The rush of refreshing air and the familiar smell of pine engulfed Astrid's senses as she strolled peacefully amongst the trees that she knew so well. She missed those towering giants. Seeing them again made her heart soar.

Her mind was transported to years ago as she sauntered along the uneven, spongy earth. She pictured herself holding a basket like the one she held that moment. It was not holding masses of picked blackberries, like in her memory, but her beautiful baby girl. The soft, delicate, cream blanket that Naomi made, was tucked cosily around her tiny form.

"This is a special place, my lamb, I'm delighted to share it with you," Astrid spoke gently into the wicker cradle hanging from her elbow. "Your father and I spent many happy days here."

Tiny Amber responded with a slow blink of her eyes, as the rocking she was experiencing was lulling her into her morning nap.

A dull ache grabbed at Astrid's arm and the need to have a quick rest took over her bones. She found a moss covered boulder, one that she and True visited often in their various walks as teens. She gently placed the basket on the ground, in front of her feet, and made sure that it was completely steady before letting go of the woven handles.

A peaceful sigh left her chest as she let the boulder take her weight. The hushed chirping of birds and rustling leaves sang their serene lullaby, as Amber lay fast asleep.

Astrid could not take her eyes off her child. The modest beauty the infant possessed kept Astrid in a moment of overwhelming calm.

Then bright sparks gleamed and distracted Astrid's vision, making her look up to the tops of the trees. A shining beam, twinkling in streams, lit up the wicker basket, like a trained spotlight. It had a power that Astrid could feel within her soul. It also radiated a pleasant warmth that embraced her from top to toe. This light filled her with a sense of hope that was far beyond any feeling she had ever felt in the past.

She knew who it was. He only ever appeared to her once. Never did she think that he'd return to her. Not without True by her side. For she was the girl prophesied to destroy his very essence.

Her breath caught in her throat as she heard a strong, deep voice fill the air around her.

"Blessed are those who seek and defend the truth."

She blinked her eyes. Then witnessed balls of light energy, slowly make their way into the open basket. These balls of light looked like tiny floating stars and they were a gift given from the great power himself.

Astrid looked away from the painting that she held steadily in her hands. She glanced over at her daughter and smiled.

"That picture is of me and Illuminare-Trabem?" Amber whispered in awe, before excitedly grabbing the page from her mother's grasp. She stroked her fingers along the painted, white and pale yellow lines that represented the power that blessed her that day in Strelle Forest.

"That painting doesn't really do the day justice, but yes, that's right," Astrid responded softly. She looked at her daughter's face. The magic that Amber failed to remember, but truly wanted to believe, lit up her features and shone within her eyes.

"You girls look happy."

Both Astrid and Amber's heads snapped towards the living room doorway, where a kind older gentleman stood, smiling joyfully at them.

"James!" Amber squealed. She then jumped to her feet, ran to him and flung her arms around his middle.

"Are you alright, Amber, my girl?" James said with a light chuckle.

"I missed you!"

"I missed you too, kid." James looked down at the red-haired girl. The laughter lines  etched in his cheeks became more prominent, as his mouth stretched with gladness.

He glanced at Astrid, and his facial expression became more solemn as his eyes met hers. They silently communicated as Amber stood between them.

"Erm, Amber? Could you go and find your dad? I'm sending you two out to get us all food. Your choice, okay?" Astrid said tentatively, with a small, forced smile.

"Oh! Great! Okay!" Amber responded excitedly and rushed past James to leave the room.

Astrid and James listened to the two others get ready and leave. They waited for the sharp click of the door to confirm their privacy. She invited him to sit down next to her on the sofa and gazed at the empty, dark fireplace as she searched for what to say. Of course there was only really one thing she could think of.

"I'm sorry James," she said quietly and turned towards her dear friend. "I'm so sorry for hiding. I felt lost, I was scared and angry."

"Don't, Astrid, please don't apologise." James' voice shook with emotion. "If anyone is to understand what you are going through, it is me. You are right to be angry and I don't blame you for being scared. I'll say this to you, my girl, you do what you believe is best. I will support you no matter what."

