Tech woke up at around noon the next day, to a quiet castle. Tech, at the moment, thought nothing of it, and decided to take a shower.

After taking his shower and redressing, Tech walked down to the lower floor.

Tech went to get something to eat, then wandered around as he nommed on some steak. As he crossed the main foyer, he noticed a trapdoor that he hadn`t seen before. Glancing around, Tech slowly walked up to the trapdoor, then opened it and went down into the space below.

Tech looked around, he was in a mine. He shrugged, then walked down the path.

As he went lower and lower, he became more alert, knowing that monsters liked to lurk in caves like this. Something in his peripheral vision grabbed at his attention, and he looked up to see some signs. He read the signs, and they made his blood run cold.

You dug too deep.

I am awakened.

'No.' Tech`s panicked mind thought. 'No. No. No. Not him.'

Tech felt his scar itching, and touched his abdomen, remembering that terrible, painful moment, where all he saw was darkness, and all he felt was his warm blood leaking from his fresh wound.

Tech fled back up the mine, hurriedly climbing the ladder and busting open the trapdoor.

Rythian and Zoey were there, talking, but they fell silent when they saw Tech slam closed the trapdoor, and scoot away from it until he was backed against the wall.

"Techy?" Zoey asked. "What were you doing in the mine?"

Tech looked at her, and, panting, said, "J-Just doing a bit of exploring." He chuckled nervously.

Rythian stepped towards him, hand resting on his katar. "Yeah? Did you find anything?"

Tech eyed the weapon nervously. "No, not really." He didn`t take his eyes off of Rythian.

Zoey stepped forward. "Hey, Rythian. Do you remember what we were talking about, just a second ago?"

Rythian nodded slowly, but kept watching Tech suspiciously. "I do. But don`t you see that something is off? He`s nervous, almost sweating. He`s shaking, like he`s just seen a ghost. And he`s just lied."

Zoey glanced at Tech. "Techy?"

Tech was getting more and more nervous. "I-I`m not lying to you, Rythian."

"Tech." Rythian`s voice was acidic. "What. Did. You. Find?"

Tech rose slowly to his feet. "Signs." He said, matching Rythian`s tone.

Rythian faltered. "Signs? Really? You wasted my time by lying about finding signs. Yeah, we found those signs, too. They`re nothing important, just some idiot playing a prank on us." Rythian shook his head, sighed, and walked away, muttering under his breath.

Zoey looked at Tech. "Why are you so freaked out about those signs, Techy?"

Tech shrugs, not looking at her. "Just... bad memories, is all."

Zoey stares at him for a while, knowing that there is more to the story, but also knowing that he probably doesn`t know her well enough to tell her about his past. She eventually nods. "Okay then, Techy." She smiles at him, then walks outside.

After a few moments, Tech follows her.

LINEBREAK

The figure huddled in Its tree, watching him exit the castle.

It knew it was him, his brilliant golden eyes noticeable even from the figure`s distance. He was wearing the same thing as he was on the day he escaped, on the day the figure failed Master. But that wouldn`t happen again. The eighteen-year-old in the dark jacket and white jeans wouldn`t escape again.

This time, It was prepared for anything. This time, It would get Tech. It would get Tech and Master would be happy.

Master`s happiness is everything.