XIV

Man Behind the Curtain

Dirt puffed into the air as Robin's feet landed on the rooftop he had swung to. The Boy Wonder went into a full sprint, launching off of the end of one building and landing on the next. The alleyways were narrow, so Robin had little problem getting from structure to structure. Ahead of him, a silhouetted figure leaped almost as nimbly as he did. The man was two blocks away, and Robin was determined to catch him.

The buildings were practically identical in design and dimensions, and the leaps and bounds of both figures nearly matched, each taking off and landing at the same time. Then the interval changed, and Robin started making his landings a little bit sooner. He was catching up. Robin made another leap, reaching for one of his last freeze discs. He gripped it tightly as he landed. Ahead of them, the buildings began to disperse as they hit an edge of the small town. A gas station's umbrella-like pump shelter was just within leap's reach, and the man ahead of Robin went for it. He landed, leaped to the ground and continued on. For an instant, the enemy's black suit and gray armor exited the darkness of the rooftops before turning back to shadow into the nearby woods.

Robin pulled out his grappling hook, aiming for one of the tall trees on the other side of the road. The grapple made contact, and Robin bypassed the gas station entirely as he swung over the road and into the wooded area. The swing gained him much ground on his opponent. He could see him clearly up ahead, leaping for the trees. Robin pushed back a nasty sense of déjà vu as he jumped up into the branches. The Boy Wonder immediately paid extra mind to the tree limbs. This time around—when his opponent leaped from them—they reacted.

Robin adjusted his hold on the freeze disc in his hand. He brought his grappling hook back out, fitting the disc to the end of it. The figure ahead of him leaped for a higher branch, and Robin aimed for it and fired. The grapple shot forward at a high rate of speed, propelling the freeze disc well ahead of it. The explosive device struck the branch, causing it to freeze instantly. The man ahead grabbed for it anyway, but the slick surface prevented him from gaining any hold on it. Before he could fall, the grapple hook twisted around his waist. Robin jumped for another branch above, letting the grapple's handle wrap around it from underneath. His enemy swung below the Boy Wonder as he jumped down from the trees.

Before Robin could get into position, the tangled captive removed a knife from his side. The cable snapped after three slices across it. He landed accurately on his feet, but he couldn't recover before Robin had planted both feet into his back. The Titan's opponent grunted, rolling onto the ground. The blade landed somewhere in the darkness, invisible in the night. Robin straightened from his landed crouch, but he did not immediately pursue the other. He tried to control his rapid breathing from the chase, watching as his enemy got up from the ground. The other brought his left leg out, some kind of metal support rods lining the limb from ankle to knee. They hissed like the sound of small hydraulic cylinders as he propped himself up on his left foot, and they whirred quietly as he straightened.

"So, Terra left her mark after all," Robin taunted him. The other said nothing. Robin decided to take the moment, charging the armored man down. His opponent put his arms up, and Robin began the toe-to-toe duel. Knife-formed hands sliced at the man, blocked or pushed away by practiced countermeasures. Robin switched through various art forms, kicking high for the enemy's head or swiping at his feet. The other showed his agility, dodging and weaving multiple strikes in a blur caused mostly by the darkness of the woods than by any rapid motion.

However, the counter attacks found Robin once or twice, knocking the Titan out of his rhythm. A precise shot to Robin's chest threw him to the ground. The Boy Wonder rolled to his left just in time as his opponent jumped into the air in an effort to come down on his face. Robin used his roll to kick his feet into a twirl, but instead of using it to get back up he kicked at the back of his enemy's knees. The other went down, and Robin flipped upright. One roundhouse kick to the side of the other man's head forced another grunt out of him, and he quickly went down.

A sound of something skidding across the dirt further off caught Robin's attention, and in the darkness he realized he'd kicked the man's mask off. The other rolled back onto his feet, and Robin made a leaping kick again to the man's head. Robin's opponent was quick at getting his hands up, both blocking and offsetting Robin's kick. The Titan, however, used the offset as momentum, spinning in mid air and coming back around with his other leg. It planted just behind his target's ear, kicking him back to the ground. Robin landed, watching the other roll dazedly to his feet. Blonde hair could be seen peeking out of the material covering his head, even in the darkness of the woods.

Robin narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?"

"Who I am isn't important," the other answered with a much younger voice than Robin was expecting. "What I can cause…that is the thing you should fear the most."

