Once I had succeeded, I hovered just a bit over the ground as to not make a sound. For an unknown reason, the tunnels and halls were quite empty. I didn't bother dwelling on that fact, and focused on getting my two friends out of this place.

The longer I carried them, the easier it seemed to get, and the faster I could move. Though it probably was that fast, really, it still made all the difference. After a while, we finally got out of the castle, and into the plaza-ish area of the kingdom.

Knowing the guards must've noticed Evan and Fio's disappearance by now, I made my way to the exit as fast as I could. As I almost got there, I felt something wiz past my head. And then again, and again. Someone was shooting at us!

Fear filled my eyes, as I sped up, trying to keep hold of my two friends. Just as I could touch the exit, I felt a sharp pain in my left leg. I fell, my efforts to stay up in vain.

As the ground fastly approached, I closed my eyes, bracing myself for the impact of the ground. But it never came. What? I thought. No wind made my hair swirl around me, and I didn't feel weightless anymore. I noticed the weight of Fio and Evan was gone.

Panicking, I opened my eyes, looking around for an explanation, only to find none. I was on the ground, yet I didn't feel it. Fio and Evan were still in my arms, but their weight wasn't present. They both had some kind of arrow in their body, like the one I assumed was also in my leg. I tried to move, to get up, but it was like an invisible force was holding me down.

A face flashed across my vision; unrecognizable, and honestly scared me a bit. I went completely numb, and my eyes seemed to have their own mind as they closed themselves.

~~~~~~~~~

I wasn't awoken by anything. I just slipped into consciousness. Feeling seemed to being returned to my body. I opened my eyes to see a bland, oak ceiling. I tried to move, but couldn't. I wasn't alarmed. I didn't fight harder to move. It was like I didn't want to move. My ears could only hear the buzz of silence as I lay on some kind of surface.

It seemed as though I had layed there, motionless, for an eternity. I felt no motivation to move. Fio and Evan's whereabouts didn't even cross my mind. Never once did I feel bored. I just layed there, ignoring the world. Nothing about the room changed.

The door creaked as someone pushed it open. Someone walked over to me. "I didn't want to." they said. I could identify the voice as male, and familiar, but their name escaped me. "But I had to. I will not fail." They sighed.

It was silent a while longer. "No reply?" he asked. I turned my head towards him. His face was familiar, yet his name still escaped my mind. "Do you want to know where your.. friends are?" I stared back. Even at the mention of them, I felt no desire to ask, or even wonder about them.

He sighed again. The door opened, revealing a girl. Her long, dark brown hair was neatly brushed, and she wore a simple, rather boring robe. The male turned to look to her. "Sir," the girl said quietly.

"Hmm?" he asked. The girl pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to the man.

"These are the whereabouts of the two nor-- Haik.." she explained as he looked over the paper. He hummed in approval.

"Would you please bring Autumn and Jason to me?" he requested, casting a look to me. The names were very familiar, especially the first one. Fire, was all I could think.

"Yes sir," she bowed slightly, backing out of the room. The male looked to me again, then at the ground. He lifted his hand to his head.

"Oh," he murmured, a light smile on his face. "He's returned,"