I fell on a cold, hardwood floor. I rose and brushed dust off me. My body stung all over from the fall. I couldn't recognize where I was, but I could tell this wasn't normal. To my surprise, Echo was beside me.

"What happened?" I moaned.

"We're not sure, but we think it's working." Echo smiled.

I raised an eyebrow. "Why are you saying 'we?'"

Echo laughed. "I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Echo's conscience."

"Why are you here?" I asked.

"You got his complete set of memories. So, here I am." Echo smiled.

My eyes widened. "Wait, I have a complete set? That makes no sense. Why Echo's?"

Echo shrugged his shoulders.

"What do I do?" I asked.

Echo smiled. "I'm a guide. You can watch or ask me to skip a few years."

"When am I exactly?" I asked him.

"The day the twins were born," Echo informed me.

"I should watch this," I said.

Echo nodded. "Alright."

He disappeared.

A woman in a hospital bed held two babies, a man by her bedside. He smiled at them, while the woman looked at them with suspicion. Her dark blue eyes looked up into the distance. She looked a little older than Ember in my timeline, but she seemed more focused. That meant the man was Clyde, and she was Isla.

"I want to name them," Clyde said.

"Her name's Lyrica," Isla said.

Clyde spoke, "I wanted Ember."

"Fine, that'll be her middle name." Isla handed her to Clyde and grabbed the other baby.

"What about him?" Clyde asked.

Isla smiled a wicked grin. "I'll think of something."

"Well, if you can't think of anything, I have a list. I'll set it next to your bed," Clyde set a folded piece of paper beside the bed and left the room with Baby Ember.

Isla looked to the mirror at her bedside, the glass covered in cracks and dark stains. She picked up the jeweled frame mirror and sighed, staring into her own reflection. In that moment, it was like a dark shadow cascaded the room. Isla didn't speak a word.

Isla looked at the baby's left wrist. She sighed. "Nothing."

She checked the right wrist, which had a small skin-toned birthmark on it. She gasped.

The baby cried.

Isla grabbed a knife from a bag on the table. "Aww... it's alright. Welcome to the world, little one. My world. Everything goes my way. Everyone does what I say too, except you. You're the one meant to kill me."

'Holy crap!'

"To think you'll never get the chance. I never play fair or to my enemy's strengths," she whispered.

Baby Echo looked towards where his father went.

Isla laughed. "Your father? Don't worry, he'll be taken care of soon."

You could hear noises from outside the room. Death curling screams, gunshots, and blood pouring onto the glass window by the door. A candle blew out by Isla's bedside.

"But I have to hurry while I'm still sane. After I get rid of you, the prophecy will never happen, and you'll never stop me. No one will." Isla raised her knife.

Baby Echo didn't budge, staring straight into Isla's eyes like he didn't care about what she was about to do. He even stopped crying. Isla lowered her knife, staring into her son's royal blue eyes with a look I could only describe as awe.

"Why so hopeful? No one will stop this." Isla raised her knife again.

A blast of light burst through the window hit Isla's hand.

She cried and dropped the knife on the floor below her bed.

"What have you done?" said a familiar voice before coming into the room.

It was Valentina, Zolona's best friend. She held a blast of light in her hands and closely watched Isla's movements. Her silver hair gleamed under the dimmed hospital lights, and a stern look was across her face.

"You're too late, Valentina," Isla cried.

"I can't believe you did that. Clyde loved you," Valentina let tears run down her face.

Isla laughed. "Zolona needs to learn love is weakness."

Valentina noticed the knife on the floor, "What were you doing with that knife?"

"Finishing the job." Isla clenched her teeth.

"He's just a baby. Why go through all this trouble unless..." Valentina sighed, "He's the youngest twin and has The Mark..."

Isla smiled. "I have no use for a child with his fate. His sister, on the other hand will be useful."

Valentina stretched out one of her hands, "Hand me the baby. You obviously don't want him."

"He needs to die, Valentina," Isla's face was firm.

Valentina picked up Clyde's note on the other side of the bed.

"Can't we just discuss this, Valentina? He won't bring you anything but death," Isla reasoned.