His voice was young. Granted, Robin was already expecting a voice different from what he'd first anticipated, but the youthful tone still took him slightly by surprise.

"I'm not interested in your rhetoric," Robin spat. "Answer my question!"

"Would it change anything were I to provide an answer to you? The effects on the here-and-now would be nil."

"Who are you working for?"

The other laughed. "You wound me. It never occurred to you that perhaps I might possibly be self-employed?"

"That's one of Slade's uniforms. Now, who are you and why are y-"

The blonde-haired enemy charged at Robin, but the Boy Wonder put up a block that redirected a swing for his head. Robin quickly tucked his shoulder under the arm, using his opponent's momentum against him and throwing him a good distance away. The assailant twirled in mid air and landed relatively clean on his feet, the leg with the mechanical support unit groaning and hissing from the harsh impact with the ground.

"What are you?" Robin muttered. "Some new apprentice?"

"New!" the other seemed to spit the taste of the word from his tongue. "I've played more important rolls than you ever could have imagined when Slade made you his nasty little apprentice. I could have done far more damage than that little blonde brat he took in after. My apprenticeship predated any of you…you facsimiles. That apprenticeship is long over. Again, you make the mistake in believing in a higher power than my own."

Robin's eyes narrowed behind the mask. "It's just the impression I get."

The other put his hands up in gestured surrender. "So I admit, I might not be the model combat expert. My experience and specialties reside in the more simplistic arts. That of intelligence, analytical prowess. Something often dismissed in this world you and I exist in."

"What are you talking about? What worl-"

"The super hero and the super criminal. We're far beyond everyone else, Robin. Especially for you and I. We have no supernatural abilities within us. We are simply superior by birth. What is amusing, if not ironic, is that most individuals just cannot see it for what it is. They ignore us. Tell us we aren't worthy. They have no idea what potentials they have discarded."

Robin didn't move. He kept his hands just in front of him as he watched the other. "Slade abandoned you, didn't he?"

The blonde-haired kid didn't immediately answer. "Slade was always rushing to perfection. While he created the illusion of patience, in reality it was not his strong suit. He could not appreciate the proper care I took in learning my lessons."

Robin smirked. "You mean you were too slow a learner for him."

"The proper understanding of things takes the proper amount of time! The man chose not to grasp that! And we both know where it got him in the end. They all end up the same. Their foolishness and ignorance leads them there."

Robin didn't look phased in the least. "Let me guess. You were one of those kids beat up by punk jocks growing up. I'll bet even that leg is of some consequence of Slade's. Now you want to get back at the world for either picking on you or letting it happen. I've seen that pathetic sob story before."

"Bah!" the other put his hands into the air. "You aren't even the one I'm after."

Robin held stock still, except for the slight raising of his head. "Raven."

"I'll let you in on a little secret. You surprised me. I never expected you to leave one of your own unattended to chase down some demon blood-hunter. I had anticipated the possibility and prepared for it…but I never actually believed you would risk it."

"What are you planning?" Robin growled.

"The plan has already taken affect. Everything was placed in motion mere moments after you and your merry band left Jump City. The entire operation should be coming to a close at this very moment."

That was when the older boy pulled out a small communicator from his utility belt. Robin clenched his fists as he watched.

The blonde-haired young man switched the communicator on, a smug smirk on his shadowed lips. "Alpha, this is Omega. I trust the girl has been acquired, alive?"

Robin could do absolutely nothing to suppress the heat and rage from his body as he stood by and listened. His emotions ripped at him, demanded that he charged down the criminal in front of him and tear him apart. His training kept his feet in place, informing him of the obvious. Whatever had occurred on the other end of that communicator was said and done. There was nothing Robin could do about it. He could only wait for the response.

A burst of static forced its way across the communicator in the villain's hand. The crackling noise continued for a few moments longer until he pressed the button again. "Omega to Alpha. Has target been acquired? Respond."

Again, the device only spit out more static. Robin watched as the other flustered slightly, not used to the idea of one of his plans failing. The Boy Wonder took his cue, reaching for his own communicator off his belt. He clicked it on and brought it to his face.

"Nest, this is Papa Bird. What's your status?"

Robin's comm. crackled for a moment. Then, the noise clicked off. "Ain't too bad. Just had us some visitors stop by, but they were bein' kinda rude."

