Lloyd sighed as he watched Yakunan attempt to regain his composure. "I'm so sorry you had to experience what you did."

Yakunan laughed softly, striding over to Lloyd and sitting down. "It's not your fault, Lloyd." He ran a hand slowly through his hair as he glanced up at the others. "I'm starting to feel a little better. It's almost as if my body suddenly realizes what's been going on and...well..." He shrugged helplessly.

Yakunan's eyes flickered, and he glanced up at him with concern. "Yakunan?"

"I'm okay," he said softly. "Just...I need to talk to you. Alone."

"Of course." Lloyd paused, glancing at the others, before nodding decisively. "Dad, I'm taking Yakunan away for a while. I just need to make sure he's okay."

"Alright, son."

It was only moments later, when they were in a more private area, that Yakunan said what he wanted to say. "If you have any chance of saving him...if there's any hope..."

"There's always hope, Yakunan. We just need to give it enough time to work," said Lloyd calmly.

"The darkness is strong. Just don't lose hope."

"Yakunan, neither you nor I have a right to lose hope. That's not how we do things." Lloyd smiled at him again. "That's how we live."

Yakunan only nodded. "I…I only hope he can see that."

"We'll work on it, Yakunan. We'll figure something out," said Lloyd. The thought of having to do this alone weighed on his mind. "Come to think of it, we could probably figure something else out, too. We'll see what we can come up with."

He smiled to himself, glad that Yakunan was no longer alone.

Yakunan felt his shoulders sag in relief. "Thank you," he murmured, so quietly that Lloyd couldn't hear, and he couldn't help but smile slightly. "Thank you."

As Lloyd stepped out to speak to the others, Yakunan took in a deep breath.

Yakunan began wondering if he would succeed or fail. He couldn't tell what was waiting for him, but he knew he had to continue onward. The future depended on it. And so did his relationship with his child.

He just missed his child, but from now on, he'd use that longing as a means to strengthen him.

He needed to know if he'd be able to save him. He needed to know if he'd be able to save them all.

Yakunan was sure that he would overcome this, but he acknowledged it might be the hardest challenge of his life. But he had a plan. One that he knew would pay off, like all his plans had previously. And in the end, he would succeed.

He smiled at the sky and at the sunset, sure that the darkness in his dear child's heart would subside soon.

An hour had passed since Shiren left. Xenudah sat up against a tree trunk, his indigo eyes staring at his hands, which he balled into tight fists. I want them all dead! I want Yakunan dead too! I don't care about the consequences! I'll kill him with my own two hands! He clenched his fists in intensity as he let out a low growl. I'll kill them both… I want them all dead. That freak, Lloyd, with his golden power!

His daughter. Kymika. Every effort to find her was fruitless. Shiren outright abandoned him, leaving with Kymika as well.

He gripped a vine, yanking it off from the rest of the tree. The plant resisted his pull, grating the ground as it did. Before he could grasp another, a flock of white birds soared into view.

It appeared as if they had been circling the forest all this time, and they flew right by his face. Xenudah glanced up at them, and the birds moved out of the way to avoid him.

In the distance, Xenudah saw the vines disappear into the trees. He wiped a hand roughly over his face. He could not afford to lose control. He needed to remain calm. But it was difficult.

Xenudah shuddered, taking in a deep breath, before continuing to assess his reasons for being out here. He was beginning to feel a chill in his bones as the cool night air began to settle. And it was not due to his anger, or his worry.

Ignoring the shivers that intensified his body, he confirmed his suspicions.

He pulled out a metal rod from his belt and used it to grasp a vine that seemed to be hanging impossibly low. The vine was resistant to his grasp, therefore he had to push through the upper part of it before getting a good grip. He could only close his eyes and grit his teeth as he continued to push. He grit his teeth as the vine continued to resist his pull, breaking off a few branches as he tried to get a grip.

Eventually, he finally found himself up a tree. He was tired. The coldness in his bones was becoming more pressing, and he sat down in the tree, leaning against the trunk. He placed his hands on his thighs and took a deep breath.

The coldness was becoming more apparent, and Xenudah didn't know why. He didn't care. He had to deal with Lloyd and the rest of his family. The golden power. Was it not enough that Shiren stole his child? But now, he wanted his wife. Shiren wanted to be with her. Xenudah gripped his thighs tighter. He could feel the bark of the tree below him. He found his way back to his feet and held onto a trunk for a brief moment. The chill began to subside as he did.

He continued onward, moving carefully through the treetops. After a while, Xenudah became aware of the nerve in his right hand, a familiar tingle. His sensing ability. He could use it. He focused on the ability, honing it in, focusing on the flow of power that was waiting to be released. He sought out with it, sensing for nearby vibrations. He knew he had done this before, but he hadn't fully utilized it.

He closed his eyes as the feeling began to intensify. He could feel it falling through his right hand, down through the rest of his fingers, into his chest, and down into his legs. It grew hotter as it did, almost scorching. It was the feeling of power.

He held his hand out, and focused on it. He focused on how it felt. He focused on how it flowed through his body, and he loved it. It was agony that masqueraded as pleasure. The feeling of the power was so deep, so profound, that he couldn't help but revel in it.