"He's one of the few memories Zolona has left of Clyde," Valentina said.

"I won't be handing him over."

Valentina shot a blast of light at Isla.

Isla put Baby Echo between them to prevent another blow.

"You don't want to hit the baby, do you?" Isla smiled.

Valentina looked around. She fired her light blast at a mirror, which reverberated and hit Isla. She threw the baby, and Valentina caught him.

"I won't stop coming to get him. You know that." Isla clenched her teeth together.

"I know you won't, but I'll make sure he's safe." Valentina said.

Valentina took her hands and moved them in a circle around her body, pushing light forward. The mirror behind Isla shattered into a swirling abyss-- a portal. Her eyes glowed a goldish-green hue as light poured from her hands.

Isla held on to the bed rest and picked up her knife with the other hand. Valentina blew on the bed rest causing a swift gust of air to blow from her mouth. Isla lost her grips and was sucked into the portal.

"There, all better. She won't come back to hurt you, at least not for a while." Valentina looked at the bed.

To her surprise, a blue birth certificate was sitting there with no name on it.

"She didn't name you, did she?" Valentina asked as the baby cooed.

She took out Clyde's list of names from her pocket.

Valentina smiled. "Let's see what your father had to say."

The baby laughed.

"Let's see... he didn't number these. He must've wanted to choose your name based off you. This one is perfect. There's a description too. Want me to read it?" Valentina laughed, "'This is my top pick, because it means 'intelligent light.' It's everything I'd like a child to be.'"

Echo looked at her expectantly as if he was waiting for her to say what the name was.

"It's perfect. Clyde had it right, Echo." she wrote the name on the birth certificate and created another portal.

Valentina put her hand on her stomach. "It's okay, she's just happy to meet you."

She picked up Baby Echo and went into the portal.

Echo appeared in front of me.

"That was unexpected, but at least it had a happy ending," I smiled.

Echo's head lowered. "Not for long. Want me to show you?" Echo asked.

I nodded. "Please."

I was in front of the house I saw in my dreams. It was here I had saved the girl and boy from being made fun of. But who were they?

The children chased each other before Valentina came outside.

"What are you doing out here?" Valentina laughed.

"We rescued a baby bird." the girl showed the little bird to her mother.

A raven. It had to be a raven. Just seeing the bird offended me now.

Valentina stood in awe. "What a beautiful bird. What happened?"

"She broke her wing. Please help her," the girl said.

"As long as you and Echo get me some bird seed, ...," Valentina said.

I couldn't hear the girl's name. I didn't know why, but it was on mute.

"Alright." Echo got food from the bird feeder.

"When will Father be home?" the girl worried.

"After you go to sleep. He'll be glad to see you," Valentina used her magic and healed the bird; a white glow came from her hands, "Go help Echo get bird seed."

Echo and the girl ran into a woman wearing a black hood.

"Where's your mother, little ones?" she asked. This woman had a different voice than Isla's, more educated and precise, cold, cunning even.

The little girl shook from a chill running up her spine and swallowed a lump in her throat, lowering her eyes from the figure's gaze.

Echo spoke up. "She's..." he paused, "She's on the porch."

"Thank you, child," the woman said.

"What if we pretended this bird was a magic eagle?" Echo asked.

"We could go anywhere," the girl said.

They walked towards the front of the house when the woman with the black cloak ran into the girl.

The woman clenched her teeth. "Be careful where you step, witch."

"Why did you run into her?" Echo asked.

"She ran into me, child. Only the nature of witches to get in my way," the woman said.

Echo pointed to the woman, a silver mark gleaming from his right hand. "You stepped on her foot."

"Owww..." the girl sat on the grass.

"Were you two about to play a game?" the woman asked, raising her eyebrow.

Echo shook his head. "We were hoping this bird would turn into an eagle by wishing on it."

"Wishes are for babies, hope is for weaklings, and games are for children. Even you should know that," she said.

"We are children," Echo said.

The woman laughed. "Not for long. Sooner or later, the witch will die,"

"But death is only the beginning of an adventure," Valentina stepped between the woman and her daughter.