Robin could see his opponent bristle as he heard the female's voice from the Boy Wonder's communicator. "They weren't too much trouble," Robin queried, "were they?"

The vid screen on the hand held communicator lit up in the darkness, showing Bumblebee's casually smirking face. "Nah. Tin buckets ain't ever too much trouble. It got a little hairy for about a minute, but nothin' good ol' East couldn't handle."

"Most of the drones just followed whatever programming they had," Speedy's image crackled and took over Bumblebee's. "Ripping them apart was way too easy. Though, there was this one that could talk. In a droning, Battlestar Galactica reject sorta way. Looked a lot nastier than the others, and he had a big A stamped on his forehead too."

"Sounds new," Robin noted.

Speedy nodded. "He didn't last that much longer than the others. But, MAN, did he not know when to shut up! He kept going on about acquiring the ultimate power, and the master's plans can't be denied and on and on. Real cliché stuff."

"How's Raven?" Robin asked.

Bumblebee's image replaced Speedy's. "In good shape. Still a bit under the weather, though. Speedy says she slept through the whole thing. Don't worry, nothing got even close. Let's just hope she don't wake up all pissed 'cuz she missed all the action. I know I'd be."

Robin had an eye on the criminal in front of him the whole time. His anger was entirely on the surface. When he finally spoke, his words were much calmer than his demeanor. "Well, Robin. It looks like you're proving to be quite the opponent. Maybe there was a reason Slade liked you so much afterall."

Robin held back the urge to curse the other out. "After dropping some flawed student like you?" he chose to respond with instead.

"You'll regret that smug attitude soon, Titan," Robin's enemy threatened. "I'd like to remind you of whom it was that brought that beast to this world."

Robin narrowed his eyes. "Why? What the hell do you want?"

The other laughed. "Robin, if you haven't figured that one out by now, you will disappoint me to no end."

"I know what you're trying to do. And we'll do everything in our power to stop you…"

"You can't stop me. You cannot stop what is destined. Trigon will enter our realm, and he shall do it here. On this planet."

"You still haven't answered my question," Robin growled. "Why?"

"Power! That which Slade fought and died for. Only I have found the greatest source within my grasp."

"You know," Robin shook his head, "you really had me thinking you were just an idiot who didn't know it yet. You're completely insane. You can't control Trigon. If you bring him here, he'll kill you just as soon as he'd destroy the rest of the world."

"Ah! That is where you are entirely wrong. He can be controlled."

"You're making that up."

"It's written. There is a way! And I know its secret."

Robin pulled out a bird-a-rang from his belt. "Like I said, even if it were possible, we aren't going to let that happen."

The other man sneered, seen even in the darkness. "Stop me. If you think you can…"

Robin could see it coming. The boy's hands flicked at the Boy Wonder quickly, ejecting two small pellets from somewhere on the suit. Robin jumped backwards in time to avoid the explosion. Instead of debris, however, thick smoke poured into the already-blackened woods. Visibility had been reduced to zero, and while Robin could hear the villain leaving, moving in the sound's direction simply ran the Titan into one tree or another. By the time the smoke had cleared, both sight and sound of the other were gone. He could do nothing to pursue him.

-

-

The sounds of crying caught Robin's attention as the team made their way into Titan's Tower. Robin looked around to where it had been coming from, only to see the twins Mas and Menos balling their eyes out. A kneeling Aqualad, who seemed to look as confused as the Boy Wonder, was holding them back. Between sobs, their rapid Spanish poured out as they reached with their hands towards the Tower's entrance. Robin scratch the back of his head, then looked to the door and realized the situation. They had seen Starfire walk in with the battered group, and it must have frightened them terribly.

Robin could understand the hurt first hand as he walked past the assorted piles of scrap and drone bodies. Walking through the new obstacle course, the Titan made his way up to Bumblebee. The leader of Titans East turned her head slightly, noticing Robin's approach.

"Everyone okay?" she asked.

"We need a little patching up," Robin responded, "but I think we'll be fine."

"I hadn't realized how nasty this whole thing had gotten," Bumblebee nodded. "Sounds bad if they got enough muscle to attack that hospital, Titan's Tower and give you guys a good runnin' over at the same time."

Robin nodded. The hospital Raven had been sent to had a secret ward specifically for superheroes, and it hadn't even been in Jump City. "This guy really did his homework. The truth is, we still don't know how capable he might be. The thing we chased down isn't from this world. I'm not so sure he can't call up another one if he wants."

