Just a few days after the fire, after my sixth birthday. I could recollect the very first moment I had felt that pain. My aunt was contacted by the doctors. She opened her arms. That was the time she took guardianship over me. Under her care, I had begun seeing those nightmarish images. The haunting pictures of the house capsulated in flames. My family still inside. My memories messed up.

I spent the next week at my aunt's house, sleeping in that extra room. But while I was dozing off, my chest began to have painful contusions. I woke up crying nonstop. Being young, I didn't know how to stop it. The suffering was so extreme. I felt my chest ripping apart. My skin burning. My insides hurting like balloons popping. I didn't know what caused it. I was so freaking out. I was hysterical. I cried, screamed for help. Aunt Verdi was helpless during those first few weeks. She did what she could. She gave me the best pain medication in Dawning. However, my chest continued to be in an agonizing discomfort. But it stopped. Soon Aunt Verdi got in contact with her friend, Dr. Ryland, to help me deal with those nightmares.

Eventually, as the years go on I discovered the burnt mark was the culprit. The mark I thought was part of me. It was tied to the fire, the event that defined me.

Falling on my knees, I feel a state of shock. I lean my eyes down, pulling the neck collar of my shirt. I quickly glance back at the mark. It's still there. The scar remains part of my chest However, the pain that came from it—or somewhere else, I still don't know. Wherever the pain originated, that's now gone.

I'm not my six year old self. The first time I felt that pain, I wanted to crawl underneath a rock. Hide away from the anguish. Yet, the ache continued to happen year after year. Up until the very moment I hold onto this blade. It was a spontaneous effect.

Looking at the blade, I stare sublime. How could this item hold such power? Does it have some sort healing effect? Or is it like what Icarus told me during the training, how he and the other Shadowhawks are bonded with their weapons through blood and magic.

I understood what he meant. The bond he shared with his weapon, and like the others. I suddenly hold an instant, unique bond with the blade.

"So is that it?" Terra asks. "The Triadic?"

Glancing back at her, I see how she is a bit scared and confused. But as I stare at the blade, the funny feeling runs through my nerves. It's not like having a power. It's like the blade is steering what I should do. It's like a part of me has been cleansed.

The blade isn't the Triadic. The blade is part of it.

"This is nothing more than an extension." I don't know how else I can explain it.

"But was the tablet supposed to bring us to the superior power."

"Not sure." I then hold tight onto the blade's handle.

I believed the tablet was formed as an atlas of the dimension. Whoever placed the blade here, must have wanted to give it to someone. Made me wondered how my father gain possession of it. Did Raudan set the fire to kill my family, so he could have gotten his hands on the tablet?

There's a nagging feeling in me, I think Raudan may not be the firestarter. I know I'm not even though part of the tablet told me.

"I'm certain the Triadic still exists." She says.

I want to say something but then the power of the Triadic, I can sense it. I let her know the Triadic is still out there. But through the blade, we can find it much faster. I then sense more from the blade. My eyes close, feeling the odd sensation guiding me.

"With the blade, I think I can find a way out of here."

"You're sure?" She looks worried. Her head partially down, not knowing if I can truly lead us out. Then after several seconds, she sees me. "I don't know about this, but I trust you."

She lays her hand over my left hand. Her tenderness rocking my weaken anxiousness. As I gander at those dazzling emerald eyes, I lose my train of thought. My lips almost open, a syllable is ushered at a low tone. Then the next thing I know.

"That's how you saw Lance." I speak mindlessly.

"What did you said?" She murmurs.

And then going forward without even thinking how to explain it. I ask if she had any feelings for Lance before he died.

Does she still love him even though he betrayed them for the malefics?

Waiting for the response, I can feel a bizarre sensation growing inside me. It's the blade. It's showing off something, I can understand the feeling. The bond is unbroken. Soon I get her reply.

