"You're joking, right?" Anna asked in disbelief. "This is a joke?"

"The end is coming. And it is coming soon," Michael told her. "Don't tell me that you haven't noticed any signs? Increasing violence and world disasters, people becoming more irate and rude, financial and economy problems?"

Anna frowned, thinking. Well, there was that one time at her job where she saw a couple of people stealing. When she approached them about it, the told her to fuck off and how dare she accuse them of stealing. So Anna reported them. They threatened her by telling her that they would get her fired and have her job. Luckily, her boss stepped in and took her side.

Then, there was an increasing amount of shootings that she saw on the news, happening everywhere. It made Anna feel unsafe and worried that she had to send Aiden to school and her with her job, expecting the worst. She was happy that she pulled Aiden out when she did when she heard what they were doing to him. She also remembered people getting upset over a strange coin shortage that the government had claimed there was, forcing them to use their cards instead of paper money. Anna sighed, feeling even more stressed.

"If what you say is true," Anna said, looking at Michael. "Then take Aiden, take my son with you, so that he will be safe."

"I can't do that," Michael told her. "That would go against my father." Anna sighed, sadly. She wished Alastor was here with her, she missed his smile. As well as Angel, Husk and the others. She missed them. She wondered if they were thinking the same as well. She wished that Alastor was here with her and Aiden so he could see him grow up. But, that was asking the impossible. And he's in heaven with his mother, happy. No matter how selfish Anna thought it was of her to think that. She couldn't do it. She wanted him to be happy. So why couldn't she?

Anna felt tears begin to burn her eyes as she wiped them away. Michael watched silently before he spoke.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"I'm fine," Anna lied. "Really, I am. Thank you for telling me." She saw that Michael had a disturbed look on his face as if he was thinking about something.

"There's something else that I feel I should tell you," he told her. Anna looked at him.

"What is it?" she asked.

"We've lost sight of Gabriel," he told her gravely. Anna's eyes widen in shock then turned into horror. She hoped that she would never see him again, now he's on the loose?! She was more worried about Aiden and his safety.

"I want the both of you to be more careful from now on," Michael told her. "If he finds out about Aiden..."

"He won't," Anna quickly answered.

"I pray that he doesn't," Michael told her. "For now, I have to go. I have a tight schedule to keep up with."

"Wait, before you go. How is everyone doing?" Anna called out just as Michael was about to take off. He smiled.

"They're staying out of trouble."

"Of course they are." Anna chuckled and waved. "Goodbye Michael."

He flew off as Anna watched him until he was gone. Anna looked down for a minute, before turning back to the cabin heading inside. She stopped in front of a table picking up a picture of her, Aiden and Alastor. She placed it back down and walked into the kitchen to prepare dinner.

Aiden walked along a dirt path heading deeper into the woods. He picked up a stick along the way and started hitting the trees as he did. Shade hovered beside him, following. After a little while, Aiden stopped as he saw a meadow in front of him with a big pond. This was his hiding place where he can think and do magic with anyone seeing him, even his mother didn't know of this place. He turned to his shadow.

"What are we going to do today?" he asked.

Shade smirked and picked up a rock as he levitated it from off the ground. Aiden knew what he wanted to do. He placed the stick on the ground.

"You want to have a rock throwing contest to see who can throw the farthest? Okay, I'm in!" he said. Aiden looked around for a small rock until he saw one. He focused all of his attention on it as he raised his hand. Suddenly, the rock began to lift off from the ground as it had a red glow to it.

"One, two, Three!" Aiden shouted as he counted down. His shadow and him both threw their rocks at the same time. The rocks flew in the air until Shade's rock splashed in the water of the pond, furthest from Aiden's, winning. Shade turned to him with a gloating look on his face, mocking him. Aiden frowned.

"Cheater," he replied. "Best two out of three." As Aiden looked around for another rock, he stopped when heard someone screaming. He looked over towards the source of the voice, it was coming deeper within the woods. Aiden ran towards it while Shade was busy picking up a rock and tossing it into the pond.

