The Gentleman wants me to have his allegiance. And what better way is to bring me to Anita, wherever she is. For the others, it's a mystery. I don't know what they're thinking. Do they want to trust him? I wish they talk to The Orre, but instead they huddle together in a group yards away. And surprisingly ask me to join them.

I get into their huddle, getting in between Silas and Icarus. Terra leads the conversation about the obvious, can they believe The Gentleman will honor his word. There are some deflections. As we all say this stuff quietly, hoping the Man with the Cane don't overhear.

"We got to try." Silas says.

"Can we? We don't need any outsider help." Camille says.

Taking it as a jab to me, it's because of her loathing. I'm trusting in the others, yet that girl with the crazy hair needs more time than I can deliver. She might need me one day, so I ignore her while Icarus fighting her statement.

"Well, how things are looking right now."

I agree with him on that point. For all these past multiple weeks, they still haven't found any leads. Either The Orre's magic isn't enough, or Raudan is doing a good job cloaking his whereabouts. As I ponder what other option they can do without The Gentleman and The Pentacle, Terra quickly addresses to me.

"How about it, Naven. Should we do it?"

Glancing at Terra, my eyes look around the group. Each one stares straight at me. I startle, my mouth losing the pace of what to say. The nerves increase my hesitation. I lean my head down, thinking the only person that can finally find my girlfriend is The Gentleman...yet the decision of trusting him rests on me.

I pause for a minute remaining silent. I can sense Camille probably wondering why they should need me to make this decision. But Terra trusts me. I can't damage that. I look back up not revealing my answer to them. Terra nods knowing what my response is. I break the huddle, turning around to see The Gentleman just standing cool-headed, holding his cane with both hands.

"Go ahead!" I say.

The Gentleman takes his hat off, and bows acknowledging he will. The Gentleman then leans back straight. He puts back on his hat. He uses one hand to twist the left edge of his mustache, as his eyes are closed.

The others are still reluctant to accept who he is, but they just stand as they watch the Man with the Cane do his work. I turn to see The Orre, who hasn't spoke another word only standing back at his corner spot sitting down. He leans his head down. I wonder did I make a mistake. I walk towards the corner. The Orre must have known I had to do this. There's no other way. And in an instant, The Gentleman is finished.

He found her.

***

We park all five harpies nearby a bunch of shrubs. We all jump off. The Shadowhawks have their armor outfits on, prepping their weapons on standby. Terra twists her dual bowguns, Camille places her whip tuck to her side. Silas tucks multiple daggers around his belt. Icarus places his axe on his back armor.

I didn't leave the Basement unprepared, the guys lend me the same armor wristbands, shoulder pads, chest pad they have on. Even though I have the grey cargo pants and black boots, the only difference is that I'm wearing my black sleeveless shirt. We pace slowly towards a desolate site and notice the worn-down tents, fractures with the wind flapping the torn fabric. And a lot of large dug up holes, some still open and others filled with dust.

When The Gentleman told us he located Anita somewhere here, this abandoned camp site in the Outerlands. He told us the name. I skip the beat. It's the Trent Campgrounds.

I remembered stories about this camp site. How haunted it was. The stories had one thing in common; a group of noblood explorers found this place to live and dig for war relics. Rumors supported, one of those war relics was an ancient cloth. However, these explorers never found anything, because reportedly something scared them away. And since then, no one in Dawning as well the directors who preceded before Vartwild ever mentioned it again. The only difference of all stories was what scared them away. Some argued animals wanted this land themselves, while others argued mages and malefics.

Once we got the location, it was hard to find it. Yet The Gentleman with his eerie demeanor gave us the coordinates for the campgrounds.

And now that we here, I can sense we're close. This time unlike previous times, I know we're close.

We enter the campgrounds. Looking at the eight tents, we search with caution. However, there's nothing here. As we spilt and explore each tent, I walk towards one. Pulling back the withering door cover, I see nothing but dirt, pieces of grass, and rocks.Yet I do spot something interesting near the back right corner. I kneel down spotting a bump in the ground. As I dig through the dirt, I pull back immediately. Its skull remains.