"You never know when a game becomes something you regret. The games you play define you," the woman walked off.

"That mean lady stepped on ..... foot." Echo pointed to the girl.

"Let me see." Valentina approached her daughter.

She removed the girl's shoe. She'd be lucky if she didn't have broken toes.

"Oh..." the girl cried.

I actually felt pity towards her. Maybe it was because I also knew how she felt, or maybe it was because she had silver eyes like mine. I didn't know, but I hadn't felt as bad for anyone as I did for these two kids.

Valentina healed the girl's foot and smiled. "There, all better."

"When will I be able to do that, Mamá?" the girl asked.

"When you're ready," Valentina laughed before turning to Echo, "Are you okay?"

"Just... dizzy again..." he said.

It fast-forwarded to that night. Crickets hummed, and flakes of white decorated the dark blue shade of the sky in dust.

Echo and Zolona mentioned stars. Were those glittery specks stars? I couldn't help but wonder.

A window broke open in the house. I ran around the side to find the window cill from my dream had been broken, with a black hooded figure standing over it.

'What the--? What are Echo's memories doing in my dreams?'

It made no sense.The black hooded figure entered the girl's room. She sang a lullaby and the girl woke up. Crap, she looked like she was in trouble.

"Mamá!" the girl cried.

The woman covered the girl's mouth. "Let's play hide and seek and hope she comes to find you."

The little girl moaned in the woman's arms as they snuck across the hall. The hooded figure smiled and creaked another door open.

"Look at him sleeping... completely unaware," the cloaked figure whispered.

The little girl removed the woman's hand from her mouth. "You meanie."

"Quiet, urchin. You're only the bait," the cloaked woman covered the girl's mouth again.

The woman took a cloth and put it against her, causing the girl to pass out. She crept to Echo's bedside, dropping the girl to the floor. She took a vial out of her pocket and her sword from her cloak. She sighed, closing her eyes like she was contemplating what she was about to do.

Echo woke with a jolt. "Who are you? What have you done with...."

I still couldn't hear her name. Why the hell couldn't I hear her stupid-ass name?

"What has it been now, two years since I last saw you?" she asked.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Echo's eyes widened.

The cloaked figure's lip quivered and she rose from the bed. "Never heard about me?"

"Who are you?" Echo asked.

"I'm the one you should be afraid of. An infection. Once people love me, they can't stop, and there's nothing anyone can do to stop me. No one, except you," she said.

"You're looking for the wrong person. I'm not special!" Echo said.

"I'm guessing the witch didn't tell you your real heritage." the woman smiled.

"Valentina and .... are special. I'm just a kid with a birthmark, bad dreams, and no family," Echo said.

"You're everything I'm not, and once you become strong enough, you're the one who will ruin me," the cloaked figure said.

Echo curled into a ball. "You're scaring me."

"If you keep still, you can meet your real family. It was so easy to find you. You're the only one in the database with your name. Your father betrayed you in that sense. Sweet dreams, Echo." the woman raised her sword.

Echo closed his eyes.

The figure's blow was intercepted by a white and gold blade. Valentina came to stop her.

The cloaked figure laughed. "Valentina, just the person I wanted to see. You know, I prefer to stay where I can get whatever I want, not fly across dimensions."

"Remove your hood coward. There's no need to hide who you are," Valentina said with sword in hand.

It was no surprise to find Isla underneath the hood.

Isla smiled. "Give me my son, and I'll spare your daughter."

"How does my daughter fit into any of this?" Valentina's eyes widened.

"Your child for mine. What's he worth to you?" Isla asked.

"He's everything to Zolona and Clyde," Valentina countered.

"That's why you're protecting him?" Isla asked.

Valentina let out a huge sigh. "Clyde and Zolona were my best friends. I'd do anything to see them happy, but you killed Clyde. You deserve justice for what you've done."

"I've made the world perfect. Rubbish get left behind and elites get the respect they crave and deserve. There's no need to appreciate scum like you." Isla smiled.

