Silence reigned at King Tyler's announcement. Everybody looked on with a look of disbelief, except for Lyla and Harry. Whilst Harry looked on with confusion and a hint of trepidation, Lyla simply looked on with a knowing smirk, glad that the connection was made.

"That's absurd!" King Darius yelled out suddenly. "There is no way this wizard could carry the blood of a Shadow Keeper!"

"Actually," Lyla began, "the Shadow Keeper line faded out after the incident. So really, we have no way of knowing."

"Even still, I highly doubt they would sink so low as to sully their bloodline with wizards!" King Darius shouted back.

"It is possible." Cyrus said contemplatively, his eyes still on Harry. "When the last Shadow Keeper, ah, left, we have no clue what happened to his kin. They most likely would have wanted to continue their line, choosing to marry wizards instead of muggle. We have no way of knowing, the only possible evidence we have is standing right in front of us."

"Please tell me you're not buying into this filth? I thought I raised you better than to believe in lies!" King Darius said, turning to his son.

"How can you say this is a lie, when we have the proof standing right in front of us?" King Tyler broke in, an unexplainable anger in his eyes. "You're just a blinded old man. We know nobody could have copied that symbol and you know damn well how many have tried!"

"You dare turn on me too?" King Darius asked, the anger and betrayal he felt evident in his voice.

"I'm not turning on you, for I never held any loyalty to you. I am loyal to my people, and I will do what is right for them. If the Shadow Keeper has returned, then we must protect him, not kill him!" King Tyler said, standing up suddenly from his throne. Darius watched him with shock.

"Imagine how disappointed your father would be," Darius said quickly. "If he were to see you acting like this! This boy could in no way help our people."

"My father would have applauded me for standing up to you and your reign of tyranny. He never had a say in anything, even though he held more authority over you! You tricked him and tried to make him conform to your ways, and you'd be a fool to try and do the same to me, or my son."

"How dare you accuse me of such things! This is ridiculous and I won't stand for it!" King Darius spat out, his face red with anger.

"Close your mouth, you big oaf." King Tyler said calmly. He then turned to Harry and Lyla, his eyes flickering to Cyrus for a moment. "If you would kindly follow me?"

"Harry, come on." Lyla said quietly as Harry observed the situation with shock and confusion. He put his shirt back on and Lyla reached for his hand, which he gladly accepted. At this point, it was his only source of comfort. King Tyler led them to a door Harry hadn't noticed before situated at a corner of the room.

"He's right father." Harry heard Cyrus say quietly, as they passed through the door. Before Harry could hear a reply, the door shut behind him.

"I'm sorry about that, but I couldn't stand him anymore. Having to listen to him every single goddamned day, it gets to you." King Tyler explained quickly, leading them down a hallway. Harry heard him let out a breath. "Excuse my language, Harry, the man just infuriates me. I have no clue how that argument managed to switch to an entirely different subject."

"It's fine Tyler, you don't need to apologize. I know how he can be." Lyla replied reassuringly.

"True, you should know more than anybody." Tyler said with a smirk.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Lyla asked in an offended tone, though her eyes seemed amused.

"Please, you fight with that man more than anyone I know." Tyler said as he led them down another hallway.

"Only because nobody else can." Lyla said gravely. "I just hope Cyrus doesn't push him past his limits. That man is a ticking time bomb."

"I just realized!" Harry said suddenly, earning the attention of both adults. "I'm dead! Of course I am! How did I not realize? This is my own personal hell, it must be!"

"Harry," Lyla began quietly, kneeling down to look him in the eye. "I assure you, you are not dead."

"Then how do you explain this? This, this, whatever this is! Its madness! How do I know this place is even real? How could it have stayed a secret for so long? I have no clue how I got here, and at this point, I just want to be home." Harry exclaimed. His voice sped up, making him sound slightly mad. Both adults stared at him for a second.

"Harry-" Lyla started to begin again.

"Maybe we should go somewhere to talk. We were going to talk anyways, but perhaps it needs to happen now." Tyler said, interrupting Lyla. "I'm sure Cyrus will meet up with us in a little bit. He'll probably be able to shed some light on things too."