It has to be that of the explorers. They didn't left, they were murdered. What could've killed them? It had to be malefics. Getting back up, I depart from this dud search. I exit out of the tent and back outside. Surveying this whole area, this isn't a campground. This is a graveyard.

ThenI start to have a funny feeling, it's not my nerves. It's not my chest in pain, it's something else. It's a strange, gloomy voice inside my head.

Look to the center ground.

I view the ground towards the center. I only see dirt, yet I then startle back. Out of the blue, there's some sort of metallic substance embedded within the ground. I race towards the spot; I drop down to my knees. I lean forward down. Swiping away dirt, I then move back shocked to what I see. It's some sort of metal sealing, and that's not it. There's an unusual symbol, a strange twisting spiral with circles around etched on the seal's cover.

"Everyone, come here!"

As the others sprint near me, they stop and look surprised to see the metal door.

"What is that?" Icarus asks.

"The Acolytes symbol." Silas replies.

 I then reminisce, hearing that from Emmet. And that Raudan led a group with that same name. I then hear Camille questioning how Silas knew that.

"The Orre told me."

"Well I don't like this. We need to contact him." Terra pulls out her telen. She steps back, holding the telen close to her right ear.

"He's going to tell us a way to get through." Camille says.

"He has to, do you have a way to get in." Icarus wonders.

"I don't." Camille then looks to Silas, "Since you know what that symbol meant. Tell us."

"I can't." He states.

"Why not?" She asks.

"Listen I just know the symbol that's it!" Silas fights back.

"Hey, you don't have to get defensive."

As they try to figure it out, Icarus mediating between the two. Good luck with controlling Camille. I then look over to the left as Terra still on the telen trying to communicate with The Orre. I hope I can talk to him too, see what he knows, and if Addie is okay back in the Basement.

Then as I look back down at the seal, not knowing how we can open this. Do we need The Orre's magic, or quite possibly The Gentleman's? Do we even seek The Pentacle, using that favor? Suddenly, my thought gets rumbled again with that odd voice.

Unlock it with your liquid.

I react flummoxed. What does that mean? "My liquid?" I murmur as low as I can. I then glance at my right hand. Now I know what the voice means by my liquid, it's what is inside me. Soon, my eyes spot a rock. I crawl down getting it. I then step back, kneeling down inches to the seal's door round line. I then point the rock's ragged edge to the soft texture of my left hand. Exhaling for a few seconds, I then cut myself. Blood begins to sew out of the diagonal cut.

"Hey, you're hurt!?" Icarus sees me, I then glance at the others noticing what I'm doing.

 "You must be nuts!" Camille exclaims in disgust.

"There is a way." I state.

"And what's that?" Terra says as she holds off on her telen call.

Seems the only way there's for now, I then lean over the seal. Closing my pierced hand, blood squeezes out. Droplets fall onto the metal surface. And then without a sudden loss of breathe, the symbol begins to shine.

I look stunned as the seal's symbol starts glowing. As I get back up to my feet, Icarus is there to help me. The symbol begins to rotate and spiral out a gaping hole. I glance at the others; their faces only show the bewilderment of what just happened. For another minute, we stand hovering over the open seal. And then not wasting any time, Anita could be down there. I decide to jump down.

The entry hole suddenly turns into a rocky slide. I slope down through the hole. Not stopping, I squeeze out of the round hole, landing hard on the rocky ground. I lift myself back up, patting down any dirt. Surveying around, it's a large cavern. A place looking like a hive-like cave. Then a few minutes later, the others suddenly enter from the sliding tunnel.

Terra, Camille, Silas, and Icarus all successfully make their way in the cavern entry. As we all continue to see the mysterious wonder of the cavern's appearance.

 "What this place is?" Silas asks.

"This must be the Acolyte's nest." Terra states.

 "Okay, what are these Acolytes?" I ask. We all look to Silas, but I doubt he would give us the answer. Yet Camille agrees with me for once.

"What he said."

That right there propelled Silas to give us the only info he knows. The Acolytes is this cult of demonic malefics believing in a utopia of darkness. A darkness that will swallow everything, the whole world.

As I ponder about that, I then pause when I hear that same gloomy voice.

She's here. Listen to her.

I then focus my hearing, and then my eyes widen in shock. I hear a girl yelling. This time, that yelling belongs to Anita. I then bolt stunning the others, rushing into a large, rocky archway. But Terra demands me to deter back.

