Time passed at an ordinary rate, but it felt different to me. Days were longer, nights were shorter – and in the best way. Life was perfectly peaceful, with no stress to bother me. It was warm outside every day and cool every night, and lightning bugs always glowed charmingly in the dark, but it was like they were enchanted to glow all sorts of different colors and not just yellow. Bodil's Sanctuary was something out of a fairy tale.

The first few days I spent there were calm, and I didn't do much besides do things around the Sanctuary with my new adoptive parents and write. I had decided not to tell my readers anything about my living situation, besides the fact that I was very happy now. It was just too much information to thrust on someone... and yet, I was doing fine. Looking back, it was like I had been begging for someone to save me from my home and take me somewhere bright and peaceful and love me and pay attention to me. I had gotten what I wanted, and really, all I felt was relief. That's why I adjusted so easily. I had needed a miracle so bad.

My second day there, Notch came and brought a necklace for me, which was in the shape of basically a strange, metallic, crystal seven.

"This is the Demist symbol." Notch told me. "It's the Demigod family crest and the mark of the religious order as well. Hero enchanted it so it will allow you the ability to teleport between the realms you've been to, which so far is Earth, God's Realm, and Bodil's Sanctuary. Be careful, because this is a lot of responsibility. All the Soulmates have it – Tyler, Thorn, John, all of them. Take good care of this, because you won't get another like it."

He put it around my neck for me, and I felt like Mulan at the end of her movie. I was mesmerized by my ability; I just had to try it out, so I teleported to God's Realm that same day to explore. I was dizzy when I first arrived, but Notch had warned me about that. Since I wasn't a Demigod, that would happed till I got used to it. I went out of the main citadel and into the city, where a few Demigods I recognized but couldn't name were walking around, along with a lot of Valkyrie. I didn't see the one I had become acquainted with because of the window incident on my first day: Chi. I didn't see her, which was a little sad, but oh well. I thought she was funny. Strange, but funny.

I did, however, find a library. It was massive and contained books that wrote themselves as events unfolded. There were full books on every Demigod and Soulmate, up for anyone in God's Realm to read. I found three books pretty quickly on Bodil and Tyler. They met during a war that occurred between the Demigods and some guy named Marcus and his army. Bodil trained him to fight and they had to work together to win. I read all about Tyler's past, and it was heavy. He was the last of his race, the SoulSuckers, because he killed the rest of them in a fit of madness after his sister's death. He was much more sane and happy now though... probably because of his life here.

I didn't finish Bodil's story. I started it, with when he was a child in early human history on Earth. I had to go home after that, because Tyler fetched me. I checked out Bodil's book and that book on the war, but I don't think I'll finish it. I have a nasty habit of starting books and not finishing them @ Wolf finish Reaper Man I know you live right next to a library you have no excuse.

About a week or so after I had first been shown my new home, Tyler took me out shopping for clothes since all my other ones had been at my old house which I wasn't willing to return to yet... or maybe ever. I felt bad at first for them buying me things, but Tyler reminded me that I really did need to have some changes of clothes and also that I was a minor in their care now so buying things I needed was required.

It was my first time returning to Earth since I ran away. Actually, Tyler told me I could go anywhere I wanted to get new clothes, but the idea of other realms made me jittery, so I stuck with earth. We went to Tokyo. It was strange being in such a new place – I had never left my home state, but now I had travelled between dimensions and had even visited a different country. It's an indescribable feeling.

It also felt nice to be called Wolf all the time... Anyways, I didn't get too many clothes. It was late Summer, so I only got cooler outfits to fit the hot weather and also a few sweaters and a scarf for fall. Tyler said we would go out shopping again once it was cold enough outside.

By the time we had gotten everything we needed, it was around noon – lunchtime. So, we went from Tokyo to New York City for lunch. It was a huge place, just like Tokyo, but louder and a little dirtier and busier, but I wasn't scared because I had Tyler with me. Besides, I liked to believe I had been through worse at my young age.

We got dinner at a sandwich shop and they went into Central Park to eat it. We found a small field with lots of big rocks to sit on, and there we stayed. We talked about a lot of things about God's Realm and the Demigods, till I brought up another subject.

"You know..." I swallowed a bite of my sandwich. "You really remind me of one of my characters."

Tyler blinked. "I do?"

I nodded. "The warrior, Christie. He's strong and he's been through a lot and he's a little bit crazy, but he's doing better because he found love with my friend's character, Martin. They're really cute."

