Serena awoke to the vexing sound of moans, low and agonizing, no doubt ripping from the throat of some tortured soul. Her eyes widened when she caught some familiarity in the tone. Soft, worrisome, and distressed. Vanessa.

"Vanessa?" She cried out, praying for an answer. She stared out into a deep void of darkness. She was unaware of how far it stretched in any direction. She wasn't even sure if there was a ground, for her feet were bonded by what seemed to be chains above the foundation. She struggled to move her arms, but they were clamped in place by some metal device. "Vanessa?" She begged once again, this time more desperate. Using her energy to the best of her ability, she tried to extend her mind out to anyone in her midst, only to have it snap back at her like a bolt of electricity.

Nefandus, she thought to herself. Her powers were no doubt weaker in Nefandus and since her moon charm had been destroyed, a great sum of her power had been lost.

"Serena?" The voice called out to her.

"Vanessa" She responded, unable to keep a relieved smile from crossing her features. "You're alive".

"Where are the others?" Vanessa inquired and crushed by the hopeful sincerity in her voice, Serena could not answer.

"Don't tell me", the blonde finally whispered when she noticed the lack of response. They sat there in painful silence for a timeless moment before Serena spoke again.

"Where are you?"

"I don't know", Vanessa mumbled. Was she crying?

"Don't worry", Serena consoled her. "Are you tied down?"

A long pause. "I think so… yes"

"Can you use your powers?"

"I", her voice broke. "I can't. I'm too nervous".

"Vanessa", Serena pleaded, struggling for words. Vanessa was their only hope. She couldn't back down now. There was no time to concentrate on the past, but only to change the future. Like a lion's prey, they could never look back, but keep racing through the vast terrain of loss and despair. Hopefully beyond their obstacles flamed a blaze of hope. "Our sisters are gone, but they wouldn't want us to give up without a fight". She hesistated before going on. "I know Catty wouldn't". She heard a deep breath from the other side of the room and finally a sigh.

"I'll try".

Serena gave a half smile to no one in particular, her eyes beaming. Seconds went by and she could only hope that Vanessa was making progress. Seconds turned to minutes and minutes seemed to turn to hours and just when Serena suspected that her sister had given up if not worse, she felt a light brush beside her. Flinching a little, a hand took her gently by the shoulder.

"Relax! It's only me".

"You did it!" Serena exclaimed. "Can you untie me?"

"I would have to be able to see you first" Vanessa muttered concerned. "Hold on". Spreading her molecules apart, she took Serena by the arm and gradually they both became invisible. Finally, Serena was able to slip out of her chains, one limb at a time. After what seemed to be another hour, they were both finally free.

"Well", Serena asked, rubbing at her bruised wrists. "What now?"

Vanessa started to respond when a familiar voice startled them both.

"Why don't you let me decide?"

"Karyl", Vanessa muttered, loathing in her voice. Light immediately flooded throughout the room. It wasn't much brighter than its former darkness, but at least they could make out each other. Vanessa's hair had been tussled and seemed to be uneven in some places. Various mars and bruises blemished her normally smooth skin and her rippled jeans and halter top were completely destroyed. Serena couldn't say much better for herself as she stared down at her clothes. Her jean jacket had been bloodied to a point beyond recognition and her skirt was now ripped, her satin underwear visible. She had lost both her boots somewhere between the battle. In seeing her surroundings, she realized that they stood in a small, square room, chains and shackles covering the walls. It was hot and damp. They were no doubt in some type of basement or dungeon. She turned to face Karyl who was smirking evilly at them both.

"Not looking so hot, are you?" He asked with a chuckle. They both prepared for an attack, but were tossed against the black, stone wall without so much as a thought.

"Don't test me, Goddess", he chided as the daughters crumpled to the ground. "Don't you get it yet? The Atrox has triumphed. There is no hope for you".

"How?" Serena groaned. How was it possible that a force that they had defeated so many times had now triumphed? How was it possible that they'd achieved so much power? And how was it possible that they had done it all behind their Prince's back?

"You needn't know"

"Where are Catty and Jimena?" Vanessa demanded.

Karyl chuckled a little. "Your pathetic friends are gone and you would be too had not-" Karyl was unable to finish, for at this Vanessa came rushing at him in a rash act, ready to avenge her sisters in any way that she could manage. Unfortunately before she could even reach the emissary of darkness, she was thrown from the ground. Serena gaped in panic as her back made a sickening crunch as it impacted with the solid stone wall, knocking her unconscious.

"Vanessa", she called to her, but the daughter made no attempt to respond. She was laying on the ground now, her person twisted into a rather odd angle. She heard Karyl's laughter behind her and turned to meet him, her eyes burning with hot tears of anger. He took a step towards her and she couldn't help, but to shrink back a little.

"Poor Goddess". When he finally reached her, he knelt down beside her to cup her chin in his hands. She struggled, effortlessly, to relieve herself of him, but he just closed in tighter on her. When she had finally managed to smack him, he winced a little before taking her arms and holding them behind her back.

"Are you resisting me?"

She didn't answer; too busy trying to bite him now.

"Answer me", he threatened, twisting her arms now. She moaned a little, but continued to fight him to the best of her ability. That was until she made the mistake of looking into his eyes. Usually, with her experience, she would be able to defy what she saw there, but with her sisters defeated and his aura more powerful, she could only stare as he drowned her in the eternal abyss that was the eyes of a Follower.

"Don't", she whispered as she felt herself becoming more and more distant. Even her voice was now remote as if heard from a far off island or a dream that gradually faded away to reveal reality. And has he ran his fingers through her hair, she could feel herself slipping into darkness. Giving up, she let her body fall limp in his arms, a single tear falling from her emerald, green eyes.

"Karyl". A young man's voice brought her back to reality. She opened her eyes, unable to attain enough energy to turn around. "Don't you have anything better to do?"

"The Arox has given me permission to do what I please with them and that's what I intend to do-"

"Well", the voice trembled a little, obviously unable to hold back its building rage. "Unfortunately, I already have claim to them".

Karyl cocked an eyebrow.

"Both of them".

"I-"

"I'm going to have to ask you to leave".

"But-"

"Are you challenging me?" The man dared him. When he didn't answer, he continued. "If I ever catch you around either of them again without having specifically being ordered to do so, I will personally ring your neck myself. Is that understood?"

Karyl hesitated a while before nodding. "Yes, sir".

Serena groaned a little as he let her fall to the ground. She listened as his footsteps slowly grew distant, and finally he had left the room. Then looking up she could make out her savior standing over her, blonde wisps hanging over his tired face. His eyes were filled with so much pain and compassion that she was sure that they would both cry. Taking her in his arms and holding the unconscious Vanessa, they both were pulled into a world of shadow in which she could finally relax as a blanket of dreams sailed over the nightmare that was reality.