"Perfect? Your world is full of high standards and no light. You want everything to be as dark as your heart, and as The Enchantress of Light, it's my duty to protect the world from people like you," Valentina said.

"You always were clever, witch," Isla grinned.

Valentina raised her sword. "If you want to take Clyde's son, fight me."

"Gladly." Isla lunged at Valentina.

Valentina used a light blast to hit Isla from behind. Isla turned her sword towards Valentina and tore off a piece of her nightgown. Valentina intercepted Isla's sword with her own, and a cut a portion of Isla's hair.

Isla kicked Valentina in the stomach. Valentina moaned as she was knocked against Echo's bed. She blasted Isla with light.

"You can't stop me. You can't even touch me," Isla lit the curtain beside her on fire.

"I won't let Clyde die for nothing."

"He already has."

Valentina stuck Isla, piercing through her stomach, with much restrained effort. But nothing happened.

Isla laughed. "You see? You can't lay a finger on me."

Isla struck Valentina. Her fresh stomach wound was bleeding out.

"I can't stop you," Valentina's lip quivered, "But I can protect him."

Isla grabbed the girl. Fool. Give me the boy or you'll never see your daughter again."

Valentina smiled.

"You can't heal yourself and protect him," Isla said.

Valentina brushed Echo's hair out of his face. "It'll be okay. I'll protect you. She won't win the war," Valentina told Echo.

Echo tilted his head. "What'll happen to you?"

Valentina generated light in her hand, but in a swirled pink pattern. "I'll just be away for a little while. This will protect you from the darkness, purify your blood. Stay true to what I've told you."

"When will you be back?" Echo asked.

Tears slipped down Valentina's face. Her voice was weak. "I'm not sure. You have to forget about me."

She touched his right arm with the pink glow.

Isla's eyes widened. "The clock's ticking. Your daughter will never grow to love the world you know if you refuse my offer."

"Stay kind, no matter the cost," she said.

Echo's mark was fading. Valentina weakened, her light fading fast.

"Touching. You better stop or..." Isla said with the girl in her arms.

Valentina faintly laugh. "You'll kill me? I'm already dying and you can't touch Echo. Your plans will never come to pass..."

When Echo's mark disappeared, Valentina collapsed to the floor. She whispered a spell and blew white dust onto Echo before he fell asleep.

That's when I was locked out of the rest, but I knew what happened. Echo was the only one who survived that night. Something got me thinking: Isla said she'd take the girl somewhere. What happened to her?

Echo appeared in front of me.

"Alright, take me to the next big event and let me listen to the audio," I said.

Echo nodded.

"You're such a freak," a voice said.

"You always play too nice!" another mocked.

"This is your baby sister, Melinda, I trust you'll do everything she asks, not like you're worth much," a man let out a groan.

"This new government serum will help get rid of any dreams that people have in sleep. Besides dreaming is a bad thing," the man said.

I hit my arm against a bookshelf.

"It's law. If you don't do it, you'll be killed," the man said.

"That invades our privacy and our dreams. Why's dreaming so bad anyways?" Echo asked.

He must've been around ten.

"Dreams are dangerous. Especially the dreams of people who cling to hope. This'll make sure dreams never come back." the man clenched his teeth.

"Is everyone taking this?" Echo asked.

"Nosy brat. Know your place you worthless piece of shit. And I call you a son," the man said.

'Crap... that's why he hates my cussing...'

"I...I'm just curious..." Echo's lip quivered.

"I don't give a damn about what you think. You need this. Especially if you're turning out the way The Commander wants you to," the man said.

"But..." Echo said.

The man slapped him across the face. "I have no time to deal with your crap. Leave me the hell alone and shut your chops."

Echo lowered his head. "Yes, father."

"Why isn't Melinda home?" the man asked.

Echo shrugged his shoulders.

The man grabbed Echo by his shirt. "Liar. It's seven o'clock. She promised to be home after her detention at four. I know you know where she is, so tell me before you get yourself in a loadfull of piss."

"I don't know, but I can search for her. I'll look everywhere!" Echo said.

The man dropped Echo to the floor. "Just take the medicine and go to bed before I snap your miserable neck. I'll look for my daughter."