"Hey," Bumblebee punched Robin lightly in the arm. "Not so grim. You beat this one, didn't you?"

"It wasn't easy."

"Pssh! Never is. Otherwise, everybody'd be doin' what we're doin'. And besides, you were one girl down. You'll have 'im real easy next time."

Robin kept his posture as he watched Titan's East gathering up the debris from battle. Mas and Menos were still half-sobbing as they sped along from pile to pile, transporting what they could from one place to another. Aqualad and speedy were setting up containment with the help of various sea creatures waiting near the island.

"So, this guy you mentioned," Bumblebee interrupted Robin's thoughts. "Know who it is?"

Robin nodded. "There's still a lot to look into. But, we have a much better idea than before."

"It's not Slade, then," Bumblebee stated more than asked.

"No," Robin answered, simply. Not Slade. It was never Slade.

"So, we got a name yet or what?"

"No such luck. Except during a radio call he tried to make. He referred to himself as Omega, but that was all just code."

Bumblebee nodded, looking around at her team. "Look, why don't you get back in with your team. We can clean up around here. I mean, we made the mess an' all."

"Thanks. I'm glad you guys showed up. You really made a difference today."

Bumblebee smirked. "Awright now, don't go makin' me blush. I'd have to kick your butt for it later."

The two leaders went their ways, Robin heading back inside the tower. The sun had already come up towards the end of the Titans' trip home, but no one was in any condition to stay awake for too long. Robin was quick getting to the main lounge where he found Beast Boy sitting on the couch with Zerrich. The man from Azarath was creating a light blue glow around Beast Boy's stomach. The energy dissolved as soon as Robin approached the two.

"You had no broken bones, thankfully," Zerrich said. "I'm not so sure I would have the strength for that toni…this morning."

Beast Boy nodded at the correction. "I know. Been a pretty long night for all of us." The green Titan launched up from the couch, testing himself out on his legs. "Sweet! I'm feeling lots better. Thanks. You're even better at this healing stuff than Raven."

"It isn't a problem. Unfortunately, I'm not as practiced in my tailoring as I am in healing, or I might be of more assistance."

Beast Boy looked down at his shredded outfit. "What, this? Meh, I got tons more in my room."

"Well, then," Zerrich said, "that issue seems resolved."

"Just don't throw it on the floor with the rest of your mess," Robin said, casually. He walked into the living room as Zerrich got up.

"No way," Beast Boy answered. "This thing's getting thrown out, like, right now. Thanks again!" The young boy made his way to his room. Where the ruined uniform would end up was anyone's guess.

Robin turned to look at Zerrich. "How long will that thing stay contained in there?" He gestured to Zerrich's vest pocket.

"Indefinitely, saying someone or something doesn't try and break him out. We'll need to send it to a…relatively quiet realm somewhere. I was going to wait until Raven returned before making the attempt."

Robin watched as Zerrich removed the small crystal from his pocket and held it with both hands. "Where did you get that?"

"This actually originated from a larger stone I picked up outside of the tower. It took a few spells to transform it to the necessary state."

Robin raised his eyebrows. "You did that in the car?"

"Towards the end of the trip. I honestly wasn't sure it would work. There was no time to test it."

The comment almost made Robin laugh. It was often the case with the Titans that the best plan was the spontaneous one. That single, unrehearsed move even with all the training and practice was sometimes the thing that made the difference. Even from one whom was not a member of the team, the rule stuck. It was hard not to reflect on the past couple of weeks regarding the man from Azarath, but here and now things felt different. Robin looked at Zerrich and felt a sense of clarity. He took a step forward, extending his hand.

"You did good today. I doubt we would have beaten this thing without you."

Zerrich hesitated, question written all over his face for Robin to read. Awkwardly, Zerrich raised his hand and clasped Robin's.

"I tend to think that had prior events not occurred, Raven may not have been so badly hurt. I'm sure she would have done much more in my place."

The Titans leader looked slightly confused as he let Zerrich's hand go. "Prior events?"

"There was…a spell the two of us had been working on before the first alarm. It temporarily altered our power output. The spell is what had allowed me to combat Scourge so effectively, but it was also the cause of my collapse."

