"Take me there!" Anahita yelled. The look on her face was so mad and furious, Sebastian wondered if he had lost his Laura forever.

"I need to be there. Take me there!" tears vaporised as soon as they formed. There was anger in her eyes, desperation in her voice that confirmed the agony of her heart.

Pellucia however didn't give in to her wild threatenings. She lingered there ignoring the currents of energy surging around her, waiting to devour her alive.

One such beam of energy buzzed along the length of the cavern and hit Sebastian. He was tossed to the other side of the cavern. Pamela ran after him.

"We need to get out of here," Pamela said while helping him up. "She's beyond help, you need to understand."

"No. We can't leave Laura." Sebastian grunted in pain. "We can't leave her alone," he said. His eyes shone with determination, but beneath those orbs all there was was confusion and despair.

"It's too late, Seb. I'm sorry but nothing can be done now," Pamela said. Her eyes had turned glassy, and her voice broken.

"Laura's still in there. Hurry, the mark. Transfer it," Pellucia shouted. Flames had risen around her, waiting to consume her.

"Take me there!" Anahita screamed. She wound her hands around Pellucia's neck. Her eyes were wild with anger and grief. "Take me there or I swear to God that I'll tear every bit of your essence and bathe in your blood," she said. Her hands began to glow white.

"Do it, the seal," Sebastian said.

"I can't. It's too complicated and way too risky. Besides, it won't last long," Pamela said.

"Hurry!" Pellucia screamed when the flames began to dance on her skin, eating her inch by inch.

Pamela shook her head. "It's too risky. One wrong move and instead of Laura, Anahita will gain total control forever. It's a fifty fifty chance."

Sebastian didn't have much time to think. And the wisest person he knew was against the idea. Was casting a spell he knew nothing about, not to mention its source was a demon, a good idea?

Sebastian closed his eyes. In that moment of chaos he summoned all his will to clear his head. The spell was their last hope to bring her back. But that didn't mean Laura would truly be back. Psychic interventions could turn nasty. Besides, even if everything went well, there was the threat of the Awakening which wouldn't simply disappear. And honestly, there was nothing anyone could do to prevent the Devil's Moon from rising, unless Pellucia meant what she'd said. But could she be trusted? Could she be trusted with Laura's fate?

"Can a demon be trusted? Interesting question."

Sebastian quickly opened his eyes. But nothing stirred in his vision. It was black. There was no Pamela standing beside her, waiting for his call. There was no Anahita sniffing life out of Pellucia. There were no streams of energy exploding everywhere. All there was, was the odd serenity of darkness.

"Missed me?"

Sebastian looked frantically here and there, expecting to see the mad man who'd been troubling him from inside when there was so much trouble outside.

"No trouble in here, Bastian, I'm just here to help you out." Thanos appeared before me.

As soon as Sebastian heard his footsteps approaching him, he turned in that direction and pressed his arm against his throat.

"Listen you son of a bitch, I've no time to listen to your fucked up things. Leave me alone or I swear I'll-"

"I'll what? What could you possibly do to me, dear Bastian? Chop me into pieces, or burn me in a bonfire? You can't even touch me. It's been centuries since I had an actual physical form. And to hurt me psychically, well, that's a possibility but no one in this age is capable of such expertise, not even that psychic chic," Thanos said.

"I, on other hand, can do many thing," Thanos said.

"Well, go ahead. I know nothing of what you do here affects me out there," Sebastian said.

"Maybe not, but that doesn't mean you'll feel nothing. Let's see, shall we?" He snapped his fingers and Sebastian found himself tied up to a table, naked. Hovering above him was Thanos, dressed in white clothes, and holding a chain saw. Even before Sebastian had a chance to contemplate what was going to happen, the blade was deep in his stomach, tearing through his flesh. Unimaginable pain shot through his stomach and then everything disappeared.

"Or this," Thanos said and now Sebastian was tied up to a huge pile of dead bodies. The stench of blood, and of rotten flesh made him vomit. Thanos stood before him with a lighter in his hand. Sebastian watched in terror when the lighter fell near the pile and flames began to slither all around him.
"Yep, that's my bonfire." Thanos smiled.

Then there was the black void again. Sebastian was now seated on a comfortable couch, and Thanos was beside him. As soon as he saw him, he got off the couch and took a defensive stance. He was so confused that his heart was beating twice as fast and he was profusely sweating.

"Relax buddy, I ain't here to do any of that. In fact, I'm here to help. I'm here to answer your dilemma," Thanos said.

"And why would you help me?" Sebastian said.

"Why so sceptical again, Bastian?" Thanos said.

"Maybe because you were slicing me like Dexter and you put me in a dead meat bonfire?" Sebastian said.

"Well, son, that's a bad perspective. The way I see it, I saved your life twice. I saved you from the psycho butcher and the psycho camper," Thanos said.

"I'd have appreciated it if you hadn't had tossed me there first, jackass" Sebastian said.

"Fair point. I put you in danger and I saved you. That makes no sense. But what did Pellucia do that you find it so difficult to trust her? You've nothing against her, and still you're not letting her help you. Now that's where your problem is. Take some shots, be a man," Thanos said.