Tyler smiled. "That's sweet. Does Christie fight with a scythe?"

"He doesn't fight at all, he's a writer who goes to university. Martin rides horses."

Tyler hummed. "I've never seen Bodil ride horses, but I bet he knows how. Humans and horses have a way of working together. Well, the relationship might be a bit one sided..."

I laughed a little. "Can we always go on outings like this?"

Tyler blinked. "Well, yeah. Bodil will almost always make dinner for us, but on a lot of days – especially when there's Demigod meetings – it'll be just you and me, and we'll get bored in the Sanctuary pretty fast. We'll just go to movies and stuff."

I stared at him, then looked down at my sandwich. After a few seconds, my vision was blurred by tears and I sniffled. Tyler's eyes widened. "Hey, kid...!" He placed a hand on my shoulder in concern and I dropped my sandwich, hugging him tightly. He blinked a few times before he smiled gently and hugged my back, telling me it was all okay. Sometimes, it's hard to fathom the fact that I'm truly loved and cared for. That life will be fun now, and I don't have to do anything hard again.

Artie quickly became my favorite thing ever, and he and Rocket became fast friends overnight. In fact, I woke up the morning after I first arrived and found them play fighting on the floor of the hallway. Afterwards, Artie picked Rocket up off the ground by the scruff of his neck like she would a kitten, because the baby raccoon was about the size of one. I told Tyler and Bodil right away, and they loved it. Artie thought Rocket was a kitten.

One morning, I got up and noticed that it was bright and sunny as usual. It was nice, of course – but it was a little disappointing, because my favorite weather is rainy so I can write. I went downstairs. Tyler was there.

"Morning, Wolf."

The nickname still made my heart flutter with joy. "Morning! Where's Bodil?"

"Out fishing with Artie. Why?"

"Oh, I was just gonna ask him a question..."

"What is it? Maybe I can answer for him."

"Probably... Well, I was wondering about the weather."

Tyler blinked slowly. "...Okay." He said. "Well... It's sunny... Not very cloudy."

"No, no, not that. This is Bodil's Sanctuary, right? Doesn't he control what the weather is like?"

Tyler hesitated thoughtfully, then nodded, again slowly. "In a way..."

"Do you think I can persuade him to make it rainy every now and then?"

Tyler stiffened quickly. "No, and don't try!"

I blinked in surprise. I had never seen Tyler upset with me, or even a little alarmed at all. He was always so mild mannered and calm, at least how I had seen him. It was surprising to see him so worried all of the sudden. Tyler saw my reaction and his own expression grew sad, and then calm after he took a breath. "Sorry... See, there's something you need to understand." He sat on the couch which we were close to, so I did too next to him. "The weather in this Sanctuary is directly connected to Bodil's state of mind. If he's happy, it's bright and sunny. If he's sad, it'll drizzle. If he's... different... it'll storm. That's why we don't want it to rain here."

My eyes widened. "Oh... I didn't know, I'm so sorry..."

"It's not your fault." Tyler assured me in a motherly way. "But you can't tell him you wish it would rain either, or he'll do everything in his power to make it happen. He really wants you to like him."

That warmed my heart, and I still felt guilty for asking such a thing of the Demigod unknowingly. I sat there, unsure of how to reply, till suddenly, the front door opened.

"Artie caught a shrew!" proclaimed a familiar, cheerful voice.

Tyler turned and smiled. "Did he? That's so great!" Artie hopped up on Tyler's lap with the dead rodent in his mouth, as if proudly showing his parent. Seemingly out of nowhere, Rocket came running up and hopped up on Tyler as well to sniff Artie and ask all about how his day went. Tyler beamed and scratched Artie behind the ears. "Good girl~! Did you eat its soul?" Artie mewed proudly in answer.

I didn't pay attention to their exchange. I stood up, and I walked over to Bodil where he was standing and smiling at Tyler. He saw me when I was right and front of him, and was just about to ask something. "Wolf? What-"

I didn't say anything – I just hugged him. Bodil's eyes widened in surprise, stiffening, making a little noise. I was only a few inches shorter than him. Tyler looked up and smiled as he saw us, while Artie and Rocket climbed up on the back of the couch so they could see better. Bodil stared ahead, before he looked down at Veronica with wide eyes. Slowly, his expression set to one of happiness almost to the point of tears, and he hugged back, shutting his eyes.