I open my eyes and stare in horror at the pitch-black night around us, at the damp and loose ground. Turning my head, I know I'm not alone. All the guys who were around me are here too. They look around in shock and huddle together.

"Check your powers," I whisper, flipping my palm over and forming a fireball. Fima creates a breeze, Mor growls, and sharp fangs come out of his mouth as his fingernails lengthen. Stellare creates a water balloon, and Ailes pulls a hairpin out of his hair, loosening it, and swishes it around. His hairpin turns into a sharp spear. Vox lifts the loose earth with his power and throws it further.

"What's happening?"

"Where are we?"

"Why are we here?"

"It's an illusion. Someone has sucked us into an illusion," Fima mutters. "It's dark magic, very strong magic. And I can't sense anyone alive except us."

With a squeezed exhale, I mutter, "Not again."

"This is where we were with Seraphus. We're here again, but now with you. The dead will attack us, so get ready. The key for that time was death, or almost death. I was dying in Seraphus' arms. I don't know what the key might be this time."

"But you sent the gargoyles after Seraphus, didn't you?" Stellare's eyes run fearfully over my face.

"Yes, I sent, but I don't know if they'll get there. I don't know," I whisper back to him. "But the good news is we have our powers. We're not without them, and we can fight."

"But we won't last long, Lua. We're not that strong. Especially against the dead. We need a protective dome, and none of us can hold it for long. Our energy isn't strong enough to do that." Vox looks carefully around the still empty space.

"We'll do our best. The main thing is not to let yourself get bitten. It's poison. We don't know what kind of the dead are sent after us, so don't let them bite you."

"Or scratch. Some of the dead are very dangerous, and their fingernails contain poison. It can poison us," Fima adds to my words. "Mother almighty, I'm afraid. I have only been in practice with Seraphus. I hate the dead. It's death, and I'm a vampire. I'm alive. We all feed off of living energy. This land is dead. It'll suck the strength out of us. It's already doing it."

"And we're light, and we have the most minimal dark power," Ailes snorts, "but we can't panic. We're going to get out of here."

"But by whom? We didn't open the portal, we didn't do anything to create such an illusion," Vox frowns.

"So the instigator is nearby," Mor whispers, spinning in place and sniffing. "If there wasn't an artifact near us, then there's the mage himself who's driving this illusion. And he's close by. He's probably standing outside the door of Lua's room, or under us, or above us. I don't know, but he's close. And he's come for Lua."

Everyone looks at me, and I swallow.

"I'm sorry," I whisper bitterly. "I don't understand why he came to me. I don't know anything, and I certainly don't support the duke's policies."

"He came for revenge, to punish you, Lua." Fima touches my hand and squeezes it. "You saved Seraphus, so they decided to scare you. You haven't fully recovered yet, and they're sure that's how you'll realize your mistake."

"Bastards," Stellare hisses. "But they didn't know Lua wasn't alone. Don't worry, we're right here. We can handle it. Yes?"

"Of course," Ailes nods, "I feel much better. Lua's energy is very nourishing. And it's..."

"Guys," Mor pokes me in the shoulder and points a finger forward. "They're here. You smell that? That stench? It's different. The dead smelled different in practice. Fima?"

"Yes, it's different. It's poisonous."

"Oh, hell, that sweet-tart smell I know. It's..."

"Dejeu," I finish for Vox.

All the guys look around in awe. These are the most dangerous dead, after all, and I saw them in my vision. They were there. And now they're here. There's a lot of them. They're just as many as in my vision and they've smelled us.

"We can't make it," Fima mutters. "We won't make it. We can't stand up to them."

"Okay, don't panic," Mor yanks Fima back and gets into a stance. "We'll fight."

"They're dangerous, dammit! Everything about them is poisonous: their saliva, their nails, their teeth, even the stench from their mouths, their slime. Everything! It's dangerous! It's dangerous for all of us!" Fima shouts angrily.

And that's what attracts the dejeu. A hissing sound spreads across the clearing, and they come at us. Mor prepares to attack, Ailes does too, Vox creates fireballs.

"We need a protective dome. We need to create at least part of it to hold them off."

"I can't do that! I haven't even surrendered the creation of the dome. I've only protected my body!"

"Stellare, get behind me!"

Seraphus, please! Please, I need you! Please!

I close my eyes, trying to keep my heart from racing. What did Seraphus teach me? To feel the coolness inside my chest. It spreads lazily and slowly at first, as if it's waking up and reluctantly spreading through my veins.

"They're close! Vox, throw it!"

And then visualize a ball forming around my body. It's pleasantly cold. It tickles my skin. And let go. Gently, softly. Let go.

Fima squeals. Someone pushes me, and I open my eyes. A transparent-blueish small dome enclosing all of us surrounds us. It shimmers as the dejeu attack. They hit it, and it's as if I feel a push. That's who pushed me.