"Oh, so just because I didn't give it a shot before, I should trust a demon and risk losing everything again? I don't think so," Sebastian said.

"I'm just saying you need to broaden your perspectives, son. The world is a big bad place. And at times like these, it'd be a little surprise to me if I find demons and angels working together."

"Anyway, I can't buy you more time, now that the Awakening is within five minutes. Gotta get some popcorns, can't miss the show." Thanos said.

"What do you mean? The Awakening is half an hour from now, Pellucia told me," Sebastian said.

"Oh, so you do trust demons, interesting." Thanos smiled when he saw confusion rising on Sebastian's face. What was Thanos' point? He was just messing with him, wasn't he?

"Remember one thing. If you bring me here only to listen to your stupid twisted logic, I swear that I'll find a way to fry that old ass of yours. And believe me, I will find a way anyway. I may not be an expert in psychicism but I do know one thing. You can't linger here forever unless I want you to," Sebastian said.

"Firstly, I got my visa to Bastianland the moment you summoned my powers. And who said I want to stay in this rotten psyche forever? I hate to say this, Bastian, but the way things are going, I doubt that you have another day of living. Or any one else for that matter. Oh, don't feel sad for me, friend. I've been writing my own fate since centuries now. I can escape any version of reality. All I need to do is to jump from one vessel to another. Nice and easy," he smiled.

"Anyway, it's getting late. Popcorns, I'm coming," he said and snapped his fingers. The darkness vanished and Sebastian was sucked back into reality. The reality struck him like an icy storm.

"Where am I?" He asked dizzily and rose. Though the sight of the cavern had always been disturbing or unpleasant, it was what he expected to see when he woke up. Instead, he found himself lying against a wall, a solid wooden wall. Also the smell in the air was anything but earthy. As soon as he caught the scent of food, his stomach grumbled.

"He's awake!" Laura, who'd been sitting adjacent to him, threw herself at him and kissed him hard. Such bliss was the last thing Sebastian would've expected to feel when he'd rise from the Thanos mojo.

"Where are we?" Sebastian said while rubbing his palm against his sleepy eyes.

"Can't you see? It's a café dumbo," Pamela said. She was sitting right before him. And beside Pamela sat his Aunt. Pellucia, Sebastian corrected. She'd worn a jacket and a muffler to hide the scorched marks on her neck.

"What happened? How did we get out of Behemut's Ruins? What about Anahita? And the Awakening? Thanos said it was only five min-" Sebastian stopped as soon as he realized he'd spoken one name that'd complicate things even further.

"Thanos? You've been talking with Thanos?" Pamela said. The curious look on her face made him sigh. Another unnecessary complication.

"I'll tell you everything, I promise. But let's see our priorities first. Now I don't know how you guys managed to seal Anahita and got out of there. And believe me, I want to know, I do. But first we need to get back to Casstelia. The Council must help," Sebastian said.

"Actually, we've decided to go to the Awakening," Laura said meekly.

"What?" Sebastian said. He looked at Pamela for answers.

"Don't look at me. She's your girlfriend, I've no say in the matter." Pamela said as she dug her teeth deep inside her burger.

"Will anyone explain to me what happened when I was gone?" Sebastian said.

"By gone you mean when Thanos invited you to attend his fuzzy kitty party? Well, Pellucia did some voodoo and we somehow managed to transfer the seal. Long story short, Anahita now sits comfortably on Laura's palm where the mark is etched. And I think we have a day until the seal wears off, if we consider all odds on our side which seldom is the case," Pamela said.

"I need to have a word with Sebastian," Pellucia said. "Alone." she added when two curios pairs of orbs began to study her.

Sebastian nodded and followed her out of the cafe, wondering what other surprise was waiting for him.

"That voodoo thing Pamela mentioned, it wasn't me. And I'm pretty certain it was Thanos. Now listen to me Sebastian, I know Thanos. He might look like a friend now, but trust me, in the longer run, he'll be worse than Satan. Never let him get to you ever again, do you hear me?" she said.

Sebastian nodded. "I know. You could've told me this inside? Pamela warned me long ago."

"That's not all I wanted to talk about," Pellucia said. "Aunt Jane. She's dying."

Sebastian's eyes widened. "We need to get you to a hospital."

"I'm sorry, Sebastian, but no doctor can cure Aunt Jane. She was already weak. And the transferring of the seal weakened her further. Besides, as you said, we need to prioritise things. Aunt Jane is obviously important, but first we must ensure thousands of other lives stay safe. The dark forces are rising. And we are powerless," she said.

"How long till..." Sebastian said.

"A few days. A week at best. I can't really say," she said.

A tear trickled down his cheek. His love had less than a day to live. His aunt, a week. But he had a strong feeling that everything he'd cared about was on the brink of destruction. The Awakening was near.

"I think we should get inside. It's cold out here," Pellucia said.

Sebastian laughed sarcastically. "So many things are going on and you're worried about silly cold?"

"It's not me. Aunt Jane wanted you to know. She's still in there, you know," Pellucia said.