"I can't. I have to get to her."

Terra tries to run to me, but between me and her from out of nowhere a force field knocks her back. "Are you alright?" I say worried. The others reach to her. Then Icarus reaches forward and bangs on the transparent field. The field gives off a ripple effect, and then I hear him saying this could be a trap. They feel this is a bad sign, but so far this voice inside my head have led me here. I can't waste this opportunity. I'm about to turn until I hear Terra's voice. I veer back seeing her getting up as Silas and Camille helps her.

"You can't go. You need to stay and wait until we can break down this field."

I hesitate. But then I can hear an echo of Anita's screams. I want to listen to Terra, but Anita needs me more. I see Terra's eyes, how upset she is. Soon I disappoint her when I give her my response.

"I'm sorry."

I then rush off hearing them screaming my name. But as I run, their yells only fade away the further I traverse through the cave tunnel. Making my way to another section of hive-like archways, nervousness seeps in as I halt spotting something nearby. There're two male malefics with light flesh skin and dark eyes, both dressed in tunic-like robes. Covering behind a grainy column, I spy on them walking down one of the archways. I then glance down as they're carrying a large, folded black cloth. As they hold the opposite ends, looking closer I see the same daemonics that Raudan had on his body, etched on the cloth and as well the two malefics walking away. Suddenly they stop. I turn back around the corner. Kneeling down, holding my knees. I hope those things didn't see me. Breathing out, I slowly take another peak. The two malefics resume their walk somewhere.

Then I can hear Anita hollering louder, I'm getting close.

I cross the archway where those two malefics are heading into, and just listen in to Anita. I know she's here somewhere. As minutes go by, I continue to run and until I make my way into a large circular, catacomb room. I stop, my eyes look in astonishment. There she is.

 Anita!

She stands like a statue right in the center of the room. I begin to smile, almost to a point I can cry. But I won't. I let out a huge grin, realizing all these weeks of torment wondering when I can see her face again. When I can hold her, is coming. I'm so happy to see her. However, as I step forward waiting to embrace my girl again. She doesn't want me to go any further.

I want to know why, what is keeping us away from this reunion. She then leans her eyes down on the ground-like floor. She wants me to look, so I do. And then as I look below, a glowing ring marked on the ground circulates around her. As I wonder what the meaning of the ring is, I then get my answer.

"Don't cross that circle!" She shouts petrified, "I'll be dead!"

She begins to cry, glancing at her helpless state. I can't watch this. I need to find a way to get her out of there. No one else is around me, so there's no pulling in. I can't force her to walk over here. Seeing I have to make a tough decision, I begin to move towards the circular line. My left foot just a few inches apart.

"No!" She yells, "Please Naven, don't!"

I sigh a bit panicked, stuck in this difficult position. If I step over the circle, she dies. If I don't, she could still die. This is Raudan's doing. He wants me to be responsible for her death. My head bends slightly down; I feel the nerves coming back. I start to breathe heavily, trying not to let my fear. Not let my anxiousness outweigh me. And then I can hear her letting me know she's scared. I truly understand. I start to soothe her as I lift my head back, letting her know I'm scared too. I fear what to do next. Then to make me more timorous, the gloomy voice reappears.

Follow your heart.

I don't want to argue within my head, but who is this. I know this can't be my subconscious, or another side of me. I rub my temple on the left side of my head. I want it to stop. However, it continues.

Do you want your heart back?

As I close my eyes, praying for this to end. I hear it again, pushing me to do it. It continuously repeats the two words. Do it. And again as I shake my head numerous times. Doooo ittt.

As the pattern gets sickening, I have enough. My eyes open back up, steering back to Anita. "Trust me." I say to her. As she tries to nod, her crying and shakiness makes her look uncomfortable.

I quickly close my eyes for a quick second, and with a single push of my own force I open my sight up again. The next thing I know, I'm crossed the circle line. I pat myself, seeing nothing happened. I then hastily stare at Anita. My eyes widen in elation. She's okay. She then notices herself still alive. And without a second thought, I rush to her. I hug her tight. My arms embrace her warmth body, her tender skin. I missed her so desperately. We then kiss passionately, a long time I been waiting for this. My lips caress hers, a full make out. After what seem to be five minutes, I still hold onto her. I let her know that everything is okay again.