"My feelings for a fallen comrade are not important." She then walks close to me, her green eyes locking straight onto mines. "What is, we need to get out." She then sees the crescent blade still in my possession. "So what the blade tells you."

I giggle, what felt like a long time. I let her know the feeling—the connection—isn't a voice, but it's shaping up to be like an addition. Repeating again, it's like an extension, a part of the Triadic. As she looks at the blade, I close my eyes again. Feeling the blade's bond, like a shade of confidence splattering inside my mind. I know where to go.

"This way."

I never felt this experience before. I wonder if this is what a weapon fueled by the Triadic feels like, I'm far more intrigue about my family magic coming back. Letting the bond lead me, we head out of the throne-like room. We trek another few minutes south. During the walk, the rocks around us begin to shake. This isn't a friendly dimension. I can hear Terra telling me we need to get out of here. And above the surface, with time not on our side.

We continue to travel left in this dank rocky, tunnel-like hallway. I hold onto the blade while Terra beside me, using her lightstick. Another mile walking, we halt. Seeing Terra she looks totally astounded. I then look up. We are standing near the center of a tall, circular hollow structure. The rocky roof ten stories high.

"What now?"

Soon like a snap in my consciousness, the bond I have with the blade might save us. I look to Terra. "I know what to do." I grip hard on the blade's handle. I then inform her to stand back. My eyes shift to the right as she does. Glancing back up top of the rocky ceiling, pointed rocks facing us. Having faith with the blade, I can trust it. Suddenly I swing it up in the air. The blade rotating quickly flies straight to the ceiling. And suddenly there's a huge explosion.

Rocks start to fall at the ground below. I quickly tackle Terra down, as one falling rock almost landed on top of her. As we stare at each other's eyes for a brief second, I see it in her. She wants to say thanks, but I think I already got the message. The glance I have on her, her eyes she knew. She didn't have to say it. But then our quick stare is disrupted as pieces of rocks begin to take its toll. And then as massive pieces begin to descend down. I push her back to get into a hiding spot.

We make it to a sheltering hole, just enough to see the falling rocks land on the bottom. The impact shatters some rocks into thousand of smaller pieces. After another minute, the rocks stop falling. We pause to look at each other. Soon we head back stepping into the fallen rock-infested ground. Glancing back up, I look stunned.

The force of the blade created a gaping hole, decent enough for us to escape through.

"Now we climb." I say.

Turning back to her, she nods. We hastily get to the hollow wall. We start ascending to the top. I grab firmly on one rock and push up to another rock crease. I pray not to lose a footing again. Continuing to climb, I then check on Terra nearby. She's doing well. Of course she got this in the bag.

As we almost get to the open hole atop, step by step we inch closer to the broken ceiling's edge. Two minutes of worthy climbing, we finally reach the hole. I allow Terra to get up first. As she makes her way, she then lends out her hand. Grabbing hold of if, she lifts me up. Once we take a few seconds to take a breather. We then get back up, finally back to the uneven surface. The landscape hasn't changed a day. The four suns still hovering over us. The grayish clouds fogging the background. And then a few feet to the ground, the rocks are still rising and descending, randomly.

Looking back to Terra, she smiles. "I'm just amazed that the blade did that. What fierce." She then walks close to me. "How you knew?"

"I just let the blade do it. I can sense its being influenced by the Triadic."

"You may be right about that blade. It can bring us to the actual thing."

I nod. And then I think about what I said to her when was back down there. Before I say it, she continues.

"We need to get to the others. But first things first, where's the blade." She says.

"You don't have to worry about two different things."

"Why?"

I dare not to want to mess things up. I then look forward when I hear another female's echoed yell, "I thought it was you!" Soon a mile away I spot the others. Camille, Silas, and Icarus all look worn out, and then I see Camille going wild as she keeps yelling. I then look right by them, a few yards away is the Vermrek slumped down...dead. And then right on top of its head is the blade. Somehow it landed on the creature. I react dumbstruck. I then turn to Terra. She starts to smile, her mouth widens in joy.