"Lua," Fima grabs my shoulder. "Lua, you created the dome!"

"Don't bother him. There's so many of them!" Vox looks around.

I raise my hands, directing the power now precisely into the dome.

"Vox, can you reinforce it with me?" I throw a glance at the guy as the others bounce away from where the dejeu are jumping, trying to get to us. They're snagging the dome, they're just resting on top of it, propping it up on each side. And it's like it's squeezing me, hurting my whole body.

"Yes... yes," Vox gets beside me and sends out his golden colored energy. It intertwines with mine, and the pressure on my body eases.

"Oh, shit!" Ailes shouts out. Vox and I turn around and see the dejeu starting to come out of the ground, a small safe scrap of ground.

"You bitch, die!" Swinging, Ailes stabs it in the eye socket, and the dead disappear. But others are coming. They've found a loophole and now they're sneaking in like this. Fima kicks, as does Mor. Stellare, taking off his shirt, wraps it around the dejeu's neck and with his legs, pulls him forward, tearing his head off. Ailes impales them.

"There's too many of them," I whisper to Vox. "Someone's going to get hit. Will you try to create a dome on the ground?"

"I don't know, Lua. I'm already shaking since my power isn't much, but I'll try. Are you going to be okay here?"

"I have no idea." I chuckle nervously.

"You can do it." Vox pecks my cheek and turns to the guys. He sends his energy down, but it glows, though it's weak, though a small stream of the dead disappear. The rest are killed by the guys. There's that pressure again. My organs ache and clench in sharp tentacles. My face is covered in beads of sweat from the effort. My hands shake and my energy vibrates. I'm not that strong. I can feel the power leaving me rather quickly. And those nasty dejeu are trying to break my protection.

"I can't take it anymore! That's it! I'm exhausted! I can't!" Vox shouts out and the golden glow disappears. Vox staggers, but Mor picks him up by the waist.

"I'll try. At least we can hold out a couple more minutes. Fima, connect your energy to mine," Mor pleads.

"Yeah, I can't... I'm scared. I didn't realize I was such a coward. Mor, I'm scared."

"It's okay, just do as Seraphus taught you!"

"Hurry, guys! There's more of them! We can't do it alone!" Ailes yells, chopping off heads. Stellare presses the heel of his shoe against the head of the dead one, then punches, punches, punches as the slime splatters in all directions.

But I can't get distracted by the guys anymore. I can feel a strong recoil from the dome. It's shaking, just like me. And the dead creatures, as if sensing my approaching weakness, are beating, snagging, even licking my dome with even more fervor. And I can feel it all. It's as if their nails are going over me, but not tearing my skin, but causing nasty pain and discomfort. Like they are biting me, but not with their teeth, but with their gums, clenching my skin furiously. Like I'm out there in the crowd, among the dead, and my body is in the grip of their stench. I feel nauseous. I feel dizzy and the corners of my eyes feel dark, my vision blurring, but I struggle to stay conscious. There's an overwhelming noise in my head and I want to, frankly, give up. Just put my hands down, just resign myself to it. If I was alone, that's what I would do. I'm tired. I'm on the verge of fainting, my eyes are shutting and the arrow wound is being scorched by fire once again. It's a hellish pain distracting me, like it's deliberately trying to make me lose concentration.

"I can't... can't do this anymore," I wheeze, catching Mor's gaze. He swallows and stares at the dead and at my dome. It's thinning with every second. And then this flood of dead will come at us. It will crush us, tear us apart.

"Just a little more," Mor pleads, swinging his hand and clawing at the throat of a dead one. And in that moment I realize that Mor has forgotten that their slime is poisonous, and it could poison him if there are even microscopic wounds on his hands. Mor's no fool though, he doesn't give a damn about it. He just fights like the others. Even Fima has picked herself up and is helping Stellare.

I look at them, and my heart is filled with warmth. Yes, they probably don't like each other, but now they are working together. They're united, Light and Dark. So not all is lost in the world.

The dome is getting weaker and weaker. My labored and ragged breathing falls from my parched lips. I can't hold on any longer. I have no power.

"Guys... I'm sorry," I whisper, turning to them. "Just get ready to fight back or run."

Everyone freezes, looking at me. But before I die, I don't want to see their looks filled with disappointment in me, guilt that I'm the one who dragged them into this hell. I can't... let them remain in my memory like friends fighting side by side.

And the moment I'm mentally preparing myself to feel the pain and be torn apart by the dejeu, everything abruptly disappears. It just disappears. I lower my hands, perplexedly, looking around my room. We're back.

"What's going on?" Ailes whispers, breathing hard and fast.

