Their plan was almost complete.
Admittedly, they hadn't expected it to go nearly as well as it did. They hadn't expected it to "go", period.
Almost there...
Just one more thing left to do...
But it couldn't be that simple.
A sense of foreboding settled over Yuya. Something told him the trouble was only just getting started...
Yuya calmly strode over to the pulsing globe in the middle of the room. Although, saying "room" was a bit of a stretch. It looked more like a sky, a cosmos, glittering with stars. The globe floated in the middle, not supported by anything. It was the last memory left for him to absorb. And the most vital piece of their plan. Because if that memory globe contained what they thought it did...
Yuya stopped just in front of the memory globe. He took a deep breath. Then, he reached out, pushing against its slippery surface gently with the tips of his fingers. It slid away from him briefly. Yuya clasped it, grip firm and unrelenting. Then, he began to squeeze. The memory quivered and shrank into his skin, flooding the space with blinding light.
He closed his eyes and slipped into the memory.
But , as soon he disappeared, shadow and smoke filled the space where he was just a second ago. At the centre, it condensed into a swirling darkness. The Shade appeared were Yuya had been, tall and thin, a construct of darkness and Old Magic.
Sharp yellow eyes opened and narrowed, a hissing voice spoke contemptuously:
'It won't be as easy as you think, little prince.'