Teo was startled out of a deep sleep by a loud boom echoed throughout the old temple. He sat up in bed, wide eyes casting about the darkened room that he shared with his father.

"Dad?" He wasn't scared of the dark or of being alone. He was seven years old! He was practically an adult.

When he didn't get an answer, Teo reached down to drag his wheelchair closer to his bed. He grunted a little as his fingers caught the edge of the armrest, but he couldn't quite get a grip. "Come on, come on," he mumbled as he leaned over further to get better leverage. The chair finally rolled closer. Victory!

Now that his chair was closer, he carefully scooted over to the chair, dragging his stupid legs over the side of the bed. He took a moment to arrange himself in his chair and then grabbed the jar of fireflies that sat on his nightstand. A quick shake of the jar woke up the little buggies and he set the now-glowing jar in his lap and started pushing his chair out of the room.

"Dad?" He and his father were the only people on this side of the temple and up on the other floors. He pushed the thought of the upper floors out of his mind, it just upset him thinking about the places he wasn't able to explore.

Another, louder boom rocked the foundation of the temple. A sprinkle of dust fell down on his head and his chair shook with the tremor. "Dad?!" Teo shouted louder and pushed his chair faster, hoping to get out to large room that was his workshop. His worry intensified as he saw the billowing black smoke pouring out of the workshop entrance.

"DAD? Where are you!" He waved his arm in the air, trying to fan the smoke away from his face.

"Spirits that was close!"

Teo was relieved when his father stumbled out of the smoky mess, his face covered in soot. He bent down, resting his hands on his thighs and coughed for a minute before realizing he wasn't alone.

"Teo? What are you doing out of bed?"

"Dad! How can I sleep with all that noise and shaking and… and smoke! Are you okay?" Teo flailed his arms around to make sure his father got the point.

"Oh… OHH!" His father stood straighter and seemed to realize he had been the cause of his son's distress. "I'm so sorry Teo, I got a little carried away back there. Go back to bed and I'll be in soon."

"Well… alright. Please be careful Dad."

The Mechanist smiled down at his son and ruffled his already messy hair. "I will, son."

"You'll be back soon?" Teo learned early on to make sure to ask again. He knew his father was bad with remembering certain things.

"I promise."

Teo nodded and turned his chair around, going back the way he came. He put himself to bed and put the cover over his firefly jar. As soon as he was about to close his eyes, the temple shook with another explosion.

"Why does this always happen?"