Then suddenly I feel sort of a numb sensation. Anita sees me not glaring at her beautiful hazel eyes. She wonders what's going on. I can feel an eerie chill, not the same feeling I felt when I was at the forest, but this chill feels very dark. And then out of the blue, that chill twists me around and there's Raudan coming out of the shadows.

He smiles at us with that haunting face, his face unmasked. I quickly notice Raudan snapping his neck. I wonder why he keeps doing that.

"You see Naven the circle was just a test. Congratulations needs to be in order, you passed!" He begins to pace slow. "I'm impressed. Passing this test, I should give you your gift."

"And what that is, you kill yourself."

 Raudan smirks, but he later replies, "First things first, I want the object."

He must want the half-stone piece. "I told you I don't know."

"For the last time, boy. Give me what I want."

I just stand there, Anita close behind me. Then as if Raudan stares at me. Watching my nervous eyes, he then starts to laugh. And that's when his interest could be peaked now; he knows that I know. He then mentions out loud with his arms up, "Finally the Harbinger knows about the piece."

I'm still confused over this Harbinger title, I heard him said it. I remembered that fearsome wraith made a mentioning about that. Why are they calling me this Harbinger?

Anita still right behind me, my right hand holds her right. Her other hand gently touches my back. I can feel her worries. I promise her everything will be fine.

Then Raudan breaks this little silence, as he speaks about "Seeking the truth." I then see him walking closer. He wants me to know that the truth will lead me to the power, the superior power. I have no clue what's he talking about. Not until he stuns me by letting me know the stone piece will do me something, along as I seek for it.

Something I always wanted, yet I never knew it existed.

I glance at his lone soulless pupil. "I got what I want right here." As I stay close to Anita, Raudan gives me an astounding no.

"The girl is not what I'm referring to."

Anita doesn't want me to listen to this madness. She wants us to leave. I hold her hand tight, vowing to her that we would. Yet something inside of me wants me to stay. I want to know more, so I ask him about what is this thing, I always wanted. Raudan smirks with that black lip, that pitch black skin and gold tattoos all over. He says collected.

"What was taken from you."

Then my family suddenly comes into the picture, I start to think about my losses. Raudan is probably pretending, he just keeps smiling at me. While Anita whispers to me to go on to run off, get out of this forsaken place. I want to, but the feeling that Raudan knows more in my life than me, is troubling. He wants to feel sorry for me. I doubt he has any compassion. He's using me. He's lying.

 "Don't forget about your reward." He continues, "You passed the test remember. And now here's your gift...your heart." He walks even closer, I try to back away pushing Anita back as well.

"Remember, follow your heart."

I heard that from before. And then as I recollect a few minutes ago, I soon feel disgusted. I want to vomit. I can't believe it. That gloomy voice inside my head has to be him. This must have been part of the test.

"It's time to give it to you." He says with that creepy smirk.

Getting tired of this freak, I ball up my left fist. I want to take him out, yet with only my fist and no weapons. This is the one moment I wish I have some type of weapon in my hand. And then without precaution, Raudan dissipates into a black cloud. The cloud swarms hurriedly through us. I can hardly see as the cloud blinds me. I try to close my eyes, closing my lips. I then hear his voice getting back inside my head.

Do you want your heart?

With the dark cloud blanketing over us, I try to grab firm over Anita's hand. And yet my right hand feels nothing. I don't feel her tendered skin. Probably she got forced back because of that cloud. Now that the cloud is over, I only feel the air next to me. I ask if she's okay. And then as I turn around, she's not.

I then see Raudan yards away, wrapping his arms around her. I can see her frightened face as his nasty face touches hers. And to make me nauseous, his snake-like tongue starts to lick her right cheek. I'm here just standing, watching him touching her. I want to sprint over there and grab her away from his clutches. I want to save her. But I'm not moving. Raudan then tells me.

"Here's your heart."  

And then I watch in horror as Anita's heart is being ripped out.

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***Please comment/vote on what you read so far. Tell me what you like about the story so far. Let me know, and I'll make changers if need be. Thanks for reading.