Erol woke with a jolt. He glanced around new surroundings with groggy eyes. He was in one of the Palace rooms, dressed in a new uniform, his shining Krimson armor waiting for him on a desk. He cradled his head, an odd darkness filling up inside. He tried to recall the evening's events.

His eyes widened as he remembered everything. Painful images of Lyani's torture raced across his mind. He shut his eyes tightly as the image of her dark form made an appearance. She was so wild, her eyes void of any emotion except to kill. What had he let them do to her?

Then he remembered getting knocked out. Hazy images of a being dragged through the halls of the prison filled his mind. He saw himself being loaded onto a table much the same as Lyani's, and his mind flared. He grit his teeth, as he waited for the burning pain to subside. Even thinking about what the Baron had done to him brought back the incinerating pain of the Dark Eco.

Yet…he felt no urge to kill the Baron. What had they done to him? He recalled the scientists saying something about a Command Word, like a minor hypnosis. Was this something new the Baron was trying to figure out? Was Praxis going to make him a mindslave…?

"No!" He thought. He couldn't allow himself to lose focus. It was his job to get Lyani out of the prison. Neither of them belonged here. He glared at the door to his room.

"The Baron doesn't belong on that damned Throne either…"he mumbled, standing and putting his armor on. He blinked curiously down at the desk, a small note revealing itself from underneath the armor. He leaned back on the desk, reading it.

"I'm not sure what they've done to me, but don't worry. We'll make it through this together.

I remember saying that once…never did I realize how much pain it would cause the both of us.

I'm sorry you saw me as a Dark Warrior, and I fear for what he may have done to you.

I pray to the Precursors that you are alright. Stay safe.

P.S. I Love You

-Lyani

He blinked, smiling down at the letter, his eyes warming to a molten gold.

"I love you too…Lyani." He whispered, pocketing the letter, and sliding on his mask.

Lyani sat silently in the locked room, shivering as an updraft of icy air caressed her new form. She silently prayed that her letter had reached him. Lyani had had the very shadows deliver it for her.

She gazed at her violet skin, the world a new shade of colors. She saw in shades of black and purple, the outlines of objects coming out in stark blues and violets. Certain parts of the room lit up as various prisoners awoke, their auras contributing to Lyani's new sight. Her fingers twitched, her long claws making quiet tapping noises on the metal table. Another icy draft came up, blowing her light bluish hair around. She glanced up to where the breeze was flying, and smiled.

"It's time to leave." She whispered, in a voice that was not her own. "My sweet, your waiting shall be over soon…"

She stepped to the very edge of the platform, the long fall below her glowing a deep pulsating purple, as if inviting her in. She grinned, and fell, her arms wide.

Shadows surrounded her, and coalesced into dark wings, the cold internal winds guiding her up and out of the locked room. When she landed, her wings folded neatly into her back, and vanished into the trail of shadows that constantly followed her.

With a quick glance, she was able to tell she was in a vent of some kind. It was large enough to stand in, but hard to see. Not much energy flowed through here…Lyani was nearly blind.

She guided herself by touching the walls. She concentrated on the feeling of the Evenlight, and followed it.

"Too long have I waited to hold you in my arms, my dearest…your pain will end soon." She whispered in a sing song voice.

She stepped on an odd feeling object, and suddenly noise filled her ears, blaring, and white as if someone had ripped a band-aid off over her eyes. She flinched back, trying to see past the horrid noise.

She could see a small pulsing violet light through the white walls of sound, and she followed it, cringing the entire way.

Lyani stepped into a dark room, less lit by sound, filled with the comforting soft blue lights that emitted from the Evenlight. It hummed with intensity, the lights changing to a bright purple as its master inched closer to it. She smiled, her purple slits flaring. Taking the last step towards the dark artifact, she picked it up, pulling it into her lap as if a child. Three of her claws coalesced with darkness, forming into needles that could play the delicate, fragile strings of the instrument.