"I don't know, but we need to get out of here. Move!" Mor shouts out. He grabs Fima's hand, and we take a mere step towards the door. One step... that's how long? A couple seconds or a second? It seems like so much, but no....

Everyone yells in unison as we find ourselves in a tight ring of dejeu. Vox gathers his forces and throws fire forward to clear the way. Mor scratches and Ailes swings his sword, but it falls from his hands and turns into a hairpin. Stellare kicks dejeu in the stomach to push him away from Ailes. And me... I'm empty. I'm barely standing on my feet.

Fima lets out a piercing squeal. I flinch as Vox flies up to her and slams his foot into the hand of the dejeu, holding Fima's leg.

"He scratched me! He scratched me!" The friend sobs. A deep gash darkens on her pale skin and blood drips to the ground.

"We're done," Vox wheezes, staggering. "That's it... the blood... they'll feel it."

I take his hand and he squints, turning away. The rest of us cuddle together as well, and we just prepare to die.

Squeezing hard, I hold my breath as the dejeu leap at us. But a second passes, then another, then another. Nothing happens.

We all slowly open our eyes and find ourselves in my room.

"Run! Let's go!" Ailes grabs a barely standing Vox and throws his arm around his shoulder. Mor picks up Fima in his arms. Stellare puts his arm around my waist, and we run as fast as we can to the door.

Ailes is the first to swing the door open, and a bright golden beam of light flashes in front of us. With a gasp, we all take a step back.

"You're going to die anyway, Seraphus!" A hate-filled shout rang out.

"Come on, we need to get to the healers. Get out," Mor pushes Ailes, and he slips out the door. When I find myself in the corridor, too, I stare in horror at the charred walls, the crowd of our teachers, and the two guys cuffed in magical handcuffs on the floor.

The healers run up to us, causing Stellare to let go of my waist and be taken away.

"Dejeu scratched her! He scratched Fima!" Mor shouts out. I blink, and the healers have already moved all the guys. I'm left standing right outside my door, apparently forgotten. I don't know what I'm feeling right now. Bitterness? Relief?

I shift my gaze to the two guys lying on the floor, spewing curses. They're very close to me. It's one dark, the other light. And they're both older, probably sixth or even eighth level. The dark one's gaze meets mine, and the guy spits at me, but it doesn't hit.

"You're going to die, just like the traitor. You helped him, so you'll be hunted. You think you'll hide, Luappo Isengard? No, you will suffer. We'll drive you crazy if you don't kill the traitor. You..."

I'm chilled by his venomous tone and the glint of madness in his eyes. They're crazy. They're just insane.

"We will get to you. And your father will be the one to make you our slave. He'll hand you over to us as a punishment for your betrayal. Seraphus will die before your eyes, and you'll watch..."

A sudden growl makes me jump on the spot with fright. Something black whizzes in front of me, and then a stream of light throws the two boys off, and they hit a wall, then another.

"Seraphus, that's enough!" The headmaster yells. The two guys fall to the floor helplessly and a small pool of blood forms under their bodies.

"They are still alive. We'll bring them to health before we send them to the kingdoms. Give me a hand. Send one healer," the headmaster orders. But I can't see well, because Seraphus's broad back is like a wall, preventing me from seeing anything. He covers me with himself, and I give up. Right at that moment, as if my mind was waiting for him to surrender, I press my cheek against his back and cover my eyes.

It gets quiet. Pleasantly quiet. I jerk back as Seraphus turns around, and I'm immediately caught in his arms. He wraps his arms around me, running his fingers through my hair.

"Are you okay?" He whispers, kissing my temple.

"No... I was scared," I admit and my eyes traitorously water. Turning my head to him, I stare into his intense and worried eyes. "I was so scared, Seraphus. Really. I couldn't keep the dome up for long. I couldn't... protect them. I mean, they... if they hadn't come to me, if I'd kicked them out or just not opened the door. No one would have gotten hurt. The guys wouldn't have gotten hurt. Fima could die because of me."

"Kan," Seraphus places his palms on my face, wiping away the tears with his fingers. "Seraphima's going to be fine. It's an illusion. You were in an illusion, and no one can copy the dejeu, nor can their powers. Everything seems real in the illusion, even the pain of their bites, but they don't really hurt. Seraphima will be fine, the others will regenerate. Those bastards don't have much power to do you any actual harm."

"Really?" I gaze hopefully into his eyes.

"Really, Kan. It's true. I'm sorry I didn't think to protect you in the first place. I should have known they'd come after you for revenge. I'm sorry."

"I don't blame you. I blame them. Let them be punished, Seraphus. Let them be punished and deprived of all their powers. Let them suffer as they make you suffer," I snuggle up to him again, hugging him tightly. I nuzzle my nose into his neck and breathe in his scent, which brings me peace.

"They'll be punished. Don't worry about it. Nock is serious this time. Especially since they're attacking students now."