The man left the room and slammed the door.

"So what can I do? It's not like I'm good at anything," Echo tried to smile but couldn't.

'That's different...'

I wasn't used to seeing him like that.

Echo sighed. "Why do you have to fall for those stupid bullies and their tricks, huh? There's something wrong with me... There has to. Otherwise I'd be able to make friends."

He thought all of this. I would've never thought that he would have been like this. He told me he came from a dark time in his past, but I didn't see this as dark. I saw it as sad. How couldn't I?

"Maybe it's the fact you stand out that's making you get beaten and rejected. Maybe giving up dreams is the best option," he thought.

'No, it's not, pighead. You need dreams to keep yourself together. Someone without dreams is a rock.'

He drank the liquid and went to sleep. The tonic was supposed to prevent dreaming right? I was surprised when I was sucked into his dream.

Echo appeared beside me. "He told you about his nightmares, didn't he?"

"Why isn't the tonic working?" I asked.

Echo shrugged his shoulders. "It never worked on him until taking a strong dosage."

"They found triple of the drug in his system...but why is he receiving nightmares? What were they like?"

Echo stared at me straight in the eye, not letting any light enter my gaze. "I don't know. I didn't recognize who was haunting me in my dreams, but somehow they knew me."

"After losing my memory, I've had similar problems."

"We'll see just how similar then," Echo voice echoed as he disappeared.

"Hello?" ten year old Echo's voice quivered.

His voice echoed across the barren landscape.

Whispers filled his nightmare.

"Is anyone there?" Echo asked before hearing a laugh.

A figure's red eyes appeared in the midst of the shadows around Echo. "Whatever you choose, you can't win..."

"What?" his lip quivered.

"The light will die, and it can't win," the voice said.

Echo took a step backwards. "I don't understand. Who are you?"

"Don't remember me? Typical. At least I'm not the one who's an outcast..." the voice said.

"What do you mean?" Echo asked.

"Everyone considers you stupid, pitiful-- a chew toy. Everyone hates you," the voice said.

"Everyone?" Echo asked.

"Yes, I should know. I'm your worst nightmare after all. A forgotten companion set out to show you everything that's wrong with you. Would you like me to show you how much people hate you?" the voice asked.

Echo stepped back. "How do I get out of here?"

The voice laughed. "You don't."

"Stay back or I'll..." Echo said.

The voice laughed louder. "You'll what? Poor weak, pathetic Echo. There's no way out of this."

It emerged from the shadows. And the shadows consumed him.

Echo fast forwarded the images.

"Thank you," I said to him, out of breath from my shallow heartbeat.

"They kept occurring every night... each a little different from others. Eventually, I locked myself away when I was twelve," Echo said.

"Why?" I asked.

"I didn't want anyone to care about me for when I planned to..." Echo stopped fast forwarding.

I raised my eyebrow. "When you planned to what?"

Echo lowered his head. "You'll see."

Echo faded away and let the picture unfold.

Twelve year old Echo wrote in a journal.

"To anyone who cares," he wrote, "Today's the day when I become free of all of you. Today's the day when everyone gets what they want. I planned all of it carefully too. I assumed everyone would enjoy if I died today, because it doesn't have any meaning to anyone."

'Shit. Holy shit. He's suicidal!'

"I was told in my nightmares love was a weakness, and I guess that's true. People backstab everyone and tell lies. Some pick on others for fun. People don't care, love, and we're not even allowed to dream. If I had a dream, then it would be to help fix that, but I can't fix something if people choose to stand aside and pick on me. I'm sorry about all of this. Also, you might want to get more of those sleep vials especially after I overdose," he wrote in the letter.

I gasped, placing a hand over my mouth. 'Don't worry. You know he doesn't go through with it.'

He tore the page out of his notebook, setting it on the table. He got out five vials of the dream-prevention and poured them in a glass.

A door slammed shut. Echo put down the glass in alarm and backed away from it like he had nothing to do with it.

"Echo? Where are you?" asked a small voice.

Echo picked up his note. "Cal? What's wrong with you?"