"Thank you, Pellucia. Thanks for looking after my aunt," Sebastian said. "But if you're up to something nasty, trust me, I'll be your worst enemy." His eyes turned evil, the signature emotion of the Deathstars, when he warned her. Pellucia nodded nervously.

"What now?" Pamela asked as soon as they approached the table.

"Casstelia," Sebastian said.

"I don't think the Council will be of any help, Sebastian. First they'll ask for proof and then they'll carry out their stupid verification procedures. It will take a month at least, and we don't even have an hour. Besides, if you go there the first thing they'll do is to sentence you to death," Pamela said.

"Sentence you to death? Why?" Laura said. Her curious gaze disturbed Sebastian. Mistakes of the past should remain in the past. Unsealing those ugly truths would only awaken mishaps.

"Not now. We already have a lot to deal with," Pamela said. Sebastian murmured a thanks.

"Okay, so Casstelia is out of question. Uncle Rob?" Pamela said.

"No, there are very few Deathstars under his control now that the politics is shifting. It'd be a massacre," Sebastian said.

"If you are thinking about war, forget it. It's a massacre no matter what army you summon," Pellucia said.

"Well, there's no way we can avoid a war, is there? Obviously we won't walk to their doors, that'd be suicidal. But they'll find us eventually," Sebastian said.

"Actually, there's a way," Laura said. She'd been playing with a straw this entire time, absorbed in internal conflict of thoughts.

Looking in his eyes, she said, "They want me. They have no reason to go after any one of you. If I surrender..."

"Are you out of your mind? No way in hell will I let you go," Sebastian shouted.

"It's the only way, Sebastian, you know that. They will find us sooner or later. And then they'll kill all of us and take me away. Either way, I'll end up in their hands. It's better this way, at least you guys will remain safe," Laura said. She placed her hand above Sebastian's. "Your time protecting me is done. It's now my turn to repay."

"Over my dead body, Laura. Pamela, why are you silent?" Sebastian said.

"Well, my heart wants her to die with us. But my logic says the girl has a point," Pamela said. "And I'll go with my heart."

"Listen guys, I know this decision sounds stupid. But you know this is the only way. Besides, I going there is not the end of me. They can't kill me. Angel's Moon and Devil's Moon are like yin and yang, one cannot exist if other vanishes," Laura said.

"Believe me, you don't want to live long as Alzaknos' captive. Death is mercy down there," Pellucia said.

"I can bear it. I've tolerated it since aeons," Laura said.

"Laura, stop it. Just stop it. I can't let you go and I won't. We'll find a way. We just need some time," Sebastian said.

"Well, we can hang out at my place. I know of no one other than me who has managed to penetrate through the veil of Mor Alore," Pamela said. "But that doesn't mean we'll be perfectly safe. If not by knowledge, by strength the veil of Mor Alore can be broken."

"It's still our best shot. And even kf we are talking about Alzaknos, I don't think he has that kind of strength to bring down a dimension," Sebastian said.

"Fine," Laura said after a minute of silence. "But if things don't work out, I will surrender, and promise me that none of you will come in my way," she said. "Deal?"

"Deal," Sebastian said. He obviously didn't sound like he meant it. "But how do we get there?"

"Just like how we got out of Behemut's. Pellucia, do your thing," Pamela said.

Pellucia nodded. "Hold hands and hold them firmly. You don't want to get tossed inside a volcano or freeze in outer space," she said while extending her hands. The four held hands firmly and waited for Pellucia to chant the hymns no one had heard before, except maybe Pamela.

As the chants grew louder, Sebastian began to feel dizzy. The lights flickered on and off and his vision grew blurry. The people around him, the staff of the cafe, the cafe itself all started to feel distant. He felt as if he'd been drugged. He no longer could feel his hands, his sense of touch was gone. And so was his ability to see when the darkness formed a thick veil around him. When he thought the smell of sulphur was his worst enemy, unearthly voices of the damned spirits began to ring in his ears. He could even feel icy skeletal hands gripping at his feet. When he thought he could take it no longer, the voices stopped and the feeling of someone climbing on him also was gone.

When he opened his eyes, he realised he was no longer sitting in the cafe. He noticed there were only two people beside him. Laura was to his right, while Pamela toward his left. A moment passed and none of them stirred. Sebastian wondered if the teleport thing hadn't worked well. When he looked closely he realised they were breathing, but their faces were frozen in absolute horror. Following their gaze, Sebastian looked in front of him.

And when he saw what horror lay before him, he realised a traitor had been fooling them all this time.

The trio now stood at the foot of a cliff. There was no escape. And before them, waiting to sink their icy hands in their flesh, waiting to tear through their guts, and devour their blood, was a legion of demons.

This, however, wasn't what completely broke Laura.

Standing before them, leading the army of the demons, was a man seeing whom took Laura's breath away. She felt weak in knees, and fell to ground, as tears began pouring down her eyes and a sense of betrayal crept in her mind.

"Welcome to the Awakening, my little princess," said Laura's father.

Is this it? The end? Relax, there was a miscalculation. One more chapter to go!