Sunshine, Kat, and Uncle Tommy are at the warehouse. It's 3:00 AM and definitely too late to be going on an adventure like this, but Sunshine knows it's important. She's always had that gut feeling about the warehouse, and now, maybe she'll get some answers.

"There's the door," Kat points, scrunching her nose as she glances around the area.

"It looks empty," Sunshine mutters. The lights are off and there aren't any cars here but— well. You guessed.

"There's a lock," Uncle Tommy says, striding up to the glass door. Kat pulls on the handle, as if the door's just gonna magically open.

"Clearly that didn't work," Sunshine snorts.

Uncle Tommy pauses and motions toward the right. "There's another one down there."

"Go try it," Sunshine says.

"I don't even think anyone's here!" Kat exclaims, but grudgingly follows anyway. Uncle Tommy tries the door handle, but it's to no avail.

"They're all locked..." She furrows her brows and wonders what the reason for coming here is. Hell, maybe a fan sent a fake letter just to trick them and laugh about it later. God. She hopes that's not the case.

"I've been waiting for you."

Everyone gasps and whirls around, wide-eyed. Sunshine flicks her flashlight to the mysterious person's face and— oh!

"Hi," Sunshine breathes, smiling at Victoria.

Thank God.

She slowly strides past them, looking the locked door up and down. "Sunshine," Victoria says.

"Y- yeah?"

"It's very important that you develop your abilities. Are you aware of that?"

Sunshine staggers over her words. "I.. am now."

"And do you know why?"

"No...?"

Victoria doesn't blink. "It's in order to fulfill your potential." A pause. "Do you understand this?"

"Mhm.."

"Okay." Victoria turns away and walks closer to the warehouse.

"Both of the doors are locked," Kat offers.

Victoria opens the door.

"What the hell," Sunshine mutters, but follows anyway. She follows Victoria inside the building, trying to adjust to the pitch black darkness inside.

Victoria stops and turns. "Do you know why you're here?"

"Um." Sunshine hands the camera off to her mom. She dumbly blinks before that feeling returns, constricting in her chest, oozing in her stomach. She hardly has to think about it. "Nolan's here."

"What?" Kat asks.

"Nolan... he's here." She looks at the group, eyes brightening.

"How do you know?"

Sunshine doesn't reply.

"You have to find him," Victoria nods.

Tommy steps forward and looks around the warehouse. "Nolan!" he yells. His voice echoes through the building.

"Okay," Kat mutters.

Sunshine winces. "You really feel like that helped?"

"No, I don't." Kat rolls her eyes, and Sunshine has to agree on one thing— Tommy is bad at this whole ghost exploring thing.

"Do you think this is the right way, Sunshine?" Victoria asks from behind.

Huh? Wait, she's meant to lead the way? She only knows Nolan's here — not where he is. "I— I don't know."

Kat cuts in, anyway, saving the day. "You know what, it just seems like it would make more sense to go start in the, like, office area or whatever, there's light there."

Sunshine swipes the camera from her mother and looks around the huge building, biting her lip. Where can she start? There's so many places to look, and Sunshine has a feeling that if they don't find Nolan by sunrise, they'll never be able to find him again.

"Let's keep moving, Sunshine," Victoria orders. She complies with ease, following her into a brightly-lit hallway.

"I like this room," Kat smiles. "Bright light."

They enter and no one's inside— only a window of their reflection stares back.

"Why can't he be in here?" her mother complains.

They enter another branch of the warehouse, Tommy leading. "Nolan?" he calls again, but not nearly as loud. Thank Christ, they'd wake up the whole world.

Now they're walking through a maze of offices, but all of them are... empty.

Kat touches her shoulder softly. "Do you feel anything, honey?"

"I don't know," Sunshine admits. She can't tell if it's actually there, or if she's just making this feeling up.

"Nolan," Tommy calls again.

"He's not down here," Sunshine mutters, then pauses when she sees a set of steps. "There's an upstairs." She rounds the corner and stumbles back when Anna faces her, white cloth and all. She turns and disappears behind the wall.

Victoria is suddenly beside her. "It's okay," she says. "She's there to help."

Okay, well, if Victoria says so.

Sunshine follows Tommy up the stairs, narrowing her eyes. The halls are becoming tighter, but she feels less stressed because— well, there isn't all that space.

"Nolan?" Kat says.

"Make sure you're focused," Victoria advises.

Duly noted.

"You can do it."

Can she? Sunshine breathes in and something just makes her— speak. "Nolan?"

"Really concentrate."

Sunshine looks inside all the rooms, frowning.

Victoria hums. "Nothing."

"We'll find him," Kat murmurs soothingly.

