I'M SORRY GABRIELLE. MY FATHER WON'T LET ME GO TO YOUR HOUSE. IS THERE ANYWAY I CAN TUTOR YOU IN THE LIBRARY? PROFESSOR EVEN ALSO OFFERED TO LET US USE HIS CLASSROOM.

Gabrielle sighed.

"Okay…I guess that that works…I'll meet you outside the Gym. That's my last class. I might take a little bit though because I have to take a quick shower after practice." She twirled a piece of hair around her finger and looked in his eyes. "Can you wait for me?"

Ienzo nodded quickly.

OF COURSE!

She smiled brightly and hugged him.

"Thank you so much Ienzo! I just know I'll pass this class with your help!"

Ienzo looked down when she released him to hide his blush.

When his last class ended, Ienzo inwardly cheered. His time with his Trace was over for the day and he was going to meet Gabrielle soon. THANKS. I CAN TAKE IT FROM HERE. He started toward the door but the Trace grabbed his hand.

"Now now Ienzo. I will walk you to where you arranged to meet and wait with you until your friend get there."

THAT'S OKAY. I CAN DO IT MYSELF.

The Trace shook her head.

"No. I insist."

She led him to the gym and waited with him.

MAYBE THEY FORGOT. OH WELL. I WILL JUST GO CALL MY PARENTS AND SEE IF THEY CAN PICK ME UP.

The Trace nodded.

"Good idea. You can use my phone."

She led him back inside and down a hallway he had never been down before.

WHERE ARE WE GOING?

"I left my phone in the office so I have to grab it quickly."

She pulled him to a classroom and turned to him.

"Wait here."

She stepped into the room.

Ienzo started pacing as he waited; she was taking a long time and he wanted to get back to Even so he could go home.

He looked down at his watch.

'Almost four…I'm going to be late to my meeting with An-'

A hard blow to the back of the head knocked him out and he collapsed into someone's arms.

When Ienzo woke up he couldn't see anything. He heard quiet whimpers and sniffles from somewhere nearby but couldn't tell quite where they were coming from. The sound of a door opening and approaching footsteps reached his ears before the cover over his eyes was pulled off roughly.

He blinked a few times to clear his sight and focused on the person in front of him, gasping.

"Ienzo Ienzo Ienzo. Such a brilliant little boy. No one would ever guess who you really are. Ienzo; the secret sixth apprentice."

Ienzo narrowed his eyes.

"So you know who I am. What do you want?"

The other person smiled.

"I need you to do something for me."

"Obviously. What is it?"

"Just you wait. I have to go get what I need."

The person left and Ienzo looked around.

"G-Gabrielle?"

The girl looked up and choked on her tears.

"I-Ienzo. Are you okay?"

He nodded.

"Yes. I'm fine. Why are you here?"

"I saw you get taken away and went to get help when something knocked me out and I woke up here."

"I'm sorry you were dragged into this. I never thought this would happen."

She hugged her knees tightly.

"What's going on? Why can you talk? What did he say you were the sixth apprentice?"

Ienzo moved to sit cross-legged next to her.

"I have always been able to talk. I just didn't so that I couldn't accidentally say something that I shouldn't. I don't very often anyway so it was just easy to say I was mute." He sighed and pushed some of his hair out of his face. "And you know about Ansem right?"

She nodded.

"Yeah. Ansem the Wise who rules Radiant Garden."

"Have you heard of the apprentices that are supposed to be studying under him?"

"There are six right? And no one knows who they are."

"Well I'm the sixth apprentice. Even is the fourth. We had to protect my identity so that I wouldn't get hurt. Or have something like this happen. There are people who are very upset with what we're doing and would do anything to stop us. They were always afraid something like this might happen."

The door burst open before Gabrielle could answer.

"Ienzo! Get over here!" they shouted angrily. Unfortunately he wasn't fast enough and a hand pulled him harshly by the hair. He was thrown down in front of a box and a piece of paper and a pen was placed before him. "You are going to write a letter to Ansem demanding that your work stops. If they refuse then you will pay for it. Now write exactly what I say."

Ienzo picked up the paper and started writing.

Even,

I have been captured by an unknown person. They demand that you stop the research at once. If you do not then- Ienzo's hand wavered and the man next to him hit him to keep him writing. Then they said that they will kill me. Even please. Please stop. Please come get me. I'm scared.

Ienzo

The letter was dotted with drying tears and a small blood spatter in the corner from when the man slashed his cheek to make him keep going. He was honestly scared and his hand had started shaking partway into the letter making it hard to read. He really wanted Even to come get him, and soon.

"You wrote the letter to Even? I told you to write to Ansem!" the man shouted, making him flinch. "Why didn't you listen?!"

He backhanded the boy, sending him sailing across the room.

"H-He's more concerned about me th-than Ansem is," he choked out. "A-And he'll make sure s-something gets done about th-this."

"He's a little busy right now," another voice said.

"What did you do to him?"

The other person snickered.

"He may have found a nice place on the floor from when he passed out."

"Y-You attacked him?"

"Well of course. We had to so that he wouldn't notice you go missing."

The second person stalked towards him and Ienzo cowered in fear.

AN: Sorry about the wait! I could decide how to lead up to the middle part or what to do after it. I finally decided that Ienzo would be forced to write a letter to Even so they would know that he was kidnapped. And when Even finds out, he will be murderous. Ienzo is practically his son and he's terrified. That's a lot to be going through before you even turn seven.

Who attacked Even? And will he be okay? Find out next chapter! :D