Although Astrid had found out a few weeks ago that the man she fully relied on was her father all along, it was hearing him say that, that truly drove that home. She did have a family, she did have a place where she belonged and it was growing before her eyes. She took James' hand and held it firmly in both of hers.

"Thank you," she whispered, "you have no idea how much I needed to hear that."

The four of them gathered in the small living room in Astrid's flat. James sat on the couch beside Astrid. True and Amber sat on the floor either side of the coffee table, which was covered with open boxes of steaming pizza.

Astrid decided to put on the electric fire, turning on the light display that mimicked dancing flames.

"It's just like old times, eh, True?" she asked, indicating the glow of the fake fire.

"Well, almost," True responded, before taking a bite of the slice of pepperoni pizza, that was bending from his fingers.

"Almost?"

"Well, Naomi isn't here for one, and we are eating pizza, not drinking cocoa," True said with a shrug, not noticing Astrid's facial expression fall.

"Naomi Slànacus' cocoa..." James mused dreamily. "Oh, what I'll give to taste that again. There's nothing quite like it is there?"

"You remember how it tastes after all this time?" Astrid asked, eyes wide in surprise.

"Of course, I mean, could you forget it?"

Amber looked up at her mother quickly, anxious about how she would react to James' question. How could he be so tactless? She's only just gained her memories. A few weeks ago she didn't know anyone or anything from her past. Especially not drinking cocoa in that magical forest. That forest that Amber wished with all her heart to see in real life. Not just in infant memory. If those memories were real memories at all. It was hard for her to tell.

"Well I did for a while," Astrid started, Amber held her breath. "But you're right, I couldn't forget it for good," Astrid continued with a warm smile. Amber sighed with relief and grabbed another slice of pizza.

"Naomi made me cocoa every time I came to see her. She insisted because she knew how much I loved it." The smile on James' face became distant. His eyes stared into memories of long ago.

"She really cared about you," True spoke up, to break the looming silence.

"She did and I cared about her." A sorrowful sigh left James before he found himself admitting something he didn't have the chance to tell Naomi in such a long time. "I loved her."

"Please, James, what happened to you? How did you get here?" Amber asked, her voice small and pleading. She actively ignored the look that True and Astrid exchanged over the ever disappearing pizza.

"Oh! Erm, sure, I don't mind telling you. Erm, it was quite a complicated situation," James stumbled through his words.

Amber got herself comfortable where she sat, excitement took over her face as she gazed up towards him, silently encouraging him to tell his story.

"Well, I was born a Fiosolim, that's the seer family. My family trade was to sit all day staring into smoke, powered by Illuminare-Trabem. That's what my father told me. I was never really sure if that was the only power that spoke through the stuff. I hated smoke gazing. I would sneak out to see Naomi. The Slànacus trade interested me so much more. Healing was truly much more noble. It actually helped people. Unlike my dead-eyed family." James noticed that he fell into a rant and tried desperately to claw himself from that ditch of resentment. "Sorry, I digressed." He cleared his throat self-consciously and carried on.

"I snuck out any chance I could, Luchinda, my little sister, would cover for me. She tried her best. But, of course, a young lad cannot fool his parents, especially if they are seers."

"You got caught?" chirped in Amber.

"I certainly did, by my father, and he was livid!"

"What did he do?"

"He forbade me to ever see Naomi again," James answered straightforwardly. "And locked me in my room. Every Fiosolim accesses the smoke in their own room. He meant to force me to partake in gazing."

"And did you?"

"I tried, but I never saw anything. I guess I couldn't concentrate. I missed my friend too much." James paused, a familiar pain grabbed at his heart. "He kept me like that for weeks. I never saw anything, no prophecies, no messages, nothing. That's what led me to my fate. In a way."

The lock of the wooden door to Jameh-Lius' room gave a loud click and he watched the mahogany door swing open. He had been locked in his room all that morning and afternoon. He was only let out for breakfast and lunch, but had to go straight back to the smoke that swirled and twisted in a corner of the room. That corner had no furniture apart from a hard, wooden chair that stood in front of it, empty.