They continue walking until something stirs inside Sunshine again. She knows before it even happens. "Hey."

They turn around— Kat and Tommy much more startled than Sunshine— and see a dark figure standing in one of the rooms, face hidden behind a black hoodie. Blood rushes to Sunshine's ears.

"What do you want?" Kat says in a loud, clear voice.

The figure begins to move forward, hands in fists at its sides.

"Run, run, run!" Victoria yells. Sunshine wastes no time and whips around, crying out as she speeds away, legs carrying her faster than ever before. Fear propels her forward and she hardly hears the yells behind her, her feet carrying her into another empty office.

Sunshine hesitates and turns, waiting for that— that entity to attack her, but nothing's there. Victoria and Kat are standing around Tommy, who's on the floor, resting next to the closed door. Oh, wonderful. They're trapped.

"What was that?!" he exclaims.

Victoria sighs heavily. "That was a Groundling."

"What?"

"A Groundling," she repeats, leaning against the wall to catch her breath.

"What's a Groundling?!" Kat asks.

"It's a..." Victoria narrows her eyes. "It's a human servant."

"Uh. Okay."

"It's a human servant that serves the Markons."

What are all these words again?

Kat sarcastically says, "Oh, the Markons."

"What's a Markon?" Tommy demands.

"A Markon is the highest power in the evil realm, and they give power to people like the Groundlings— people who are trying to gain evil power."

"Evil power," Kat quietly echoes.

Well. Wonderful.

Tommy shakes his head, confused. "So that guy's trying to gain... evil power?"

Victoria stands to her full height. "Yes."

"How?"

"Because the Markons will give it to him, like they have given power to such people as the Black-Eyed People—"

Kat gasps.

"—The Shadow People, The Mothman."

"So he— he works for them?" Kat whispers.

"Yes," Victoria nods.

"Why— why is he here?"

Victoria tilts her head to Sunshine. "He's here for her."

"Sunshine?" Tommy asks incredulously.

"Why?" Kat cries.

Victoria sighs again, probably fed up with having to do all this explaining. Wait, how exactly does she know all of this again? "The Markons— they take away all power that is good. All power in the paranormal realm that is good, like the Luiseach. They want to take it away, and they want to give that evil power to such people as the Groundling, who is working for them."

"Okay.." her mother murmurs. "Now what? We're stuck!"

Tommy starts to panic. "So he's here after us and we can't do anything?!"

"We're totally trapped?" Kat also panics.

"We're not trapped," Victoria explains. "He's gone."

"What do you mean? How do you know?!"

Tommy laughs anxiously.

"He's gone?" Sunshine whispers.

"I know he's gone," Victoria says.

"How?" Tommy snaps.

"They don't work like that, once we are in a confined space, he can't come after us. They leave."

Kat shakes her head and looks at her daughter. "Sunshine, what now?"

"Sunshine, it's up to you." Victoria nods at her. "We have to keep searching, and we have to search now."

Sunshine purses her lips. "We gotta find him." No one moves. "Come on," she orders.

"You sure?" Tommy inquires from the floor.

"Yeah."

"She can do this," Victoria stresses.

"Get up," Sunshine says in a harsher tone.

"I assure you, that Groundling is not out there anymore."

Tommy and Kat stumble to their feet, grudgingly accepting.

"What else is?" Kat darkly mumbles.

"Sunshine," Victoria calls, ignoring Kat.

"Yeah..?" She turns around, eyes wide.

"I want you, just for one minute, to completely focus on Nolan. This is very important. Focus on him, and you will find him."

"Okay...?" she mutters, facing away and stopping in her tracks.

"Should we hold hands or something?" Tommy whispers.

Sunshine ignores them and lets the world melt like ice around her, dripping colors and voices down her skin. She closes her eyes and breathes in roughly, feeling the rhythm of her heart skipping in her chest. Sunshine pulls that gut feeling from her stomach and tugs at it, focusing on Nolan— his face, his voice, even his soul— and it all comes rushing to her.

"He's—" She splutters, "He's downstairs."

"What?" Kat says.

"He's down there," Tommy tries to explain.

Excitement and terror push Sunshine forward. She leads the group to the stairs and rushes down them, heart tugging. She can feel the energy pulsing, whispering for her to follow.

"Now what?" Kat stands beside her daughter as they reach the bottom floor, suspiciously looking around for any clues. What are they, the Scooby Gang? "Which way?"

Sunshine focuses again, but the feeling is less severe and easier to follow. She turns to the left and crosses the brightly-lit hallway once more. "This way."

"What, in the warehouse?" Kat whispers.

"Nolan?" she hesitantly calls out. He's in here— Sunshine can feel it, shaking in her bones.

