I'm finally updating this, not any other story because I am literally too shocked of what happened (even though it was my prediction) at the end of The Return. (Warning: contains bad pun) I'm updating this, because I was shocked when I read book three FOTB and this is Aftershock III!

Just as Meilin thought she slashed the last Conqueror painfully across the chest, she heard a yelp from Conor. Both she and Rollan turned to him. Conor didn't so much yell in pain, but more in shock.

Meilin froze.

The Conqueror Conor was fighting was Lishay. "No… What has this world done to us…?" Meilin screamed, staring.

"What do I do?!" yelled Conor. "Tell me!"

"Knock her out. Don't kill her."

"Guys," snapped Rollan, "we don't have much time. Shane will call more guards soon. LET'S GO!"

Meilin was shocked. "Rollan, I thought out of all of us, you are the one who gets sorrow and pain the most. I thought- I just thought you would understand."

"I understand it's just that maybe we should get Abeke and get out of here before I disappear."

At that instant, Conor turned his head towards Rollan. "Your hand… It's-"

"Disappearing," Rollan finished. "And now so is my arm. Reality is catching up, and I know you can save me."

Meilin ran to Rollan. "RELEASE ESSIX!" She yelled, jerking his collar violently after she reached him.

Rollan did as told, and the bird flapped out before Rollan disappeared. All Meilin heard before Rollan disappeared was the faint whisper of goodbye. Meilin picked up his dagger. It's all I got now. I might as well use it.

"Meilin-"

"Shut up, let's go!"

Meilin and Conor ran out of the small courtyard they were in, and instead out in the fields. A noise came from behind them. Meilin looked back, but only got a glance of the situation. One glance was more than enough. About half a dozen Conquerors ran out the door in full leather armor, probably more than ready to kill. If only Abeke was here, all of those damn Conquerors guards would be dead. But Abeke wasn't here. Meilin knew, and she would soon find her.

And she would free Rollan.

Meilin ran away. She and Conor ran at about the same pace, usually, but not this time. Anger gave her more fuel to run more rapidly, with the flames of rage hot on her heels. She sped past Conor, not daring to look back. Behind, she heard a yell, one of a familiar tone.

One of a man.

Meilin knew who had yelled. It's been so long since she heard that voice. It seemed like forever.

Tarik.

X~x~X

Conor tried to catch up to Meilin in vain, but had no such luck.

He tried to concentrate on his legs, making them move faster but he had too much on his mind.

Too many people's value was depended on him. Too many people were on his mind. Abeke. Rollan. Lishay.

Shane.

He knew it wasn't possible that the Conquerors had won, but somehow, he knew it had to be. Shane was definitely not lying. Even though the boy was a talented liar, he knew, somehow, that Shane wasn't lying. He didn't seem like he was; everyone but he, Meilin and Rollan had such a memory.

The memory of the Conquerors winning.

Conor shuddered, shaking the memory away. He looked up to Essix in the sky and wondered if Rollan would ever return.

"This way!" shouted Meilin, pointing left. "I think I see the shore."

Conor would have imagined Rollan saying something snappy, like 'You think?' or 'Right, and that helps up a lot because Stetriol is an ISLAND!' But Conor was Conor, so he followed Meilin, not complaining or snapping about it.

"There's a boat over there with three paddles," Meilin said, pointing.

Conor looked at where Meilin was pointing. It was much true; a green and pink boat, floating with a paddle. "Three," Conor realized, "as in one for me, one for you, and one for Abeke."

"Abeke isn't here!"

Conor's mind was blurry, his head feeling dizzy. "Oh yeah, he's Shane's queen." Conor didn't know why he said such a thing.

Meilin squinted at him, gave him a confused glare but shrugged it off. "Stop your sarcasm."

"I- I'm sorry, I just- My mind isn't clear, exactly."

"You're just tired," Meilin said, calmly.

But Conor didn't think it was that.

"Or maybe you're just missing Rollan. Missing his stupid sarcasm. I wouldn't want to admit it to anyone, but I miss him too."

But Conor didn't think it was that, either.

In fact, Conor wasn't being sarcastic at all. He didn't know what was up with him, but it was almost like his mind was starting to fade away. He tried to blink into presence, but it was like someone was slowly pulling his mind away from him.

He saw names in the clouds. He saw three names, all written one atop of another. There was Abeke, Rollan, and another name, one that wasn't familiar to him.

Hetry.

OKAY, THIS IS EXACTLY WHY YOU SHOULD READ AFTERSHOCK I AND AFTERSHOCK ii BEFORE THIS. I mean, you could just not, and this whole story would make absolutely no sense to you what-so-ever.

I can't update for nine days because of a school fieldtrip tomorrow to the other side of Canada. That's why I'm updating today.

~Alicio