CHAPTER 8:

2008, somewhere in San Francisco.

"Come we have an elder to visit", the man said to the others. "An elder named Dronan", he mumbled before they shimmered out. Leaving Gredam and Norwan who both lay lifeless on the empty wooden floor of the deserted house. A piece of chalk and a child's bed only there to remember what happened just an hour ago.

The five men went up, to the elders. The place they saw was quite weird in their eyes. It looked like an huge empty space of nothing. Clouds decorating the ceiling of which wasn't really the top and beneath there wasn't a floor. Elders walked by in their long golden cloaks, but besides that the place looked blank. No tables, rooms, things you see in places where there are people, but above all: no noise. When you look carefully you can see huge ancient pillars rising out of the nothing underneath through the clouds above to a place no man has gone.

Until now the five men stayed invisible but the moment a young elder –well young for elders standards, he was approximately 25 years-old- passed them a hand materialized out of nowhere and grabbed the guy. The hand belonged to the leader of the men and it immediately covered the mouth of the youngster. The other hand he used to held one of the elder's arms behind his back. He shimmered with him behind one of the pillars as the fellow men stayed invisible for the time being.

The youngster tried to free himself but the man twisted the guy's arm to let him know who is in charged. The elder stopped trying and the man said: "I am about to free your mouth, but don't do anything foolish. You're surrounded by a dozen of my invisible friends who'll kill you before you can alarm someone. Nod one time if you understand me". The elder nodded.

"Very well, I need only one simple answer from you. Where can I find an elder named Dronan?" He removed his hand from the youngster's mouth who immediately began to scream. "Invaders evacuate Dronan they want…" With one snap of the man's fingers the other men made themselves visible. One of them killed the elder before he could finish his sentence, the others defended their leader from the elders that seem to come out of every corner of 'elder land'.

Although the elders were supposed to be loving and peaceful beings they could kick some demon butt. Unfortunately for them the higher men were not just any demons and within no time the floor was covered with death elder bodies. The elders apparently overcome with the fact that the demons were winning this battle tried to get away. The men however did not let them and began to demand they would tell where to find Dronan. Or else every single elder would be laying in a pool of his own blood on the non-existing floor.

2008, somewhere in the underworld.

Gredam felt a warm feeling running through his body. When he opened his eyes he looked in those of a very charming young demon. When her hazelnut eyes met his he did not only feel the warm glow because of her healing him, but also something he used to only feel for Gwendolyn. "Hi", he said with his most charming smile as he tried to get up.

"And hello to you to", the demon said as she gave him a charming smile back. She took his hands and pulled him up. "So now you're on you feet again, shall I introduce myself? My name is Nëomie and yours is?" Gredam didn't answer, he just stared at her eyes. He felt a weird feeling in his stomach, one he only felt for Gwendolyn before. "Hello?", she asked again. She waved his hand before his eyes, wondering if he actually saw her.

Gredam closed his eyes and opened them again. This snapped him out of the trance he was in and he heard the girl's question. "I am Gredam, but how did you find me? And where is Norwan?" Nëomie's face showed sorrow when he asked that last question. "Was he your friend who lay besides you?", she asked him, already knowing the answer. "Ehm… yes", Gredam replied as he looked around for Norwan.

She didn't immediately answer his question, but after a moment of silence she said: "Look I am sorry to say this, but we couldn't save him anymore". Gredam was shocked by that answer and didn't know what to say. Suddenly he realized something: "We? Who are we?"

"We are the hidden ones", a voice said. "What, who?", Gredam said looking around, but seeing no-one. "Show yourself", he shouted brave through the cave. He heard footsteps coming closer and then he saw a glimpse of one of them. She slowly took the cap of her cloak of and this made her visible. It was another gorgeous demon. "Wow, nice trick", Gredam said to the demon. "So are there more of you in this place?"

All of a sudden there was a noise of clothes being moved and Gredam saw ten's if not hundred's of demons becoming visible around him. "Wohoho, what the hell is this?", he asked holding his hands in front of him as a defense. "We are not going to hurt you", Nëomie said, putting his hands down. "I saved you, remember? We need your help."

Gredam was overwhelmed with all the demons surrounding him, how beautiful they may be. "Alright, what kind of help?", he asked. He wasn't sure at all if he would help, but asking wouldn't hurt. That's what he thought anyway. "We know you met the higher men, you worked for them", Nëomie said. "And I say worked on purpose, because after what they did to you, I know you would never do anything for them again. Not voluntarily anyway."

"Ow okay, I see where this is going to", Gredam said. "And I am not going to do it. You want me to go undercover for you, right?" "Well yes, sort of", Nëomie said honest. "But we only need a little information, about the Halliwell girl you kidnapped. We need to know where she is." Gredam sighed: "What is it with that girl?"

"Long story", Nëomie said, "You might wanna sit down". She summoned a chair for herself and Gredam and sat down. Motioning that Gredam would do the same. She waved to the other demons who made themselves invisible so it would look like it was just Nëomie and Gredam again. However both knew that wasn't the case.

"Okay", Nëomie started. "You know the Halliwell family is very powerful and that we always need to watch our backs for the power of three right? Well this is just the beginning. With the birth of the three blessed ones from one of the Charmed ones and her whitelighter a new power has risen. One that hasn't been active yet, but would become as soon as the present power of three would be broken. By the death of one of the sisters.

It has been prophesized when that will be and the master knows it will be the end of him and his servants, the higher men. Therefore you needed to break that power by kidnapping one of the blessed ones. However we want the exact opposite."

"But you just said that they are more powerful and will kill us al", Gredam interrupted her. "Besides, what has that to do with me?" he said still not getting the point. "I was not finished yet", Nëomie said, before she went on.