The Boy Wonder digested the information. Instinctively, Robin wanted to warn Zerrich from experimenting further with any magic. However, the enemy they would be facing unfortunately demanded that the team searched each and every avenue they could. These would be the risks. The Titan consoled himself by remembering that Raven would be a part of those trials as well. This was the road they had to take.

"We'll have to be careful in the future. Right now, I'm just glad we were able to stop that thing. And, we know how to do it again if another comes around. Get yourself some rest. Titans East can cover us for the day."

Zerrich simply nodded before heading down the hall. Robin took a moment to look out the lounge window before following. He took his usual turns to get to his room, when he found Starfire waiting for him. The Tamaranian had changed clothes, contrasting now with her burned skin and hair.

"Shouldn't you be in the infirmary?" Robin asked as he walked up to her.

Starfire nodded slightly. "I shall proceed there shortly. Right now, I am curious as to when Raven shall return home to us."

"From what Speedy told me, she should be back here by this evening."

Starfire closed her eyes. "I am relieved that no harm has come to her. I must admit that I was afraid for her while we pursued the demon. I was…unsure if we had made the proper decision."

Robin unconsciously started scratching the back of his head. He had the same worry as the team departed, hoping that Titans East could get to Jump City and the hospital in time.

"It's okay, Star," Robin soothed. "I was worried about her, too. It's hard leaving a member of the team behind. I hope we never have to do that again."

"I could not agree more. Raven…I feel as though she were my sister. Erm…not to be confused with my true sister who has chosen to be evil, although she is still my sister and a part of my family and home, even though she has been banished from that home which makes everything more complicated when I mention another outside of my family being like my sister. Does this not seem confusing to you?"

Robin chuckled. "Complicated as it sounds, I think I know exactly what you mean." The reassurance made Starfire smile. Robin was suddenly drawn to the shortness of Starfire's hair. He would miss it, but he was aware it wouldn't be for long. Tamaranians tended to grow their hair back very quickly. Robin had witnessed it before when Starfire's hair had been vaporized by Chang's xenothium weapon. Amusingly, Starfire had thought nothing of it until a week and a half later when the entire team had noticed the difference in growth. It made Robin wonder how often she had to cut it to keep her hair under control…

Robin widened his eyes as he suddenly realized something. His head turned toward the other end of the corridor.

"Is there something wrong?" Starfire asked.

Robin jogged down the corridor to the nearest window, looking out to the city.

"Robin?" Starfire followed behind. "Something has your attention. Might you please share what is on your mind?"

Robin turned away from the window, looking back to Starfire.

"I think I have an idea."

-

-

Quiet, for some odd reason, had always been a comfort in Raven's room. As the door slid closed behind her, that comfort seemed to envelope her all over again. It wasn't happiness per se, just a sense of being content. Coming back to the team was a pleasant experience, complete with a full 'welcome back' gauntlet made up of every member of both her team as well as Titans East. Raven sighed. It wasn't as if she didn't appreciate the teams' caring. In her own way, she felt the same. Though, putting up with Starfire's bear hugs never did get any better. The one thing to distract Raven from it was the short bob Starfire had been sporting at the time.

She looked to the floor, the last ritual her and Zerrich had attempted to perform still spread all about. As much as it was a reminder of what had happened, it was also a reminder of what they still had to do. Whom they still had to deal with. Her father was coming, and they were anything but prepared for it.

Three knocks on Raven's door caused her to look over her shoulder. A slight irritation tightened her teeth for a moment before she pulled her hood over her head and turned around. The door slid slightly open, allowing Raven's eye to peek at whoever was disturbing her.

"Might I come in?" Zerrich said from the hallway.

"You better have brought the stone," Raven answered as she walked away from the door, letting it slide completely open. Zerrich was a few steps behind her, the stone in his right hand. "Do you know a good place to send it?"

"I was actually hoping you might have a suggestion."

Raven turned around, kneeling to sit cross-legged on the floor. "Then I think I've got one in mind."

"Before we start," Zerrich began, "I wanted to thank you. This is now the second time you've saved my life, at great risk to your own. And…I wanted to say that I'm sorry. I thought I understood the spell fully enough to make it work. I hadn't known there would be such a withdrawal when the side effect had worn off. I never meant to place your life at risk."

Raven nodded, letting out a quiet breath. "I know. This wasn't anyone's fault. And being Titans, it's a risk we always have to face. Take my word for it; this isn't the first time something odd has happened to one of us. The team always backs up their members when they're in trouble. It's no different for…for guests."

