Anyone that didn't read Aftershock I shouldn't be reading this. Go read Aftershock I! Hey! I said stop reading! Why won't you stop? Come on! You need to stop. Yep, you're still reading, last time I checked. Follow the rules!

Saying sorry was hard. As much as Abeke tried, she just couldn't get Conor to accept it. She completely understood why Conor didn't want to; she just always has an unsettling thought when people don't accept apologies. Abeke got the message: Don't try to kill anyone ever again. She didn't try! She didn't know! She thought Shane was good. Even after all she had experienced, she honestly didn't think Shane was out to hunt her and the Staff of Cycles. She learned that the hard way. She could have learned it the easy way, but she didn't want to be like Rollan. Rollan was way too stubborn. She has so much trust in people. She has too much trust in people. It just wasn't possible. Not trusting was impossible. She could be easily lied to by anyone and everyone. No. Trust is good. Don't listen to them. She had been taught all her life to 'trust the way'. But what was the way? Was the way to simply not trust?

Abeke sighed. Impossible was the only impossible. If there was no impossible, nothing would be possible. If only that made sense. If only...

She couldn't regret the past. There was only the present and the future. Regretting the past is just a useless way to pass time.

"Uraza, do you think that this is my entire fault? Do you think Conor would ever forgive me? Will you ever forgive me?"

Uraza growled, as if to say 'Can you just stop?' in a feline type of way.

Abeke wasn't the only one out of sorts. In fact, everyone seemed out of sorts. Conor kept on pacing. Meilin wouldn't even talk. Rollan left.

She was usually very optimistic. Usually.

She tried to imagine what Rollan was like right now. Probably exploring the grass prairies of northern Amaya while searching for his father. Better than her.

At least one of us is having fun.

"Hey," said a voice.

Abeke turned to see Conor.

"I'm sorry, but you have to understand! I didn't do it on purpose."

"Okay, but promise me one thing, never do that ever again."

"I promise."

Conor laughed a little. Abeke smiled in response. "Thank you. I'll never do that again."

Saying sorry was indeed hard, but the results are many times greater. Abeke felt way better. Conor was way better than Shane. Qualities of a friend. Maybe even more than a friend.

So I get it. It was short. It wasn't as good as the second chapter. But I'm working on this super cool new story which will be called 'Walking on the Earth".

Oh yeah, just a thing, the epilogue of Aftershock one was about Meilin, not Abeke. Just for the ones that are confused. Also, I didn't really mean to say that before Chapter Five, but I'm not too good at keeping secrets.

~Alicio