"How are we gonna find him?" her mother complains. "This place is huge."

Maybe Tommy's yelling will help them out. Just kidding. Kind of.

Speak of the devil. "Nolan?" Tommy calls out, the echo quieter this time, but still apparent.

"Sunshine, do you know where he is?" Kat inquires.

"Maybe," she murmurs, because she honestly doesn't know. Sunshine can feel the pull of energy, but it's dull and only wavers in a certain direction. Unfortunately, it doesn't zoom into a hiding spot. That would be cool, though.

Tommy pushes himself in front of them, leading the way.

"Tommy, don't just go charging off," Kat grunts.

"Nolan!" he yells.

There he goes again.

"Nolan?" Kat calls out, softer.

Sunshine scrunches her nose. "He's gotta be here." Her heart rate spikes the further they move.

"Do you feel him?"

"He's this way," Sunshine guides, turning.

"Are you sure?"

Yes. This time, she is. "Mmhm."

"Do you hear something?"

"No. I— feel it." Her mother probably won't understand. That's okay.

Sunshine's breathing grows heavier, the anticipation filling her with lead. She stops in her tracks when she sees a dark shape slumped to the ground.

"Nolan," Kat whispers, horrified when he doesn't move.

"Sunshine," Victoria says, "be careful."

Be careful? About what? Nolan— he won't hurt her. She knows it. However, those words make her slightly more anxious. "Why?"

"That may not be Nolan."

She pauses, feeling again. There it is. "It's him." No demon would want to wear that horrible black leather jacket, anyway. Sunshine stands next to him, heart aching to see the black cloth covering his eyes and the tape binding his hands together. "Nolan?" she whispers, voice cracking. She leans down and and gently touches his head. "Nolan."

Nolan gasps and shoves himself away, covering his head with his hands. Oh, right. He can't see anything with that— well. "Who's there?" he demands, but his voice is weak and broken.

"Nolan—"

"Stop it!"

"Nolan! Stop!" Sunshine pats his shoulder. "It's me."

He lets out a frail whine, like he's never been happier to hear someone's voice.

"It's me," she soothes. She untangles the cloth from his head and he leans back to the ground, blinking up at the ceiling, gaze clouded with terror. He whines again.

"It's Nolan," Kat grunts. Yep, no one else would sound like that except him.

"Sunshine," he whispers, not looking at anyone. She checks his eyes— they're normal. No pure black there.

"It's okay," Kat says, "it's all right, it's all right." Nolan begins to laugh, and it sounds— well, relieved. "Here, Sunshine, help me get this off."

Sunshine helps rip the tape off and leans back again, eyeing him, worried.

"It's okay, you're all right— here, sit up, it's okay." Kat tucks a hand under his head and helps him sit up, which he does so quickly but dizzily.

Nolan blinks blearily and glances between them. "What took you guys so long..?" Sunshine realizes he's been here for almost a full month. She wants to throw up.

Kat sighs. "It's okay, we're here now."

He squints, eyes red with tears. "I— I left my cellphone." He looks away, tensing up. "I left my cellphone, if I'd had my cellphone I—" His voice wavers.

"Nolan," Sunshine tries.

"I forgot," he mutters brokenly.

"Sunshine," Victoria says, "your powers are strong, just like your father's."

"What?" Kat snaps.

Sunshine stares at her, dumbfounded. She's holding Nolan's arm and doesn't really want to move away, so Victoria shifts closer. "Like my—?"

"Just like your father's." Victoria shows the hint of a smile. "Your father was a Luiseach."

Sunshine sucks in a deep breath.

"But then he turned over to the Markons."

Markons equal.... bad guys. Shit.

"And he's turned evil."

She doesn't know what to say. "He— he what?"

Victoria breathes out a puff of air. "All you have to know is that you have what it takes."

Sunshine can hardly wrap her head around this. So— so her dad is a Luiseach-turned-Markon? But...? "Why— why are you telling all of this to me?"

"Because... soon you're not going to trust me."

She stops. "When?"

Victoria's face remains blank. "I don't know when."

"Why am I not gonna trust you anymore..?"

Victoria looks down in annoyance, then raises her head slightly. "Because you shouldn't."

Um. Okay. Cryptic, much?

Kat snaps them out of their staring contest. "Where's Tommy?!" Sunshine whips around. "Tommy!"

"Sunshine," Victoria calls. "There's not much time. We must go, quickly."

Her mother's breathing grows more labored. "Tommy!"

Sunshine shakes her head and ignores Victoria— "We're running out of time!" — and instead walks back into the office area, face set into a determined look. Hopefully Nolan's following them.

"We have to find him," Kat breathes.