Tyler turned around and began leading them down the hallway. Harry would finally get some answers, it seemed. After being in this mad place that he knew nothing about, he would finally get some facts. Maybe somebody could tell him what the hell a Shadow Keeper was, and why they thought he was one.

"In here." Tyler said as he opened up a room. Harry followed after Lyla and took in his surroundings. It was a simple room. A deep green carpet adorned the floor, with a light, almost white golden paint on the walls. A couch with a chair on each end sat in front of a fireplace that wasn't lit. On each side of the fireplace a window reached from the floor to the ceiling, overlooking the forest. Harry took pleasure in the fact that such a simple room could be in an extravagant place.

"Wait," Harry said suddenly. "Aren't we on the first floor? Why are we seeing the forest from so high up?"

"When Aaron took you through that door, it also took us up a couple of floors." Lyla explained, as Harry heard the door lock from behind him.

"How? What did he take us through? Was it some sort of portkey?" Harry asked quickly. He tried to reason it out in his head, but even with the portkey idea, it just didn't work. "I didn't feel the normal signs of a portkey."

"It wasn't a portkey, but it was a common way that our people get around." Tyler explained. "Take a seat, Harry."

"I… I think I'd rather stand."

"Are you sure? You have nothing to worry about; I have nothing to hold against you." Tyler said reassuringly. Seeing Harry's look of uncertainness, Tyler stood up.

"You said you wanted answers, and to show you I'm trustworthy, I'll give you some. You asked how you got through that door, which most likely looked like a wall of black, and how it brought you a couple floors up." Tyler made sure Harry was watching him before raising his hand high. His index and middle finger stuck out with the other fingers curled. Slowly, Tyler brought his hand down. As Harry watched, a black substance seemed to come out of Tyler's two fingers. He brought his hand all the way down until a line of the substance was in front of Tyler. The line had tiny wisps of black smoke constantly coming off of it, normally disappearing after a few seconds.

"This, Harry, is a shadow. Our people are able to control them and bend them to our will. We can do many things with it, solidify it and use it as a weapon, stretch it out and use it to cover ourselves, and one of the main uses, to travel." Tyler explained, sounding more like he was giving a lecture.

"How-?" Harry began to ask, only to watch as Tyler raised his hand. With a quick swipe of his hand through it, the line was gone as was all the black wisps. Tyler vertically held out his hand with his palm open. An oval shadow appeared in front of Tyler in a blink of an eye, two of them actually. One was directly in front of Tyler and the other was on the other side of the room. Tyler briskly walked towards the one closer to him and stopped just before it. He put his hand right in front of the shadow and Harry watched as he dipped his finger in. With his other hand Tyler gestured to the other shadow.

"How is that possible?" Harry asked in shock as he watched Tyler's disembodied fingers wiggle in the… portal? Whatever it was, Harry watched as the fingers continue to wiggle in the other shadow on the other side of the room.

"How is magic possible? You were born with it, weren't you? We were born with this." Only this time, the lecturer wasn't Tyler. Harry turned around to see Cyrus standing at the door.

"How did it go?" Tyler asked before Harry could begin to question Cyrus.

"He was angry with me, you, and of course Lyla. But when isn't he upset with the three of us? I told him I agreed with you two and he 'dismissed' me. He was probably mad his favorite soldier boy Aaron wasn't there to back him up." Cyrus told them with a bitter laugh. "What did I miss?"

"Harry was about to bombard us with questions, I believe." Lyla said with a smile.

"I just want to know what's going on! Am I going to be executed?" Harry asked, remembering they had previously avoided that particular subject.

"No. I wouldn't have let it happen before, and I still won't let it happen." Cyrus said seriously.

"What about all this shadow stuff? And what's a Shadow Keeper? And am I staying here?" Harry asked in a rush. He just had so many questions he wanted answers to.

"I told you, really. We don't know much about it ourselves. How did wizards get their magic? You could try and trace it a while back, but you would never really know. It's the same for us. However, unlike some of your people, we don't question it. We accept it and appreciate it."

"But, don't you want to know?" Harry asked incredulously. "I want to know and I have nothing to do with it!"

"I told you, we just accept it." Cyrus said simply, which made Harry want to pull out his hair. "And actually, if what Lyla says is right, you may have something to do with it."

