I was alone in a large, soft bed. It was dark, but I knew how to change that.

I sat up slowly, and with just a single thought, the candles around the room flickered to life. The room brightened, and I could clearly see the stone walls, the paintings hanging on them, a large door that I somehow knew led to a massive walk-in closet, and what appeared to be the door that led out of the room. I was in what appeared to be an old fashioned bedroom, and I couldn't say I hated it, no matter how unfamiliar it was.

A hand on my shoulder alerted me someone else was with me. I glanced over and saw Sebastian sitting on the bed beside me, watching me worriedly. My heart fluttered at the sight of him. I felt oddly comforted knowing he was with me. Why? I thought. Clearly I could remember him, and he brought me a great deal of comfort, but why was that?

A soft knock sounded on the wooden door leading out to the hallway, pulling me from my thoughts. "Come in," I called.

Jasmine entered the room slowly, as if she were testing the waters to see if it were safe. "How are you feeling, Chrys?" she asked.

I saw her glowing eyes, and I felt a small tug at my heart. I pushed it away. Instead of feeling anything toward my friend, I glared at her.

She flinched back in fear. "Your Highness," she corrected herself.

"And don't you forget it again," I snarled.

I shot up in bed, choking on a scream that I was somehow able to hold in. As I adjusted to being conscious once more, I covered my face with my hands and tried to hide behind them.

I felt Sebastian's arms wrap around me carefully, avoiding my back the best he could. I leaned into his embrace, desperate for him to tell me it was only a bad dream. Of course, there was always the scary alternative.

"What happened, Chrystal?" asked Lisa's voice.

I shook my head violently until Sebastian stopped me. I refused. I would not say what I had seen around the others. I couldn't. Especially Jasmine.

"You do not need to worry," Sebastian said softly and calmly, as if reading my thoughts. "Your friends decided to go back home and prepare for your arrival. Only Lisa and I are still here."

I pulled away from him slightly and carefully removed my hands from my face. Sure enough, it was only the three of us in the room. I sighed in relief, thankful they wouldn't see me like this.

"What happened?" Lisa asked again, her voice more gentle this time.

I took several deep breaths, trying to calm down. What if that wasn't just a bad dream? What if it was a vision of my future?

"I-I…" I took another breath and closed my eyes. "I saw something, but I don't know if it was the future or not…"

Sebastian pulled me against him again.

"What was it?" Lisa asked worriedly.

I opened my eyes and stared down at my hands. "I was a demon, I think."

I paused, trying to get my thoughts together. Both Lisa and Sebastian patiently waited for me to continue.

Taking another breath, I spoke again. "I didn't see much. It was a really short dream. I awoke and sat up, and Sebastian was beside me." I looked up at him. "You looked worried, and I couldn't tell why. Then I was really confused as to why seeing you made me feel better." I paused, looking away and once again taking a breath. "And then Jasmine came in to check on me." I felt tears burn my eyes, and I turned and hid my face in Sebastian's chest. "I was so mean to her. All she did was ask how I was feeling and say my name, but I was horrible to her."

Both demons were silent for a long time once I finished speaking. I peeked at them, and noticed they were staring at each other, both wearing very serious expressions.

"What is it?" I asked cautiously. "Do you know something?"

They stayed quiet, and I gripped Sebastian's shirt tightly. What weren't they telling me?

"Remember when Sarah collapsed during the battle yesterday?" Lisa asked.

I stopped and blinked, trying to remember. She was trying to change the subject. I knew she was, but my curiosity about why she chose this topic was too great to ignore. "Yeah, why?"

"I never told you what truly happened. Don't you want to know?"

I looked between her and Sebastian, who was watching Lisa. He looked like he was trying to read the situation, figure out why she had decided to change the topic. When he caught me looking, he gave me a smile and my hand a reassuring squeeze. I relaxed, knowing he wouldn't hide anything from me unless he knew it was best that way. Maybe it was. I nodded to Lisa.

"What were you doing right before she collapsed?" she asked.

I thought back to that moment. "I was hugging her, trying to talk to her and see if I could bring her back to me. Then I started pleading that he would release her, then she fell."

Lisa smiled. "You were exuding a large amount of energy and power during those moments, Chrystal. I believe what truly happened was you overpowered the demon's spell and released her yourself."

I stared at her, confused. "I don't understand. I don't have-"

"It appears you do. New powers are awakening in you, Chrystal. It's no wonder your body has been feeling the strain of them."

As her words sank in, I couldn't help but smile. "I saved her. I saved Sarah."

Lisa and Sebastian both smiled at me and nodded.

Happiness welled up within me. I'd finally been able to save my friends. I'd finally proven myself useful.

My joy was short lived, however. My headache then returned with a vengeance. "You said yourself this isn't going to leave me alone," I told Lisa as I cried out in pain and held my head in my hands. "Let's hurry up and do this, then. I don't want to wait anymore." I rested my head on Sebastian's chest. "I want all of this to be over."

There was a moment of silence, then Lisa calmly said, "I'll head back now and make sure everything is ready when you arrive."

"Wait!" I called, sitting up too quickly. I spoke my question through another sharp pain. "What about what I saw? You never said anything."

Lisa came over and placed a gentle hand on top of my head. She gave me a gentle smile as she said, "A dream, dear. Nothing more."

Her hand slid down my face and caressed my cheek for just a moment, then she turned and left the room.

After a long moment of silence, Sebastian gently forced me to lay back. I felt exhausted as soon as my body was once again against the mattress.

"Do you really think it was just a dream? It looked so vivid… so real…" My eyelids fluttered sleepily.

Sebastian laid down beside me. He pulled me close, careful of my injured back, and stroked my hair comfortingly. "Rest now. We'll give Lisa the rest of the night to prepare and head back in the morning."

I couldn't argue. I was beyond exhausted and my head was killing me. I nodded, then let Sebastian's touch gently coax me back to sleep.