Earlier update partly because I have a bunch of other junk to do and partly because I've been sort of late in updating the past few days cause my internet is going so slow (damn 2000-year-old computer! Grrr)

Thanks so much for the reviews, guys!

Clark and Lana walked out of the bedroom and met with Viren and his parents. Wenda was clearly scared out of her wits – her red hair was rolled up in curlers and she was biting her nails with panic. Emmet looked just as worried as Clark and Viren had one ear pressed to the front door, listening carefully.

"What's happening?" Clark asked to no one imparticular.

"He's coming closer," Viren informed as he slowly backed away from the door.

"What? Viren, you told me we'd be safe down here. Haras couldn't get to u," Clark stated angrily.

"I know. This has never happened before. I don't know how he discovered the entrance. The steps conceal themselves every night," Viren explained in a shaky voice. "A friend of my parents who lives back a few ways came to our door. He screamed that Haras had just invaded his home and was moving towards this place. He rushed off out of the tunnels before we could ask him anything else."

Clark swallowed uneasily. "Haras must know we're searching for the Mist…"

Lana held tight to Clark's waist, praying that somehow she could just suddenly go back home. Back to the place where her biggest worry was whether to talk to Clark or not.

CRASH!

The noise was much more loud this time and shook the floor so hard that everyone was knocked off their feet. Small spider-web like cracks appeared on the ceiling and dust from it sprinkled over top of them.

"Viren, the ceiling's going to cave in! We have to get out of here!" Clark shouted over the loud rubble.

"We can't! Not while Haras is coming for us!" Viren shrieked back as he ducked under a nearby chair for safety.

"We're going to die here, Viren. We have to take that risk!" Clark spoke up suddenly.

Emmet and Wenda were curled up under the love seat, exchanging extremely worried looks. Neither one wanted to leave their home for a gigantic snake to destroy.

Viren opened his mouth to object to Clark's previous statement, but then stopped himself. An expression of pure fright appeared on his round face. Putting his fingertips to his mouth, he slowly whispered, "Oh no...Anstice and Elsu…they're still out there…"

"Then we have to guide them out of here before it's too late! We're all going to die, Viren! You can't let this evil thing overpower us!" Clark shouted boldly. With more courage then he'd ever felt before, Clark stood and walked towards the front door.

"Clark, don't!" Lana pleaded from her spot on the floor.

"Master Clark! Stop!"

Viren lunged at the teenager just when Clark had grabbed hold of the doorknob and pulled the door wide open.

The next event seemed to happen in slow motion before Lana's eyes. Viren was clinging to Clark's forearm trying to pull him away from the front door. The opening into the tunnels slowly grew, revealing a patch of endless darkness.

And in the center of the blackness were two corruptive yellow eyes.

A rush of ice cold wind blew into the house and a low hissing sound could be heard…it came from the eyes just beyond the threshold of the door.

Everyone inside was now engulfed with the feeling of utmost terror. Lana swore her heart stopped. The snake was so close, she could heard it breathing…

Exhale…inhale…exhale…inhale…

She remembered learning about snakes in zoology last year at Smallville High. They remained perfectly still and calm for hours on end, watching their prey patiently. It was a entertaining joy to them to keep their victims on edge, not knowing at exactly what time they were going to strike. And then, in a matter of half a second they lunged their great scaly head and snatched the animal up, wiping it out of existence.

Lana knew that's exactly what was happening right now. She'd felt sorry for the rats and rabbits fed live to the snakes in pet shops she'd been in, but now she had no time to feel sorry. Now she was the rabbit. Now was her time to see the up close version of what a victim saw before the snake's jaws ended it's life.

And as if by fate, at that exact same moment, Haras' plunged forward with cunning speed, his deadly fangs aiming straight at Lana.

Then, like a fantastic firework, an explosion of light flooded every inch of the house. The screams and whines of the snake could be heard in the distance. Lana decided to ignore the sounds and let herself bask in the brilliant light. It was so peaceful and serene. It was like the same light she'd been in at Noam's home when all three of the terrorizing creatures had approached them. Lana wondered if this light really was some kind of sign…maybe from the Mist…to stop anything harmful from happening to them…keeping them safe until the time came for their journey to end…

Then, after a few minutes of relaxation, the light faded away until it was completely gone.

Lana realized her eyes were closed and she opened them cautiously.

Viren and Clark had been flattened on the floor and were just beginning to rise. Emmet and Wenda were still wide-eyed under the love seat.

"That light…saved us again, Master Clark," Viren explained, rubbing his eyes as he strained to stand.

"Yeah…weird…" Clark contemplated aloud. He quickly stood up and rushed out into the tunnels. He looked back in the house with glee. "The horses are okay!"

This news eased Emmet and Wenda slightly, but they still did not rise from under the furniture.

"Mother, father! Everything's okay now! We're free to ride off to the castle." Viren noticed his parents were still not entirely okay. He looked up and pointed upwards. "And the ceiling is fixed!"

Sure enough, when everyone looked up to see what Viren was talking about, they noticed the cracks in the dirt disappeared. The ceiling was as smooth and perfect as the day before.

There was a moment of silence before Emmet spoke.

"Well, I'll be a damned warlock if I don't collect my brains and get out of this witch-crafted place as soon as possible. How about you, Wenda?"

Wenda looked at her husband and then at her son.

"Let's go," she finally said, with little emotion.

Clark and Lana had permanent smiles plastered on their faces as they rode Elsu through the end of the tunnels and out into the lush greenery of Sogni Dromen. At last, they were going to reach the castle. They had a very good feeling they would reach the castle all right, and they would soon find out their feeling was very correct.

But, life does have a way of pairing up the goods with the bads…and sadly, the good of reaching the castle came with a terrible, unspeakable bad.

Clark knew it, but tried to reject it. The brilliance of the light a few moments ago could not tear him away from the vivid memories he had of the dream he'd dreamt the night before. It was still shaking in his mind. It wasn't like any other dream he'd had. He could still remember every detail of Wakanda's face…the evil pounding noise that surrounded him…and the childhood haunt, the Phantom, drilling it into his mind once again that The Old Story did not speak of any aliens saving Sogni Dromen.

That's what scared Clark the most. What if they went against The Old Story's prophecy and a human and an alien found the Mist? According to the Phantom, they wouldn't be able to go back home. What if that really was the case? What if, because of him, he and Lana had to remain in Sogni Dromen forever? He'd never get his powers back, Lana would hate him for not telling her he was an alien. And he would forever be haunted by the fact that it was he who ruined Lana's life to the point of no recovery.

"Clark?" Lana asked when she noticed Clark's grip on her had slackened and he looked extremely despondent. "What's the matter?"

He looked down at her, pulled on one of his sweet-yet-very-see-through fake smiles and took a deep breath. "Nothing. I'm just a little shaky still…"

"About the dream you had earlier?"

Clark watched her curiously. He was half-amazed she'd even remembered. He shrugged. "Kind of…"

Lana looked at him carefully, silently urging him to go on.

He smirked, not wanting to worry her, and shook his head. "Nevermind. It doesn't matter."

"Are you sure you don't want to tell me?"

"It's okay. I'll be fine."

She smiled, trying to muster up enough guts to trust his words. "Okay."

When she turned back around, Clark's smile dropped.

He knew his dream had been horrible.

He knew this was Sogni Dromen.

He knew that his dream was going to come true here.

If his instincts were correct, which he prayed they weren't, the dream was going to come true at the exact place he was traveling to at this moment.

It was like watching a movie in which he knew what was going to happen. There was no way to stop it.

Clark hoped he'd never have to feel this feeling again.