I am standing right outside the hospital doors. A young woman with dark brown hair stands next to me. "Now you'd better take care of yourself," she says sternly. "I still think we should report this incident to the police. How did you manage to get shot again?" She's asking it as if I requested someone to shoot me in the leg. I frown. "I told you. It was just an unfortunate accident. I was walking home from school, through a really bad neighbourhood and some crazy man stuck a gun out of his window and shot me." The woman looks at me, disbelief showing on her face. "What street did this little mishap take place on?" I shrug. "I don't know. Some place-'"

Suddenly a car stops a few metres away from us. "Oh look, my sister is here to pick me up. Goodbye!" I sprint towards the car, but quickly dodge behind it instead of getting in. I sigh in relief. I thought I'd never get away from that woman. I look up at the blue sky, and think of Araya, locked in a dark basement, destined to never set eyes on the sun again. Destined to never see her friends or family - and her world - ever again. A pang of guilt claws at my chest. How could I have just abandoned Araya like that? Aren't we supposed to be friends? What kind of friend leaves their friend to face danger alone? I turn resolutely and start making my way down the street. I had been careful to memorise everything I had passed while in the car, even though I had been only half awake the entire time. The people in the car had brought me to a hospital, where I had stayed for the past two days. I still limp a bit and there is a huge bandage wrapped around my leg, but I manage to avoid the stares of passerbies because I'm wearing some baggy sweatpants that someone had left beside my hospital bed.

Presently I turn a corner, and spot a squad of police cars blocking my path. One of the officers sees me and runs up. "Hey, Madgick South, right?" "Um..." I blink at him, not sure what to respond with. The officer reaches forward and grips my wrists. "Well, if you are Madgick, then we can't let you leave. A report has just come in, saying that someone shot you through a second-storey window. We need you to come down to the station and verify the details." I struggle to free my arm. "I am not this Madgick you're talking about. Let me go, I have to be somewhere urgently." "Ms, you resemble the person we are looking for quite a lot. I'm afraid you'll have to come with us..." Before he can say anything else, there is a commotion on the other side of the street. The officer turns to inspect the scene, and I break away from him. I leg it across the street and run right into the town square.

Then I look around in dismay, only now realising that I ran the completely wrong way. I needed to cross the street and then head on to Keris Lane. I turn and stare back into the street. The officer I had been talking to is standing, nervously jabbering into his walkie-talkie. For some reason I have a bad feeling about him, and I don't dare step back into his line of sight. I stare in agony at the other side of the street. And that's when I freeze. My eyes are focussed on one of the onlookers, because I recognise them. "W-what the-'" I cautiously edge onto the street. I press my back against a wall. My heart is pounding, but I force myself to slow my rapid breathing. I gasp in a few lungfuls of air, brace myself, and take off across the street. "Araya, Araya? Is that really you?" My friend turns around. She had been scanning the street despairingly, but her face lights up when she sees me. "Madgick!" She runs towards me, and throws her arms around me. I hug her back. "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, you're okay?" "And you are too?" Araya lowers her voice. "Madgick, I thought you were dead. You were bleeding so much that I..." I shake my head. "Oh no, I would never die like that. It would be such an undignified death." Araya lets go of me and smiles. "Oh, Madge." "Madgick?" I turn round again, and my eyes widen in astonishment. "V-vincent, but how?" My brother stands behind me, his emerald-green eyes confident. His blonde hair shines in the sunlight. But, the soldiers. The people who had captured Araya, are standing stiffly behind him. I look back at my brother, and notice his regal stance. I open my mouth to ask the millions questions flying around in my mind, but all I can manage is a shocked, "Huh?" Vincent seems to understand. He strides forward and stops a few feet in front of me. He lowers his voice and says, "Madgick, there're a lot of things you need to know, a lot that I have kept secret until now. I thought that you were too young, but I see now that it is time you knew the truth about us and our family."