Raven reached up for the stone, Zerrich handing it to her as he kneeled down with her. The stone was placed on the floor, and Raven gathered the four candles from the previous ritual. She set them on each corner surrounding the stone. Her hand gestured towards two flasks from across the room. They floated with ease to her hands, and she poured a circle around the stone but within the candles' boundaries.

She gestured to another book, letting it float into her hands. With closed eyes, she began chanting the words that would momentarily open the desired portal in front of her.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos. Carazon Rakashas Endere. Vaserix Endrien Nevinsal. Nevinsal, Nevinsal, Nevinsal!"

With a flash of energy, the circle forced a light blue cylindrical barrier from the floor all the way to the ceiling. The very top flashed brilliantly into a new portal, the entire incantation causing strong winds throughout Raven's chambers. The powders and dusts left from Raven and Zerrich's last spell scattered across the room.

Finally, the stone lifted weightlessly off the ground where it shot up and through the portal. In a blinding flash the barrier dispersed, and the vortex sealed itself completely. The stirring of the room settled except for the suddenly cloudy atmosphere from the dusts in the air.

"I…probably should have cleaned that first," Raven said, getting back onto her feet."

"I'll get your window," Zerrich offered as he too got off the ground. "And remind me never to go to Nevinsal."

"Have you heard of it before?"

"Just now. That's the extent of my knowledge."

One of the windowpanes slid open, letting a fresh evening breeze begin to clear out the room.

"I'm sure there's still plenty of material to work with," Zerrich added, returning to the center of the room. "Once we get situated, I'd like to try that spell of ours again. Something occurred to me…"

"I'm sorry," Raven shook her head. "What did you say? You want to try that spell again?"

Zerrich nodded. "I know. Timing could not have been worse. But the threat we are facing requires us to explore everything that we can."

"We did. It was a failure. It also nearly got us both killed."

"This is something that can truly help us. Hear me out. The last time, were you not concerned with the possibility that some of your soul-self transferred to me? What if it were possible to do just that?"

Raven closed her eyes, a hand brushing the hood to her shoulders. "At what risk? I have to meditate every morning to keep my emotions in check because of my inner demons. Now, I have to do it in the evenings as well. The closer we get to my father's coming, the worse it's going to be. If we could transfer that burden, how much would you be able to take before it controlled you too? And besides, if it is getting worse then I don't think it would make a difference anyway."

Raven turned towards her open window. "When my power transferred over, my magic became weaker. The barrier I put up to protect us wasn't strong enough because I didn't have all of my power. I know my own limits. On a normal day, I would have held that barrier for much longer. There was more than just you collapsing. I was drained too."

"I know," Zerrich sighed. "That's what I'm telling you. If it were possible to strip the energy without the demon coming with it, could it be possible to temporarily remove the darkness inside you without taking…"

"It doesn't work that way," Raven said, her tone stern. "The demon is a part of who I am. You can take the energy away because it's just that. All that will do is make the demon powerless. You could no more strip away the darkness inside me than you could take away a vital organ and expect me to survive on my own." Raven consciously reached an arm to her opposite shoulder. "No, Zerrich. We can't risk this spell again. We have to find something else."

They were both quiet for a time. Raven slowly turned from the window to look at Zerrich. He looked back to her and took a slow breath. "All right. But if we're going to explore every possible way otherwise, I need to ask you something. I still know that there's something within you that you're holding back, beyond any demons within. I saw it in you while I was under the enchantment of the scrolls. There were times you could do more, but didn't. What is it you're holding back? What are you so afraid…" Zerrich shook his head, "…what are you aware of?"

Raven didn't flinch. She only looked back. Inside she had become extremely uncomfortable. This was a part of her that she did not want to delve back into. For emotional reasons as well as moral ones. But, what if there was something she had buried with all those spells that really wasn't as bad as she had thought? She had been taught so much by him. Not everything had been Dark magic. Raven was simply…too afraid to sort through it all and discern what was truly safe.

"I should probably start from the beginning," she sighed, walking over to her locked chest. She waved her hand at the lock, opening it before she had gotten to it. She kneeled down, slid the two Rontizma scrolls aside and reached for a small trap door underneath. Then she did something she thought she would never have to do again. She opened it.

"It started," Raven began her story as she stood back up with her new possession, "with this book."