Aiden headed towards the sound where the scream had came from. As he got closer, he immediately stopped with wide eyes in fear. In front of him was a giant brown bear. It looked very old and had a lot of scars and missing patches of hair that looked like it was shot off. His mother had warned him to be careful in the woods and she told him of how his grandfather was killed by a bear. This couldn't be the same one, couldn't it?!

Aiden didn't move a muscle or breath, trying not to draw the bear's attention. However, it seemed more focused on something else as it stood on it's legs looking up the tree. Aiden looked up and his eyes widen to see a girl. She had a rounded face, pale grey hair covering one of her eyes, wearing a white dress and white shoes. The girl noticed him and Aiden raised his finger to his lips to tell her to be quiet.

"Help!" she screamed. Aiden looked around panicking on what to do to get the bear away. Suddenly, a rock flew past him hitting the bear right on the butt. Aiden and the girl's eyes widen in shock. Aiden turned around to see Shade hiding behind him.

(I just wanted to play.) His shadow told him. The bear turned around, as it let out a low growl and saw Aiden behind him. Aiden backed away slowly as he saw the bear coming towards him now.

"Great, now's he's coming for me!" Aiden shouted.

(Quick! Use your magic!) Shade told him, desperately.

"I can't! I promised Mama!" Aiden shook his head.

(We are both going to die if you don't!) Aiden's shadow told him, urgently. The bear was now inching closer towards them. Aiden was now beginning to sweat, nervously. (Mama said for you to only use your magic when it's necessary. I'd say this calls for it!)

Aiden saw the bear getting up on it's hind legs, towering over him. It let out on earth shattering roar. Aiden raised his hand as the bear raised it's claws getting ready to swipe at him. Fire erupted from Aiden's hand and shot at the bear.

It cinched some of it's fur as it hit. The bear whimpered in fear as it scurried away, running into the woods. Aiden felt his heart racing. After a few minutes, to see if the bear was gone, Aiden walked over to the tree.

"You can come down now," he said.

"I can't! I'm stuck!" the girl shouted. Aiden heard Shade laughing beside him.

"Jump down and I'll catch you!" Aiden called back to her.

"No! Are you crazy? I'll break my neck!" the girl shouted.

"Listen, that bear's probably going to come back. Jump down and I promise that I will catch you!" he shouted back. The girl looked at him for a moment, before she leaped out of the tree. Aiden quickly raised his hand and a red glow surround the girl as it slowly drifted her safely towards the ground until she landed on her feet. She looked back at him with a suspicious look on her face.

"You can do magic?" the girl asked.

"Uh," Aiden answered nervously trying to think of something. This girl had already seen too much. She saw Shade and she also saw him doing magic! It made Aiden felt bad that he broke his promise to his mother. But, he didn't really have any other choice.

"Uh huh," Aiden nodded. Then he felt his eyes beginning to sting as he started to cry, which caught the girl off guard. He dropped to his knees looking up at her, pleading. "Please don't tell anyone! Please!"

"I won't tell anyone," the girl told him. "Now, get up, you're making this more of a scene than it needs to be." Aiden sniffed as he wiped his eyes and nose.

"Thank you." Aiden said happily with a small smile.

"What's your name?" the girl asked. Aiden's smile grew bigger.

"My name's Aiden," he told her. "And this is Shade, he's sort of like my brother!" he introduced his shadow to her as well. Shade was looking at her with a dark glare. The girl looked back with a disgusted look on her face.

"He doesn't seem very friendly," she told Aiden.

"He's just jealous," Aiden dismissed, looking at her. The more Aiden stared at her, the more he thought she was pretty. She had some sort of angelic glow on her.

"What is your name?" Aiden asked.

"Evangeline."

"Do you want to come over to my house and meet my mom?" he asked. "She's fixing dinner right about now and I'm starving! If we leave now, maybe we can help!"

"Sure," Evangeline replied.

"Okay, follow me! It's this way!" Aiden told her.

As Aiden left walking away, Evangeline stopped, looking behind her, towards the trees. They were being watched as not too far off within the distance, she saw two people watching her and Aiden. She frowned then ran after Aiden, following him.

Two angels quietly watched before chasing after them.