"That blade is really good."

I look back at the dead Vermrek. Seeing the blade on top of it, I grin jubilantly. I think there's more to that blade. I then hear Terra telling me we should head back down. But before we go, I reach her left arm. She looks startle.

"Something's wrong?"

"No, I just..." I exhale a bit. "I just want to say I'm sorry back down there. You know..."

And then as if she read my mind, she knows what I'm talking about.

"Naven, forget about it." She smirks and begins to climb down the exterior side of the small mountain. I wait another minute. Thinking what she said. Forget about that exchange about her feelings to Lance. I can tell she has some, but she doesn't want to admit it. Maybe I should do the best thing. Ignore it. Lance is dead. So I don't know why I'm worrying about her feelings for someone else. Like I'm getting jealous. I see no reason for me to get jealous.

Unless

I shake my head, getting back to reality. I already see Terra getting a head start. I jump down on a large protruding rock, and then hurriedly descend down the mountain. Another few minutes, we reach to the bottom. Once our feet touch the uneven ground, we reunite with the others.

As soon as Silas sees us, "We're losing time! The portal's going to be closing."

"Well glad you're back, little sister." Camille then looks to me. In a muttered voice, she acknowledges me. "You too."

I take it, anyway to try to crack that tough shield of hers. Camille then continues.

"Now that you're back, let me tell you our behemoth friend over there somehow got killed."

"Yeah by something that just landed out of the blue." Icarus says.

I stare back at the Triadic blade. "Well I guessed that was me."

"You killed it?" Camille asks.

"I sort of threw the blade beneath the ground."

"Awesome!" Silas exclaims. While Icarus mentions this has to be a joke.

I then hear Terra defending me as she explains to the others. The tablet's map was just a portrait of dimensional rock formations. Camille looks confused; she and the rest thought it was a map. I thought so too, but originally it was a piece of ancient drawing.

As they talk, I walk to the deceased Vermrek. I climb over its abstruse face. I then retrieve the blade out of the vermrek's head. Then green ooze begins to crawl out of the punctured hole. As I glance at the left side of the blade, it's covered in green blood. However on the blade suddenly, the disgusting blood burns in bubbles. Then seconds later the blade is cleanse. I look a bit amazed. Then as I feel the ground shaking again, the rocks are forming again. And as it stops, I hear Camille.

"So where is this Triadic thing?"

"It's not here." I'm feeling the blade's connection. "It's back in our realm."

"How?" Icarus questions.

"I just know. The blade..." As I drop down to the ground, I show them the crescent blade. "When I hold it, it formed a link to the Triadic."

In a way, the blade is sharing that connection through me.

"Really?! We came into this hellish place to get a blade."

"I believe him!" Silas says.

"Listen, we hit a snag, but we're almost there." Terra states.

"Start from square one?" Camille folds her arms, still holding onto her whip.

I walk close to her, realizing now more than ever she has to trust me. "Camille, I know in the past. We don't see eye to eye."

"We don't see anything!" She says detested.

"You dislike me I get that. But you if can't trust me." I then lift up the blade so she can see it. "Trust in this. It will lead us to the Triadic."

And then Camille doesn't say anything back. She keeps folding her arms. Her lips puckers, her right eyebrow rises up. And as she surveys me, she simply nods.

"I would love to catalog this, but we need to leave now!" Silas veers his sight on his watch.

"Second that." Icarus states.

"Well let's get out of here." Terra hollers.

I agree. And then as we turn back to head to the portal, out of nowhere another Vermrek appears. It starts roaring crazy as we all look stunned. So there's another one roaming around. Terra yells at us again that instead of fighting the thing. We should flee back to the portal. As I watch the others moving, I then turn back around. Not moving myself, I view the Vermrek stalking its way towards me. My nerves reach a bit high. Fear trembles within me just like my left fingers. I continue to stand still holding firm on the blade. Then Terra is screaming at me.