He opened his eyes and, encouraged by what he felt, Xenudah locked his fingers into fists. He could feel something strong and unyielding rising from deep within him, something of a power he'd never felt before. Xenudah wasn't sure of what power this was, but he didn't care either. With this power, he could easily kill Lloyd and the rest of his family. It would make his job much easier. And it would mean he would save his family.

He felt the power dance through his body as he imagined murdering the others. The deep, powerful feeling began to subside with the passing of time.

Xenudah didn't know how much time had passed as he let the power subside. He felt a little weak, like his body needed something more than just power to stay alive. He adjusted the feeling inside him. He focused on something else. After all, he had other options. He was contemplating what to do with his newfound power. He was contemplating what to do with his newfound hate. He had just realized what he could do with it.

He smiled coldly as he let out a raspy breath. He was about to kill them. This was only humanity for him. Only logic.

Once he did, the rest would be easy.

He reached his hand out. The feeling was so strong. His hand began to tremble as he took a deep breath. He could feel more rising. He clenched his hand tighter. He could sense the power pulsing in his palm. He could feel it growing out of his hand, flowing through his entire body. He clenched his fist tighter, feeling it pulse. He could feel it subside as it did.

He began to tremble again, almost like a seizure. His left hand shook as he let out a deep breath, and he opened his eyes. He could feel the power swell inside of him, still feeling weak, but pulsing again, growing stronger. Anger filled him. He clamped his hand, trying to ease the frustration he felt building inside of him.

"Lloyd will pay!" He spat out a mouthful of saliva. He seethed as a smile bloomed across his face.

"Raaaagh!" he screamed as he tore his right hand out of the tree, jumping down from it, his wings allowing him to come down without hurting himself. He convulsed his hand violently and slammed it against the tree. In an instant, his right hand had become a weapon. He crushed the tree below him, and swung back down to punch the tree, again and again, raging as he did. It had been a while since he had been this furious, and destroying wood was the most realistic way to work out his anger.

This was the anger of a man whose child had been taken away by the very one promising to protect and love him. He was so angry that he was looking for revenge. And that, in itself, was precious. He had once again lost a member of his family, and they were the reason he was ready to kill.

With a shuddering sob, he collapsed into a ball, his wings covering his body. It was cold now. He'd had enough of playing around with the cold, and his full power was not enough to warm him up. He picked himself up, still ashamed of how he couldn't control his emotions. The sadness and anger were prevalent inside him. His heart was thumping in his chest. He felt the heaviness in his abdomen as he leaned his back against a tree.

He felt powerless.

The vines were drawing away from him, almost as if they could feel the vice that held his heart in its lethal grip. Xenudah had to admire the way they were pulling back, keeping their distance from him. And he hated them for it. He wanted to crush them. He wanted to tear them away and tear up whatever they held. He clenched his fists, but couldn't find the will to even throw a punch.

He lowered his head, closing his eyes and letting out a deep breath. He could feel his will descending into his brain. He could feel the darkness inside of him gathering in his mind, like a dark fog swirling. It could only be summoned if his will was strong enough, and he had a bad feeling that it would be. He didn't care. He wanted to kill his family. He wanted them to suffer.

He lowered his head further and closed his eyes. His soul was slipping, the darkness growing stronger as it did. It was curious how strong he was compared to the vines. They had grown strong in their presence, but he was growing stronger as well. And he had a feeling they didn't like it.

He shuddered as his hand began to tremble. His soul was slipping completely now. His heart was beating fast, but it wasn't particularly fast. He had a strong feeling that it was going to be a deathblow. He suddenly felt a sensation that turned from a spasm to a seizure. He released a deep breath as he felt the vines wrap around his body.

The vines began to leave him, and he watched them retreat. He suddenly felt a much stronger sensation in his body. It was so cold that it felt as though his fingers were going to freeze. In fact, the coldness remained throughout his body, reaching the edges of him. It really was as if his body hadn't been warm for some time. It was strange that he couldn't feel his body anymore. It was like he had been removed from it.

He couldn't help but laugh. He could feel it, that feeling he felt earlier. The feeling he was looking for. The feelings were overpowering now, much stronger than they had been before. It was growing stronger, like a raging flood.

It was excellent.

He smiled. He wasn't sure if he was smiling in the way he was supposed to. Maybe he was smiling in a way that no one ever would again. He couldn't really tell. But there was virtually no way that this couldn't be happiness. No one could feel power like this and not smile. He knew he was stronger than that. And he knew that there was no way that he could lose. He knew that his family wasn't even a challenge. He knew he could defeat them.

He wasn't sure why he was thinking about them at this moment, with his mind so powerfully attuned to everything around him. And he also wasn't sure why his thoughts were being colored with a smile.

He watched the black vines drift away from him. They seemed to be afraid of something. He knew that they were afraid of him. He could tell. It was probably because of how he seemed to be growing stronger than them. Animals were special that way. Or maybe it was just him.

They were fading away now, and for some reason, he could see clearly. He could see the night sky. It was beautiful.

But one day, he would get his revenge.

No one would stand in his way.