I stood up, and opened another portal. "Come on. Your mom won't like it when she sees you gone." He chuckled a little. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

I looked over at him. His eyes still red from his tears. "We'll be OK, right?" He looked down sadly, with a tiny smile on his face. "I think so."

He let a sigh escape him. I wish I could do more for Jim, but I couldn't. I kissed him on the lips as he smiled again. We walked through the portal together, holding hands, interlocking fingers. When we got back, it didn't take long for Jim to recover.

He had a small head injury. So Dr. L took care of her son. But she didn't like him ending up in the hospital room, and then no one telling her why. "Someone tell why my son keeps ending up here!" All of us were scared to say anything, until Jim raised his voice.

"Mom, calm down, I can explain." She pointed her finger at him. "You better." Jim's calm face turned nervous as he started speaking.

I grabbed his hand for comfort. Jim snapped his head over at me, as some of the nerves drained from his face. A sigh escaped both of us.

He pulled out the amulet from out of his pocket. Confusion smacked his mom in the face. Jim put down the amulet, then reached out and grabbed his mother's hands.

"Mom, I'm a troll hunter." "What does that even mean?" Jim raised his amulet and shouted, "For the glory of Merlin, daylight is mine to command!"

Jim glowed in the blue light as his armor appeared. He stood up, holding his sword. His mother's face widened like nothing I've ever seen. "This is what you've been doing? Fighting m -monsters? Why?"

Jim put his hands on hers. "Because they need me." Worried filled his mother's eyes. "I can't let you do this." I walked over and put my hand on his shoulder.

"But-" Jim stepped back. His mother left the room, closing the door behind her. "After all we've been through, my mother comes in, and says no!?"

Afterwards I opened another portal to the woods. I watched as Jim's armor fade away in a blue flash. And his eyes turned a little red. Tears were about to fall down his face.

"Don't worry, she'll come around." Jim looked up at me with sour eyes. "I'm not sure. I'm afraid that -" He reached out with his hand, grabbing air with his fist.

Jim showed me one of his fake smiles. Trying to mask his fears. He may have doubted himself sometimes, but he always wanted to be what he was.

Being a troll hunter was Jim's everything. It had been a curse to his life, and had given him great purpose. Most importantly, it connected him to me.

But something else was off. His face turned in my direction. Poison in his eyes. "Jim? There's something else that's bothering you, isn't there?" He stood up quickly in shock.

"N -no! Of -a course not!" My face twisted into a doubtful and evil form. Jim exhaled slowly. "I had a dream about you." He turned away. But that seemed like too much pain for that kind of dream.

"That can't be that bad." "In it, the Pale Lady, revived Angor Rot, rose to a new power, and was connected to you. Like Stickler and my mother." How could he have that dream while I did?

" Jim, I had the same dream." Jim looked out through the woods. Then at the stars. "But how? And more importantly, was it real?" "Why are you so upset about it?"

"Because -" His face said everything. He didn't want me connected to a villain, like his mother. Because now we can't destroy her, without destroying me.

Oh Jim... I'm glad you care, but forget it. Go get her. Protect us, and our worlds. Don't worry about me. My face soften for Jim. He wasn't allowed to see my fear.

I didn't wanna die, or be a force against him. But the fear turned inside me as I realized, I wouldn't have a choice. Then everting went blurry. I turned away from Jim.

And I could just barely make out a black portal in front of me. I turned back around, looking for Jim.

Then as I felt myself being dragged away, I saw a blurry hand reach out to me, screaming. "Claire!"