"How could I be involved? I have no clue what is happening around here. I ask questions but I only get half answers, nothing makes sense in this damn place! You can't just say something works just because, you have to do research on the subject!" Harry yelled, his face becoming red in annoyance.

"Harry, watch your language!" Lyla scolded. Harry looked at her in surprise and even a little bit of shame. He really shouldn't have sworn, there was no need for it. The whole situation just confused and infuriated him though.

"We'll try and give you as many answers as we can Harry, I give you my word." Cyrus promised him. "What would you like to know first?"

"Well, I obviously want to know if I'm staying here. Even if you wouldn't let me die, where would I stay? I'm not so sure I'd want to stay here if I have to put up with people like Aaron…" Harry trailed off. Harry watched Cyrus intently, wanting to know what he thought. Lyla had proposed that Harry stay with them, but Harry was not entirely sure what Cyrus thought, as he figured Cyrus would have to be impartial during the meeting. Harry noticed that even Tyler and Lyla were watching him expectantly.

"Yes. If that is what you wish, then you may stay here with me and Lyla." Cyrus said after only a second's hesitation.

"Are people going to treat me like Aaron did though?" Harry question seemed to make Cyrus look sad, something Harry didn't take as a good sign.

"I won't lie to you Harry, some will treat you like that. Some of the citizens here may wish to harm you, be mean to you, and hate you for no other reason than you being who you are; a wizard. However, they are only a small part of the population. Many people don't care. They won't discriminate against you in any way. In fact, if you truly are the Shadow Keeper, many will in fact welcome you with open arms. So, it's up to you what you want to do, stay here or go back with your family." Harry looked at Cyrus as he finished talking. He was honest to him, something that Harry greatly appreciated. Harry wanted to say yes, like he had decided to do not even half an hour ago, but he realized how uninformed he was. How could he say yes and stay here when he might be some Shadow Keeper like they said? Would he be able to handle that?

"May… May I ask some questions before I make a decision? It's just that I don't want to say yes then find out I'll be forced into some role I might not be able to handle." Harry asked uncertainly.

"I think that sounds fair." Cyrus agreed. "Now, what would you like to know?"

"Well, since I can't get a good answer about how you got these abilities, what is a Shadow Keeper?" Harry asked as Cyrus walked away from the door and walked over to the window.

"You might as well sit down." Cyrus said with a sigh. "I can't really explain one thing to you without having to explain others. And I warn you, it won't be a short story."

Harry nodded and Cyrus continued.

"To put it simply, the Shadow Keeper is the person who protects us. They were the main enforcer of the law, the head of security if you will. They, along with a small group of warriors, tried to keep the peace. He, or she, had certain gifts that most of us didn't. These gifts were passed down through blood, making it so the next Shadow Keeper had to be of the previous' blood. This caused many fights and arguments for envious citizens. They wished to be thrust into the spotlight and looked upon as a hero. Some didn't even care if it was their children instead of them. They just wanted some piece of the action.

"Unforunately, they thought it to be small work. Why wouldn't they? Almost all of the Shadow Keepers we have had were excellent at their jobs. There was hardly any war or fighting when they were in power. Only when we had a Shadow Keeper that was not up to par would there be wars in our nation. Though, it wouldn't be fair to most of their memories to blame them. Every single one of them led hard lives Harry, something most people forgot. They sacrifice their childhoods to be trained in many things. The Shadow Keeper of the time had to give up his time to teach their off-spring, passing knowledge by ear and some highly secretive journals.

"Of course, part of protecting us is taking part in our government. They made sure our rulers wouldn't pass laws that affected our safety. The chair you saw in the throne room between my father and Tyler was their throne. I'm sure you also noticed how, hmm, plain it was compared to the others. They tended to want to blend in so that everyone would go on with their business as if they weren't there. Of course, that never really worked because of how much of a presence they exude."

"But," Harry began, taking advantage of Cyrus' pause. "Does that mean there isn't a Shadow Keeper anymore? He wasn't there today, and I think I would be something that might concern safety. It also seems that you guys have an army, if that was what Aaron was part of. I saw the guards all around. A couple of times you even talked using the past tense."

