Yeah, I've survived the semester! I still have one more important thing to do for one class, but it's an easy thing to do, so I'm celebrating by uploading this chapter. Enjoy.

Chapter Two- The Shadow Realm

As the pair approached the dorm, Alexis was out front, arms crossed and a stern look on her face. Atticus dropped Jaden's hand. He didn't want Alexis to know just yet.

"Atti, where were you? I come back to our room and find you gone. You didn't even leave a note!"

"Sorry, sis. I just went for a walk and ran into Jaden here. I decided for him to eat with us tonight."

It was then that Alexis noticed they weren't alone. "Oh, hey Jaden."

"Hey Lex. Sure was nice of Atticus to invite me up here."

"That's only because you need to put some meat on your bones."

Jaden's face went blank. He wasn't sure what Atticus meant by that. Hell, he didn't know why Atticus had released his hand earlier. As the three of them headed inside, Jaden asked both questions.

"I was teasing with that comment. In answer to the second one, I'm not ready for people to know about us yet."

"Okay, I see."

"You need to keep on the ball Jaden. Ignorance won't cut it."

"Uh-oh," said voice in a singsong tone. "I think someone got lost."

Both boys turned to see Crowler standing there, a smirk on his girlish face. This was exactly who Atticus was thinking of when he vowed that no one would mistreat Jaden.

"He's not lost," Atticus stated. "I invited him."

"What!? A Slifer Slacker eating here!? That's, that's...unacceptable!"

Atticus shrugged. "Too bad, Doctor." Atticus draped an arm around Jaden's shoulder in a friendly gesture and steered the younger boy to the Obelisk cafeteria.

&&&&

Atticus closed his eyes and a soundless sigh escaped his lips. The warmth of a body beside him snuggled closer. It had been easy to convince Alexis to let Jaden spend the night with them. Jaden, of course, had no objections to this plan. The idea of sleeping with Atticus left a warm and fuzzy feeling inside him.

Atticus rolled onto his side so that he was facing Jaden. He put an arm around the waist and pulled him closer as he drifted off to sleep.

&&&&

He was surrounded by darkness with purple fog swirling around his knees. He looked around uneasily. It seemed as if the darkness was alive. It appeared to be closing in on him, suffocating him. He tried to run, but his legs refused to move. 'Where am I?' he wondered.

"Atticus," a voice echoed from the darkness.

"W-who's there?" he demanded.

"Atticus," the voice repeated. "You think you could leave our service. It's not that easy to escape the Shadow Realm."

The Shadow Realm! That's where he was. The darkness he perceived were actually shadows. He hated this place. It brought back those memories of those months of brainwashing.

"What do you want?"

"Want?" Laughter came from all around him. "We want you to cease your affections for the boy who sleeps beside you."

"Jaden? You want me to stop loving him? Forget it. You can't tell me what to do."

"Oh? You think so? If you don't end this love, his appearance will bear the spirit of his soul."

"Spirit of his soul? What does that mean?"

"Denounce your love now and you won't need to find out."

"Never!"

"You were warned." The words echoed in the air as the shadows dissipated, leaving Atticus alone in his mind, hoping it was just a bad dream.

And that's a wrap for this chapter. I do have a summer class, but it's just one and a web class as well. Story posts will be more frequent this summer, I promise.