Seraphus strokes my head and I sigh convulsively.

"You need to go to the healing block, Kan."

"I don't want to. I just got out of there... Seraphus," I throw my head up, "I don't have much powers. It's gone. Just gone, I felt empty. I held the dome of protection like you taught... I was able to cover all the guys, but not for long. Though it seems like hours have passed, I feel empty now. I have no more powers."

Seraphus, smiling softly at me, runs his fingernail along my cheekbone.

"You aren't empty. You'll recover. And I think you've passed your practice, Kan. You built a strong dome. You held it for a full eight minutes. That's about the amount of time you spent in there."

"Eight minutes? I thought it was at least half an hour," I frown.

"It only seemed to you. The gargoyles got to me, but I already sensed danger. I was with Nock, so we got here quickly, called the others."

"Are they okay? Did they make it?"

"They made it in time to let me know. The gargoyles are fine, just a little scared for you. So I don't think they'll be able to get away from you now. And they'll show up when they're ready."

"Okay...yeah, okay," I reply sluggishly.

"Kan, look at me," I have to do this. "Listen, what happened is not your fault. You can't blame yourself, okay? If anyone is to blame, it's me."

"You just loved," I mutter and let Seraphus. Pain pierces my heart as I catch the bitterness in the depths of Seraphus' eyes. "How can you be blamed for love? We were created to give and receive love. The only ones to blame are those who punish us for what we don't choose. The ones to blame are these creatures who think they're the Mother who decides our fate. It is written in our rules: "Do not kill, do not harm your neighbor. Do not judge, but accept your brother with his mistakes and imperfections. Help him find his light even in the darkness of the night. If necessary, become his light and guide him on the true path and you will be blessed with the highest reward." Mother wanted to see us all as brothers and sisters, not enemies. She gave us love and a whole world filled with life-giving energy. And I can't blame you, Seraphus. It's just wrong to blame you for only loving and being deceived. I can't judge anyone, but I can't be friendly to those who are closer to the dead, rotten and poisonous either. So if you're asking me not to blame myself for what happened, I'll do it on the condition that you don't blame yourself, either."

"I have a lot of questions for you now, Kan," Seraphus frowns.

"The guys have told me about you and Ellior. They know that you were true to each other, and that you betrayed your father's opinion of your kind and were banished for love. I think that is why no one else can meet their true one, as once all rejected that gift. Any challenge is a test of the Mother of our souls and purity of thoughts. And then no one passed it. That's why she punished us. That's just my opinion, but I think enough time has passed, Seraphus, and it's time for you to decide. You and Ellior can no longer hide from each other, nor can you let dissenters attack you. Stop putting up with it. You don't deserve to be treated like this. It's not your fault. Those who are evil here are the Dissenters, and they must be banished and punished for the atrocities they do here. And that can only be resolved when you and Ellior resolve your problem, but each of you has turned your backs on the other and that is so cruel, Seraphus. The Mother is probably what created you true to each other, so that there would be no war, so that there would be peace, and such an alliance can become demonstrative and quite strong. But what do I know about relationships, right? What do I even know about politics and what's going on? I'm just a stupid kid."

Inside me now boils rage at Seraphus and his lover. I'm just angry that neither of them wants to solve the problem, to make the first step. Everyone is hiding and waiting for things to work themselves out. And that pisses me off. It's impossible to ignore what's happened. The dissenters are attacking and retaliating. They'll take revenge on Lua, not me. And I want to protect my friend. He's innocent, but he'll suffer. That's why I'm angry. Angry at myself, angry at Seraphus, angry at Ellior, angry at everyone who didn't even try to look into the problem, and this is the result.

"Kan, listen..."

I avoid Seraphus' touch, shaking my head.

"Don't. You don't need to explain anything to me. I'm nobody and I had no right to even speak to you like that. It's okay. I'll take the punishment for frivolity and disrespect if you decide it's necessary. But I won't take back what I said. You have to do something, Seraphus. You have a responsibility to start defending yourself instead of being all-forgiving. It won't affect the minds of the dissenters at all. They're the ones who like you to accept everything with your head down. The Headmaster is right, Seraphus, he's right, and you have to remember who you are. You have to, that's all. I don't want to go through something like that again. I don't want my friends to suffer. I don't want another war. And I think a lot of us would agree with me. The war has already taken a lot from the world, and no one intends to give it anything again. And we can no longer ignore those who disagree. And I suggest you start with the Duke. But nothing will change until you and Ellior resolve your issues. I don't believe love is gone. No, it doesn't. You're both killing those feelings. And because of you, we can't find our true ones either. You deprive us of being happy and loved."

I turn around and walk past Seraphus without even looking at him. I notice a broken plate and crushed strawberries in the corner, but I'm too angry to dwell on that.