Cal was someone Echo never mentioned... and I didn't know why. She had beautiful curly red hair with green eyes like lilly pads. She was quiet when she walked into the room, but her face was drenched in tears. She was around ten years old.

Tears poured from Cal's face, turning it to a red color. "People made fun of me today. I can't stand any more of it. I wish I could change who I was to match everyone else."

Echo's eyes widened. "It's not your fault Cal."

"I just want to die... I don't want to stay." Cal's lip quivered.

Echo placed a hand on Cal's shoulder. "Nonsense, the world can be better."

"It doesn't seem like it to me," Melinda weeped.

"...If we tried to do it, maybe it would be," he answered quietly.

"What?" Cal asked.

Echo spoke louder for Melinda to hear. "If we tried to do the right thing, help people, do what they don't... maybe the world would be better."

"I'm too shy. Even you know that." Cal crouched herself into a tiny ball.

Echo raised an eyebrow. "Didn't we promise to help each other?"

Melinda wrapped her arms around herself tighter. "I'd rather fit in."

Echo rubbed her shoulder. "It's okay. I'll be there for you."

"Thanks, Echo," Cal wiped the tears from her face.

"I'm the one who has to thank you. If you hadn't come..." Echo grabbed his note from the table.

"What are you talking about? What's that?" Cal pointed to the note.

Echo sighed. "It doesn't matter. You need me here."

"Were you going to run away?" Cal scrunched her facial features.

Echo confessed, "I didn't think anyone would care."

"I care." Cal hugged him.

"You're the best sister I could ask for." Echo smiled, "I bet you'll do something great some day."

Cal walked away from him.

As soon as she left, Echo threw the liquid down the sink drain and tore up the note. Echo told me he lived with the princess, but her name was Melinda. I'd have to ask Echo about that later.

That's when Echo appeared in front of me.

"Can I see him meet Ember?" I asked.

Echo nodded. "Alright, that's a good place to go."

"What happened between this?" I asked.

"I did what I said," Echo answered.

"How long did it take?" I asked.

"Three years, seven months," Echo informed me.

I raised an eyebrow. "You were fifteen?"

"Only a couple of months before I quit school," Echo clenched his teeth together.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled.

He fast forwarded to what seemed several years later.

"How far are we skipping?" I asked.

"Well, I didn't meet Ember until two months ago," Echo reminded me.

"Oh," I paused, "That's right."

I was in an office building of sorts with red coloring and several computers. I saw Echo working at one of them. I couldn't believe it until I remembered he quit school because of his foster father.

"Mr. Knight," a man in a lab coat tapped Echo's foster father on the shoulder, "We just got a new shipment of Dreamers today. We wanted you to see if any of them aren't worthy of being tested and offered a chance to live."

Echo spoke up. "Everyone has a right to live..."

Mr. Knight looked at him with a cold glare. "How about you come with us?"

They walked down into a jail with bulletproof cells. The Regime's security surprised me. The keypads and jail cells alone looked complex. How was a princess-- a big poofy dress spoiled rich kid--- able to overthrow it?

Ember sat in the corner of a cell. She spat on the floor, crossed her arms, and smiled.

Mr. Knight knocked on the glass window.

Ember smirked at him.

Mr. Knight looked at the others. "Prepare them for testing, except this girl. She's rebellious. What's her crime?"

"Singing in Wellspring, sir. People couldn't stop her from singing, but once she did, it was easy to get her, especially with an officer pretending to love her. She crashed a car," the scientist said.

Mr. Knight turned to Ember. "Such wildfires need to be put out."

"See you tonight." Ember smirked.

The scientist shoved Echo against the wall and looked him coldly in the eye. "Don't let anyone out of your sight, understand?"

Mr. Knight and the scientist left the room. The twins were alone.

Ember hummed a tune. I thought I could recognize it, but I wasn't sure.

Echo listened to it, and smiled when she was finished. "You know, that'd make a song."

Ember clenched her teeth. "Why do you care? You work for The Regime."

"And I can't stand it. My father forced me to join when I was sixteen," Echo confessed.

"Likely story." Ember rolled her eyes.