Sunshine closes her eyes, and feels that familiar tug. "He's upstairs."

"What? How do you know?"

"I just know," she says with an edge to her voice, rushing up the steps along with her mother.

They look around the second floor and Sunshine tenses when she hears a deep cough from a room with a closed door. A high-pitched snarling nearly knocks Sunshine off of her feet, but she pushes the door open with a hand anyway and gasps at the sight.

Tommy is being pinned to the ground by— oh, god, is that the Groundling?

"Tommy," Kat whispers, and the Groundling snaps its head, noticing them. It rushes forward and Sunshine feels something deep within her soul. She closes her eyes, braces herself, but... nothing comes. The Groundling is gone.

"Tommy!" Kat screams, rushing forward when nothing happens. "Are you okay?" He coughs desperately. "It's all right, it's all right— he's gone."

Tommy looks up and sees Nolan, tiredly standing next to the door. "Oh, my god," he says. "It's Sunshine's boyfriend!" He wheezes out a laugh.

Kat rolls her eyes. "Okay, Tommy's fine," she announces to the class.

"Are you all right?" Victoria asks.

He nods slowly. "Yeah." He pauses to catch his breath, sitting up slowly. "It felt like— like he was trying to pull out my soul or something."

"What?" Kat mouths to Victoria.

She frowns. "I've heard of Groundlings trying to do that before, but— it's rare. There's a possibility that maybe he was trying to put something in your soul."

"What?" Kat exclaims.

"I don't know because of the fact that you are around Sunshine frequently.."

Kat looks down at him. "Do you feel like anything's inside you..?"

He sighs. "No more than you do."

"But right now you feel okay?" Victoria questions.

"Yeah. Okay." He stops and glances back at Nolan, pointing. "How did you— how are you okay?"

Nolan realizes he's being talked to and nonchalantly turns his head, shrugging. "Oh, you know. Two weeks in a basement, it's not so bad. Free meals."

Sunshine doesn't want to tell him it's been much longer than that.

Tommy laughs at that.

"Lots of rest," Nolan sarcastically continues in a bored voice.

"You're clearly fine," Sunshine huffs, but inside, she's relieved.

"Clearly," Kat echoes.

"I like this guy," Tommy giggles.

Victoria cuts in. "He's okay because he's called an Awaken."

"What?" Kat snaps.

"An Awaken?" Tommy asks, stupefied.

Wait, Nolan— Nolan is a what? Sunshine glances at him, but he turns his chin away, refusing to meet her gaze.

"An Awaken," Victoria nods.

"What's that?" Tommy whispers.

She hums. "It's basically the fact that he had a near-death experience— he's had some sort of paranormal—"

"How do you know about that?" he hisses defensively.

"How do I know about that?" She looks at him.

"She knows everything," Kat mumbles.

Maybe that's why Nolan was in a coma for so long. She still needs to interrogate him about that little bit of information.

"All right, I'll take it," he finally says.

"You now have some paranormal power. Have you been able to hear voices? Been able to project yourself through time and space?"

Oh. Holy shit. Victoria's on to something, here. Maybe Nolan isn't crazy!

"Yeah, a bit, why?" he asks, brows furrowing.

"You have those abilities now because... you've been hanging around Sunshine."

Tommy blinks. "So we're, like, getting powers?"

"The more and more you hang out with Sunshine, the more you are around Sunshine, yes, that is possible."

"What the—" Kat drops her arms. "That's totally not fair, I don't have any powers!" Tommy laughs. "Why do you guys get all the powers? I wanna project! I wanna be able to do something! That's not fair!" she whines.

Tommy smirks. "We're just that much cooler than you."

She scoffs. "Thank you so much, I'm glad you're feeling better!" He laughs again. "He's fine—"

Sunshine feels that pulse writhe away. "Victoria?" she instinctively calls out. When Sunshine turns to where she'd been standing, she's not there.

Kat's eyes widen. "Wait, where'd she go?"

"Did she—?" Tommy giggles. "That's so cool."

Oh, great. Looks like Nolan and Tommy are perfect for each other.

"It's not cool, where'd she go??" Her mother looks around the maze of offices, sighing heavily.

Something else— Sunshine feels it. "We have to leave," she says urgently. "We have to leave."

"What's wrong?"

"Just trust her," Tommy wheezes as they begin to run down the stairs. "Nolan, come on, man."

"I'm sorry, I'm tired," Nolan sighs.

Well. Leave they do.

THIS CHAPTER WAS SO FUN. i love nolan and any angst with him so some of that good ole hurt/comfort really had me feeling some type of way. anyway. part 4 is coming to a close soon! but don't worry... there's so much more coming~