"Jameh-Lius. You are to come with me to Night Forest," his father ordered from the open doorway and braced himself for an argument.

"Why?" the lad asked, not budging from his seat on his neatly made bed that was pushed against the wall. He made sure to sit as far away from the smoke as possible.

"The smoke has not spoken to you. Therefore, we must take the next steps to ensure your place in the trade," Jameh senior explained, the stern tone in his voice not easing at all. The groan that his son made in response, sparked an anger within him.

"Look! You have no choice. You are a Fiosolim. You are the first born and you need to acquire the sight or you'll have no future!"

"Smoke gazing is no future..." Jameh-Lius mumbled under his breath.

"I won't hear it! Get ready, you are coming with me to Night Forest in one hour, end of discussion!" His father snapped, then swiftly left the room and locked the door behind him.

Jameh-Lius, of course, did as he was instructed. He got ready and he waited for his father to return. That hour passed at a torturous pace and when he heard that click from the lock, his heart fell into his stomach.

"Ready, Son?"

Jameh-Lius nodded and followed his father out of the room in silence.

As he walked along the dark corridor of the Fiosolim bungalow, he could hear the loud, high-pitched crying from behind a closed door.

"Luchinda?"

"Jam! Don't go with him! Don't go! Please! Father! Stop! Please don't do this!" Her desperate cries screeched through the dull air.

"Ignore her," Jameh senior uttered coldly and began to walk faster. Jameh-Lius could see he had no choice but to keep up with him. Even though his sister's cries pulled at his mind. What did she know? Whatever it was, it truly frightened her.

"Father? What will happen in Night Forest?" he asked timidly, towards his father's back.

"It's a right of passage, Son. Everybody goes through it. There's nothing to worry about," he answered so quickly, Jameh-Lius couldn't help but think that he may be hiding something.

He was led to the side of Luna Lake, a famous lake that lay hidden among the trees of Night Forest. Where the Draoicis-Lus family foraged for various magical plants for their trade. One being dormi-root - a well known magical remedy for stress.

The lilac grey waters lapped beside the two Fiosolim males, as shadows cast by the darkening twilight sky surrounded them.

"Now, this is where I must leave you. Don't worry though, Son. I won't be far away."

Jameh-Lius could barely breathe before his father turned and walked away, never mind ask him anything. However, questions certainly plagued his mind. What was he supposed to do? Was he supposed to be seeing something? Feeling something? How long did he have to stand there?

All he could hear was his quick, nervous breaths. Cold sweat gathered at the back of his neck. The shadows began to grow, the twilight sky turned pitch black and a paralysing fear took over his shaking body.

"F-father? W-where are you? Father?" he tried to cry out but only managed a terrified whisper. Then something in the darkness clawed at his face. He was forced to look into the shadow creature's eyes. A deep dark abyss was all that those eye sockets possessed and from the centre of that inky blackness, deep violet stars floated closer and closer to him. That was the last thing he saw before the clawing entered him and everything went black and his mind went blank.

"I was woken up by a Draoicis-Lus lad, he found me, lying beside Luna Lake. The bright light of morning was blinding after such darkness."

"Wait. What happened before morning came? Where did the darkness go?" Amber asked curiously, completely sucked into the world of James' story.

"I don't remember it first hand. But I soon heard what had happened. My brother Jeremai warned me to stay in hiding. For he saw, in the smoke, what Noir-Astra made me do," James tried to answer the twelve year old discreetly.

"What did Noir-Astra make you do?" Amber pressed.

"Erm!" Astrid rushed to James' aid. "I'll tell you another time, alright Amber?"

"Let's just say," True piped up. "If Noir-Astra didn't possess James that night your mother, and indeed you, Amber, wouldn't be here today..."

True only just managed to finish his sentence before the displeased glare from his wife, burned into him. He then hurriedly grabbed the last slice of pizza to hide behind.