"I can prove it," Echo said.

"How?" Ember raised an eyebrow.

Echo produced a small smile. "I wish The Regime hadn't banned dreaming. I write poems. Do you want to kill everyone in The Regime? I don't. I want to negotiate with The Regime and fight if we have to."

"That isn't a poem," Ember said.

Echo laughed. "That was the lead up. The poem goes like this: Peace doesn't come by destroying everything in sight. Sometimes you need a little love to make things right."

His twin sister widened her eyes. "Are you insane?"

"No, I've just accepted that logic through lots of practice and reassurance," Echo smiled.

"Wow, you're hopeless aren't you? If you're not with The Regime, why stay?"

"I have a sister."

Ember chuckled. "What I'd give to be a sibling of another Dreamer..."

"I'm Echo."

Ember gave a cold glance. "Ember."

"Nice to meet you." Echo smiled.

"Feeling's mutual," Ember said.

"I have the keys," Echo said.

Ember raised an eyebrow. "Won't you get in trouble?"

"Not if we're careful. We can make it out of here easily." Echo smiled.

"Alright, unlock me." Ember opened her arms from their crossed position.

Echo unlocked the door. That's when other Echo appeared.

"You're running out of time in here." he fast forwarded Echo's memories.

"Could we watch Ember and you interact?" I asked.

Echo smiled. "That'll be your last stop."

"This is taking forever," I moaned.

Echo nodded. "I agree."

He left me alone to observe the memories again.

Echo walked into the room, his hands tied with ropes and guards on either side.

When Ember saw him, slapped him in the face before being restrained. "What were you thinking?"

"I wanted to keep my promise with Cal," Echo said.

"How can she save us? At least you could've rallied the troops together. People would listen to one of the twins. Melinda will hide," Ember pinched her nose.

Echo smiled. "Not after finding Melinda."

Dusk's eyes widened. "You found Melinda? Where is she?"

Ember cut in. "Is Melinda going to save us? What did you tell her?" Ember asked.

Echo sighed. "I told her to stay true to herself and for her to choose Wes if it came down to it."

"Why would you do that?" Ember raised her eyebrow.

"He's been waiting to see Melinda for fifteen years. He deserves to see her." Echo smiled.

"You idiot! You're one of the twins." Ember said.

"I would've done the exact same thing." Dusk lowered his head.

Ember stopped screaming when Sage entered the room.

"You three are going to Stage Two. There's no need to see your talents. I've seen enough to know you'd pass," Sage said.

"When will you kill us?" Ember asked.

Sage laughed. "After you get to see Zolona of course."

"I'm not the testing type..." Dusk crossed his arms in defiance, like a child refusing vegetables.

"Don't test and you're in for a world of pain." Sage pushed Dusk back.

"Please don't hurt him. What kind of tests?" Ember asked.

"You and Dusk will do physical. Echo will have a mental test. Then you'll swap. During the mental test, we're taking a blood sample," Sage smiled, "We can never be sure of when we'll need that."

"When do we start?" Dusk asked sarcastically.

"Now. Get moving," Sage said.

She pushed them into a training room.

Echo appeared in front of me.

"You and Echo have been sleeping for a long time. Everyone's worried about you and..." Echo said.

"You're fake? Where's the real Echo?" I asked.

"You're both asleep," Echo said.

"We've been asleep?" I slapped my hand to my face, "Holy crap! He's bored to death."

"Not exactly," Echo mumbled.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"It'd be better if you and Echo discussed it when you wake up," Echo argued.

I looked around for an exit. "There's no door. How am I supposed to get out?"

"I'm fast forwarding everything to the end," Echo said.

"Do you think it'll work?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, we're towards the end." Echo smiled.

I watched the memories fade to black. For a moment, nothing happened.

"What's going on?" I asked.

Echo sighed. "I'm not sure."

The door finally appeared. I couldn't believe how much I had seen. Getting a complete set never happened before. I hoped Echo hadn't gotten bored. Crap, I knew he had. I must've been looking at memories for an hour or two.

I opened the door, and woke up, fluttering my eyelids open.