and your father banishes you, you've been alone for 18 years." I held onto the sides of his neck tighter and pulled him closer "I know you can remember Kai."

Searched my eyes for a moment a skeptical look on his face passed as he pressed his arm harder against my throat. "What the hell are you talking about, the last 18 years? So I've been on my own since I was 4? Sounds about right to me, now tell me where they are Josette-"

"I am not Jo!" I huffed, pushing against his chest as he pushed back.

My brain kicked into overdrive at finally being at the significant moment I've been waiting for and having no plan to convince him what he's seeing isn't real. Since my first altercation with Kai I have never had a plan go correctly or how I expected it to be – some of my greatest outcomes have been at the expense of logic and order and solely rested upon instinct and intuition, a factor I'm hoping will work in my favor tonight.

"Just stop and think for a minute... please. This has happened before, a long time ago, you've already gone on a murder spree – which by the way you never ended up killing the twins so you should stop trying – and you've been imprisoned because of it. Now that I'm seeing it up close it's a little more... real, but you have paid for it." I moved my hand away from the side of his neck to get his forearm off my windpipe, he was slow and hesitant but I managed to pry him off and he stood a foot away in a defensive pose. "Your dad is in the prison world right now possessing your body, trying and almost succeeding in killing you and you're letting him! He is feeding you lies from within, keeping you locked away in the darkest and lightest parts of your mind. You're playing into his game Kai, that's all this is; I know you're smarter than him – please."

Kai stared at me the entire time I spoke with a constant level of uncertainty; his defense on red alert and the words I'm saying sounding completely irrational coming from his twins mouth. And yet... he hasn't tried stabbing her – me – again.

"Josette," he shook his head.

"No! Say it with me – Bonnie." I stared at him, then huffed and made a gesture when he did nothing until he said my name.

"Again," I ordered.

"I don't know who you are Bonnie, or what you're trying to pull. Or is it Josette-Bonnie? Jo-Bonnie, Jo-Bon-"he hesitated, scrunching his eyebrows and a brief flicker flashed in his eyes.

"Yes! Bon, Bonnie, the Bennett witch – whatever title will trigger something. I can see it in your eyes Kai, tucked in the back of your mind, you can break through this." I inched so there was no distance between us and grabbed his hand. "If I was Jo right now; 1. this would be extremely uncomfortable and more importantly 2. you would be able to steal my magic. I used my last bit to get here, in a Jo!mirage and all to bring you back. I have no way out of here without you, I need you to trust me."

Kai hadn't said a word in what seemed like five minutes but I felt like we were having a full conversation from the intensity of his stare and the wheels turning behind his icy blue eyes.

"Your father told me I'm your strength, that I am what's keeping you tethered to the real world. Please, believe me, I'm on your side - I'm here for you Kai."

"You're confusing me," he whispered, holding the side of his head with his other hand and inhaling a sharp breath. He groaned and leaned forward, his eyes shut tight before shaking his head and pushing me forward until I landed against the wall. "You're tricking me."

"I'm not, I'm the only one who's honest with you – good or bad – and it's usually pretty bad." I reached forward and pressed my palm flat against his chest mirroring what he was doing to me. "Let go of what's holding you here, let this part of you go... it's going to be what kills you."

"Nothing's going to kill me," Kai smirked.

"Your father will, if I don't get you out of here! How can I convince you? I - we've spent the last couple of months together, I'm the only person you've seen in the last two decades." I searched his eyes frantically trying to conjure up memories. "We sleep together – well I mean we don't – we actually do sleep together... but we have gotten close, a couple of times. And nightmares! We've both had them. Um, we fight and we eat dinner together and we've gotten under each other's skin so badly to the point of..." I was hit with a sudden wave of shyness at my own declarations.

"To the point of what?" he asked after a full minute of me not speaking.

'Here goes everything', I hummed. "I want to sleep with you, and I'm fairly certain you want to have sex with me too, and we just started to get into this weird new thing between us and now you're in a dream world. It's ironic, really - all this sexual tension started because of a dream I had that I wouldn't tell you about."

"A dream?"

"Yeah," I smiled "we had sex in a cave; I don't know why it was so difficult to tell you since I just did with ease but I never could and it drove you crazy.

"A dream," Kai said again, his eyebrows down and looking away. "And nightmares..." he murmured, before gripping his head again and trying to back away but I grabbed onto his hair pulling him forward.

"Let it happen, your subconscious is trying to break through," I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, not needing to stand on my tiptoes with Jo's extra couple inches. "If you keep me locked inside your head when things are finally starting to get better I will never let you hear the end of it. Come back to me..."

I whispered the last sentence against his ear and cheek as I raked my hand up the back of his head grabbing a handful of hair and I could have sworn I felt his grip tighten.

"Bonnie?" he choked out after a minute of silence, the word sounding physically stuck in his mouth. I pulled his head and my head back at the same time staring into someone whose eyes looked like they were flashing bright lights in front of him. When the daze and the fog cleared from him eyes he looked back at me and they were crystal clear. "Bonnie."

Kai's voice was so filled with relief and happiness it made my throat feel constricted on impact, his gratitude hitting me by surprise. and a smile broke out across my face. "You can see me?!"

Laughing through his shock Kai had me pressed against him with his lips on mine before I could take a breath, inhaling his exhales and getting squeezed so tight in his embrace I could see spots behind me eyes.

"Dizzy," I wheezed and his embrace instantly loosened but his lips stayed on mine, murmuring his name between kisses.

"Mm?"

"Wake up, dreams are nothing compared to the real thing."

I could feel his smile against my mouth and feel his hand trail down my side and over my wrist until he intertwined our fingers and gave a toe-curling gentleness to his kisses as my vision blurred around me and I was encased in darkness; getting hauled out from deep within his subconscious.