She closed her eyes, and gently plucked the strings, soft, creeping lullabies spreading through the entire prison. Dark, and menacing, but absolutely gorgeous in their own right.

The alarm continued to ring, and she heard the rushed sounds of boots come from behind her…

Erol darted from his room as the alarm began to blare. The lights had gone out on this floor, and he struggled to see where he was going. Something dark inside of him kept him from taking his chance of escape.

Soft, tempting music danced along his ears, easing the intrusive darkness out of his mind, replacing it with something new. A desire. Something unexplained. The music called to him…it was familiar.

As if a trained dog, he bounded towards the music, stopping at a room coalesced in pitch darkness. He glanced inside, staring at the small, shadowy form of his lover. Or at least…it was in body.

The music gained a creepier tone, light bell tones mixing in, as if a tune played from a jewelery box. It was beautiful. It was the song Lyani had played for him, so many years ago.

He stepped inside…

Lyani stopped her strumming, her head darting back to stare at the new visitor. His eyes literally glowed through the purple storm she had created. The bright gold shined wonderously through the thick clouds of shadow. Around those eyes, another darkness crept. Black, and shifting. Uncertain, and unreliable, as if it stayed only to obscure, rather than to assist.

She wondered how it kept those golden eyes in check. It somehow kept the rest of the body from being bathed in the same golden light. Something was wrong about this figure…

His light..it was missing.

Erol took another step into the room, then another. He strode in cautiously, his eyes never leaving hers. Her gaze followed him every step of the way, till he stood mere inches from her.

His eyes wandered to the Evenlight, then back to Lyani. She simply blinked at him innocently.

Smiling, his eyes warm, he reached up, and caressed her cheek with a gloved hand.

Lyani blinked, unsure of the sudden warmth touching her cheek. All she could see was the forboding darkness, and the shining golden eyes. What was touching her?

"She wants you..to come with us. To escape.." she whispered, the same dark voice over shadowing Lyani's.

The eyes seemed to dim slightly, and a wondrous, rich voice whispered,

"Something within me does not allow me to follow you, my Love. I don't know the reason why…all I know is I have no desire to follow."

The figure in front of her was suddenly illuminated, bright yellow and crimson filling her view. Baby-soft peach skin, decorated in neat bluish gray tattoes sparked a memory. Neon orange hair awoke her sight.

Warm, inviting golden eyes captured her, and she simply blinked at him.

"She does not understand why you do not follow us…but I think I do. Something Praxis did, your darkness serves him…not you. Your Darkness is weak…and tame. I must go…she loves you."

With that, she pulled her arms around him, kissing him lightly, then pulled away before he could root her to his body.

Erol blinked as her warm lips touched his own, if only briefly. He smiled at her, trying to reassure her, even if his eyes were confused. He touched his forehead to hers, his mask pushing some of her hair back.

"I love you too Lyani. I will never forget you. Now, go! Before he finds you."

"She wonders why you wish to stay…it brings her sadness. Your words hurt her…they bring tears. She will never forget you either…she will be back to save you. Stay safe..until then." She whispered, before picking up Evenlight and crashing through a huge glass window. He watched silently, the obscuring darkness flooding over him. He obidiently stepped to the front of the room, where the Baron watched, waiting.

His eyes seemed hard now, iced over by some unknown force.

"Do you wish to pursue her, my Baron..?" he said in a low, emotionless voice.

The Baron grinned at him, knowing his experiments of the mind had worked.

"No, Commander. The Promised One will be arriving shortly, we have no need for number Four any longer. Prepare the machine for Experiment 5! I have some urgent business to attend to!"

Erol bowed his head, "As you wish."

Lyani landed softly on the uneven streets of Haven City. She glanced around, then retreated to the shadows, the dull lights of the dying city ushering her to look away.

She curled into a pitch black corner, letting the last of her darkness hide her. She pulled her knees up to her chin, clutching onto a small charm Erol had given to her as a child. She buried her head in her knees, and began to weep, not knowing if she could truly save her friend from what the Baron had wrought.

She had broken her promise…and left him alone.