"Leave the creature! We need to leave before we get trapped here forever."

I turn back to see her, a half-mile away. "You go on, I'll be there."

"No!" Terra refuses.

"Just go!" I yell back.

She looks frustrated, but then as she holds her lips back. She wants to say something. But instead of wasting time demanding me to come, I watch her run and catching up with the others. They all get a headstart. I then hear another deafening roar. I turn swiftly to see the Vermrek coming right at me. Ready to pounce.

The blade's handle still gripped by my right hand. I start to feel the bond flowing through me. My nerves, my blood. It's like a part of my DNA. As the Vermrek comes a few yards at me, I then let the blade do the work. I swing the blade. It rotates fast and lands right at the middle of the Vermrek's head. I then watch as the beast falls down. The ground begins to shake as it usually does. I rush to the deceased monster. I take out the blade watching the creature's blood cleanse on the blade's surface. As I place the blade behind me, attaching it to the back armor plate. With the rocky formations shifting uncontrollably, lava begins to spew out of the fault lines. I realize I have to get to the others.

Running as fast I can, I then spot a mile away is the portal. But it looks like it's beginning to shrink. I then see the guys jumping through it one by one. Camille holding her whip jumps first. Icarus with his axe placed on his back jumps next. Silas jumps as well. Terra stops and before she can jump. She spots me.

"Come on!" She yells.

"I'm on my way!" I shout back.

And as I begin to sprint forward catching up with her, I want to see her smiling as I get there. But she shows a horrified face. She hollers at me to look behind. My head pivots to the back, and to my surprise. There is another Vermrek coming, roaring eccentrically. Not having enough time to swing the blade and get it back, I increase my speed. Pushing my legs hastily, the thing is chasing me down. Seeing Terra a bit terrified. I shout at her to jump. She hesitates for a few seconds, but reluctantly she jumps through. But the portal is beginning to close up. I'm only a few yards away. As the beast pursues, I can feel its breath. It's catching up to me.

I'm confident I'll make it through.

Rushing hard, the portal is just decreasing in size as I get even closer. I veer back to see the creature's giant hand widening out, attempting to grab me. But before it can do that, I manage to leap through the hole just as it shrinks down to almost nothing. I feel something trying to grab hold of my cargo pants. Yet I escape just in time. Making it through, I feel happy I'm back on the other side.

But something is wrong. I land flat on a grainy floor, feeling a minor pain as my skin skids on the rocky bed. But as I lift myself up, I look around to see I'm on a rooftop. North Dawning's skyscrapers in the background.

Confused, I thought this was the base. Why Emmet did this? But then I notice something else is not right. There's the transducer on the ground with the tablet still inside, then right next to it is Emmet. He's lying on the rooftop floor unconscious. And then as I check to my right, my eyes widen in fear and shock. Silas, Icarus, Camille, and Terra are all pushed to the right side of the rooftop, lying down. All unconscious.

I look around confused. I want to run to see if Terra and the others are alright.

What's happening?

Then I'm startle when I hear a noise from behind. I turn slowly and there unexpectedly is Zip.

"What are you doing here?" I ask stunned.

Zip doesn't respond, standing like a statue. I don't want to believe my friend, my best friend I met since sixth grade could be the betrayer. As anger seeps in, I yell at him to explain himself. Why is he here, what happened to the others.

I even question our relationship, wanting to know if he's really my friend. And then his silence is broken.

"Yes...I am." He says.

Then I see he's not acting his backstabber self, not until I see his face. Showing absolute fear. I pause as I lean my head down.

He's not my enemy.

And then I quickly glance back up hearing him, as he yells "Ughhh!" I then see him falling down to the grainy floor unconscious. And that's when it hits me. I look back where Zip was standing, and there in his place is Pratt.

He extends out his hand.

"It'stime. Embrace Shallos.""2}*