"How very clever of you, Harry." Cyrus said with a smile. "Indeed, there isn't a Shadow Keeper in these lands. That does not mean they ceased to exist. A long time ago, a war erupted between our cities. Not all of the cities in this realm fall under the same reign and the attacking city wished to 'free' our citizens from the government. If they had succeeded, they probably would have thrown us all into chaos.

"I digress. A small amount of their forces snuck into our town at night. They made their way into our city and to the home of the current Shadow Keeper. No Harry, they did not always stay here. They own a family home that is passed down. Nonetheless, they snuck into the house and quietly made their way to the Shadow Keeper's room. They quietly slit his throat and they would have slit his wife's had she not been at the Castle in his place. They made their way into the daughter's room, thinking her to be asleep. However, they found her playing with her friend. Her friend, a boy from a respected family of nobles, saw them open the door and yelled at her to run. The daughter was frozen in shock, despite her training. She eventually snapped back to her senses but by then it was too late to save her best friend from a knife that one of the assailants had thrown. She watched as a knife flew into the boy's forehead. I do not mean to alarm you with these details, but this story is very widely known in our lands."

"How old were they?" Harry asked feebly, paling at some of the more vivid images from Cyrus' story. Harry watched Cyrus take a deep breath before continuing.

"They were nine, Harry. Fortunately, the daughter knew to run instead of trying to fight. She didn't want her friend's sacrifice to be in vain. She didn't even have to think about it as she was swallowed by the shadows. She appeared at her mother's side in a second and collapsed to the ground in tears after she knew she was safe. She told her mother what had happened. When they went to investigate, the attackers where gone and they were able to recover the bodies."

"What happened after?" Harry asked quietly, engrossed in the story.

"The wife was left without a husband, the daughter a father, and our city a Shadow Keeper. The daughter wasn't prepared to step into that role and the mother didn't want her to after such a vicious attack. They fled Harry, they left and never looked back. We never found out what had happened to them, but if Lyla is correct, we do now."

"I don't see how you think I could be this Shadow Keeper you speak of. How can you connect the daughter to me?"

"Because of the symbol on your back, Harry." Lyla informed him. Harry looked at her in shock, having forgotten that Tyler and Lyla were even there. "That symbol can't be copied."

"But somebody could have spelled that onto me!" Harry argued fiercely.

"True, they could have. However, once you came here, that spell would have worn off. Most glamour spells do when you enter this place. This castle prevents them. And, I'm willing to guess they weren't on you before?"

"No…"

"Then something must've happened that forced it to reawaken in you. Don't you want to know what that event was?"

" Yes… But I still don't see how… I mean, I can't make shadow portals and things like that! I can't even be trusted with a wand yet!"

"Just because you can't do it yet Harry, doesn't mean you can't do it at all. Obviously you would have to be trained in it, among other things." Cyrus said patiently.

"And you guys are positive of this? One-hundred percent?" Harry asked nervously.

"Well, nothing is ever one-hundred percent Harry, but I definitely believe it is you." Lyla told him with a small smile.

"I've seen people try to fake the markings you have on your back Harry and none have been able to. Once they enter this castle, it wipes them clean off. I believe it is you as well." Tyler said with his own smile.

"So… assuming I accept the likelihood of me being a Shadow Keeper, what would happen?" Harry asked cautiously.

"You'd be loved. You'd be hated. You'd be envied. You'd be famous. There are so many things that you would become, Harry. You wouldn't even know the effect you would have until you went through with it. Most importantly, you'd be a symbol of hope."

"Why?" Harry asked breathlessly.

"People here are getting sick of our government, well, mostly my father. They're despising the old ways we used to live by and they are becoming restless. With each generation that passes, people want to become more and more modern. My father and a small group of others would do anything they have to for that not to happen. They wish to stick to the old, outdated ways. Tyler himself was a beacon of light for the majority of our population because he was younger. He'd be more sympathetic to the modernization. However, there are two rulers of two different ideals. What do you think happened most of the time without a third judge?"

"A stalemate." Harry provided quickly, not really letting Cyrus finish.

"Indeed. There hasn't been much of a change, Harry and certain people are getting restless. They would wish to attack the government and bring us down. People wouldn't want to wait for me take the throne. This would only lead to turmoil and perhaps being conquered by others. You would be a shining ray of hope, someone who might be able to help them modernize. People would flock to you by the dozens. However, some would wish to mold you into someone they could use. You would be pulled into different ways every time they got close to you."

"Oh, is that all that would happen?" Harry asked quietly as he sat down hard on a couch.

"Not quite." Cyrus said solemnly. Harry looked up at him and waited for him to dump more duties onto him. "You'd have to train. Hard. No offense, but you are not as fit as some would wish their protector to be. You'd have to study our ways and learn all of our history that you could. People would tear you apart if you didn't know it. You would have to learn from your predecessors' mistakes and their accomplishments. You would have to sit in on boring government meetings and try to act as if they were the most important thing in the world. You'd have to perfect your emotions so you could change them at any moment's notice."

"Oh." Was all Harry said.

"You're forgetting something though." Cyrus said and waited for Harry to look up to continue you. "You'd have us. You wouldn't be alone, Harry unless you wanted to be. We'd be there with you, guiding you along the way. We'd make sure you had fun and had a normal childhood. We'd be with you every step of the way Harry. It's not like you would have to become this way immediately, either. You're young, you would have time to grow into your role."

"We would never desert you, Harry." Lyla said fiercely.

"Never. Myself and my wife would be there with you too, Harry. There would always be someone available when you need." Tyler said with a smile.

"So, what do you say? Do you want to stay here with us?" Cyrus asked, both looking and sounding hopeful as he looked at Harry. Harry looked away quickly. He really wanted to say yes. He didn't want to go back to his parents and it seemed that Cyrus, Lyla, and Tyler wanted him to stay. Plus, here he would be doing good, instead of just being shoved to the ground like back at home.

"You mentioned something about other abilities?" Harry asked, his memory coming back to him. It really wouldn't hurt to hear of a few more positives before I said yes, would it? Harry thought to himself.

"Flying." Tyler said with a grin. Cyrus had a small smile on his face too.

"Flying?" Harry asked, a little disappointed. "I've flown before on a broom. So that would be nothing new."

"Have you now? Have you ever flown without a broom?" Tyler asked mischievously.

"That's not possible." Harry said with a frown.

"Oh, but dear young, naïve Harry, it is indeed possible."

"How?"

"One only needs a set of wings!" Tyler said dramatically. Harry watched him for one… two… three seconds before he exploded with laughter.

"You're joking! ...right?" Harry asked nervously when he saw Tyler and Cyrus' smiles didn't disappear. "You guys don't actually think you have wings, do you?"

"We don't' think we have wings, we know we have them." Tyler said with a smirk.

"Oh really? Would you mind giving a demonstration?" Harry asked, only slightly condescending.

"Of course not. Cyrus, would you mind greatly taking the right window?" Tyler asked in a polite tone that didn't quite match his smirk.

"Of course not." Cyrus said, equally polite.

"Idiots." Harry heard Lyla whisper to herself, but she watched the two with a smile and a shake of her head.

"You're not buying into this, are you?" Harry asked her. Lyla just chuckled a little bit. Harry watched as Cyrus stood in front of the right window. He continued to watch as Cyrus pushed the whole thing open. He noticed that Tyler did the same thing on his side.

"You're not going to actually jump, are you?" Harry asked nervously.

"On the count of three Cyrus?" Tyler asked with a laugh. Harry could feel the wind flow into the room.

"One." Cyrus started.

"Two."

"Guys, I was only joking!" Harry yelled quickly, his voice drowning out the three that Cyrus and Tyler both called out. Harry rushed to Cyrus' window as he jumped. Shocked and scared, Harry watched as Cyrus and Tyler plummeted toward the ground.

"They're going to die!" Harry yelled.

"Have a little faith." Lyla said calmly. Harry watched the two men rocket towards the ground and about fifty feet before impact, he witnessed a miracle.

Wings! Actual wings, seemed to unfold themselves from Cyrus and Tyler's back. Harry watched as the wind caught them and they pulled up. Harry could hear their laughter even from where he stood. The turns they made seemed so choreographed and graceful, yet spontaneous and crude at the same time.

"Yes!" Harry called out towards the flying pair. "I made my choice! I want to stay!"

A/NEditorial changes…