'I won't. You can tell me.'

Serpantha took a moment to calm. His father wanted him to be angry; he always used to do this. He decided to stray from the subject. 'Such things as bringing Zina back to life make me wonder why you changed your mind – you were trying to kill us, now you make Larpskendya in debt to you. I may be the only one who noticed your eyes when you were rebuilding her body around memories. Because that is all you did. You are solidifying a memory, that is not Zina. Although I imagine she would think like Zina and have her memories, I have no proof that you are not merely controlling empty bodies.'

Larpskendya and Zina both looked despaired to each other, and Larpskendya drew her closer with one arm and she leaned into him.

'Correct,' smiled his father, as if he was proud. 'Now say what you don't want to.'

'Magic leaking.'

Heiki went wide-eyed. 'Isn't that what you demonstrated to me once?'

'Yes.' Serpantha said heavy-heartedly. 'Essentially, it is an extravagant term for stealing someone else's magic, although it is much more complex than that. I avoid detail for obvious reasons – this is a practice I would not teach to anyone no matter how much I trusted them. In fact, I believe my father and I are the only people left who know how to do it. That is not the only reason it is morally corrupt, however – magic leaking kills the victim. That magic in your eyes was in no way yours.'

'You act like magic leaking is a method of murder. Magic leaking was taught to me when I was young as I taught it to you. It was intended to help people survive, if someone is seconds away from death what is wrong with taking their magic to save yourself? You do not need magic after death.' He paused for effect, and then changed the subject, pushing Serpantha as much as he could. 'That lump in your throat, the feeling in your gut – that near impossible possibility, you know it's feasible and you aren't wrong, son. The idea drives you insane at best; let's see how well you keep your composure given you already lost it once.'

Serpantha didn't say anything. He couldn't. It was as if he thought by not saying it, that made it untrue.

Through all her confusion, for reasons beyond her understanding, it dawned on Rachel. She got a pang in her stomach and she knew, even if she had not yet consciously accepted it. She felt too much to specify it as anger or sadness; she was just feeling. It had to be true, she knew it and so did Serpantha, she didn't know how it was possible, but it happened, and no one had cared or noticed.

Heiki turned to her concerned, and rushed out the words. 'Rach what's wrong?'

As Heiki grabbed her wrist, Rachel burst out. 'Yemi!'

It made Heiki almost leap back from her in shock, for both what she was saying and how she said it. She looked desperately to Serpantha, waiting for him to tell her Rachel was wrong. Everyone else froze up, and Zina whispered to Larpskendya 'Who?' but he couldn't answer.

Serpantha gazed sturdily to his father, saying nothing, forcing his father to speak first.

'You know how, why do you not explain? You owe that and much more.'

'You put the idea in Lyrai's head, I understand that much – Lyrai is more intelligent than suggesting such a pointless activity. I know this has a perception filter around it, as when we took down Orin Fen's nothing was detected; they counteracted each other. We knew Lyrai could never manage it, because of Yemi, yet we ignored what was staring us in the face. That was you altering our perception.'

'Manage what?' Calen asked, suspicious.

'Stay out of this,' he said thinly. 'Since you won't let me shy away I will be blunt with you: is he dead?'

His father laughed softly. 'No, I did consider it, but instead I can just use his power while he's alive. When I leave here I should be enjoyable to see how good of a weapon I could fashion him into.'

Serpantha relaxed, knowing Yemi was at least alive made him less tense than before. But he wasn't safe. Or to be seen, in fact bring Yemi into the equation only posed more questions.

'As I said, you can't blame me for making you feel guiltier. You wanted to know. You forget I have watched you your entire life, everything you have done, seen, experienced, or felt. It goes for everyone here. Therefore it was easy to get Yemi.'

'Where is he?' Serpantha pressed, trying to ignore all emotion, mostly trying to ignore the overwhelming guilt.

'Not conscious, even if he remembered you you couldn't draw him away. You won't get out of this that easily!'

'I didn't expect him to be conscious. All he is to you is some kind of vessel with magic for you to control, and given how much he's being forced to do he can't hold consciousness throughout that output of magic.' Serpantha looked to the wall briefly, and then glanced back to his father. 'I hate you enough for taking my life away. I finally got all I had ever wanted. That was not enough for you, though; you had to take away a child from his family who do not remember him. He can never go back, and he will never understand why because he is too young. Involving the innocent is always taking things too far. My daughter grows up on fake promises, doomed to die with her planet because we left hundreds of High Witches in our time, who will inevitably form an army big enough to kill anything in their path. Because no one is there to stop them. I accept that or I go back to my own time and live slightly longer by fighting in a war that will never end with you around, and you won't die because you will only keep leaking magic.'

'You are correct, although you are wrong on one part, it has to be expected – when did I say Volüsa's fate was death? I must say it may be worse than death, but that is opinion. Perhaps you would like to see what Volüsa's fate is, he fate without a war, maybe if you experience it you would no longer dare to tell me this is worse. You can choose. You can live in my world or a world without war.'

'What about Yemi?' Serpantha pressed, yearning to take him away from all this.

'I get a feeling he won't matter to you when you see what happened to your daughter, all because you never came home. You can chose between two options for the future.'

Serpantha had to accept. And no one could object because they had no better ideas.

The next thing anyone knew, in the blink of an eye they had moved from the white hole to what seemed normal. City light of all colours blasted from all directions, noise of traffic echoed everywhere, pollution filled the air and there were illegible noises of city life. They were down a discreet ally way, several dumpsters clogging the already small path. Not everyone had managed to keep their balance; it was as if they had been violently pushed through to this point in time. As Heiki helped Rachel up, she said, 'Are we on Earth? This place is suspiciously like Japan.'

Before anyone could answer, everyone noticed Calen. Or, who they assumed to be Calen, merely because it had to be. For reasons yet to be known Serpantha's father had changed her. She was naturally tall and thin, around six feet tall and bony, black hair falling down her back, green eyes shining with purple and sapphire streaks, standing out against her medium brown skin. Rachel flinched upon seeing her, pinching Heiki's hand in shock, but Heiki didn't react knowing Rachel wouldn't want people to notice she was afraid.

When she spoke, it was obviously Calen. As she examined her own fingers and nails, she said, 'Why?'

'I have no idea,' Serpantha raised his eyebrows. 'He does everything for a reason, though – he's calculated, he has to be otherwise you would be able to change back, so we will find out. My brother and I are going to find out when and where we are, Heiki update everyone.'

Heiki looked shocked and almost scared. 'Really? Me?'

'Yes.' He answered simply, and then added morbidly. 'Try not to kill each other while we're gone.'

Larpskendya kissed Zina goodbye and with that, the two Wizards left.

Zina sat down on the curb, next to Venibilles who never bothered to stand up anyway. She said, 'I have no idea who you are but go on.'

Heiki seemed shy, but began talking anyway. 'No power is limitless, and no matter how much magic you have it will always decay. But while he's in the white hole his power is limitless, because he can keep stealing magic – by killing people who don't matter, or those who are already dying – so to stand a chance of defeating him we need to lure him out.'

'But we'd never have enough power to defeat him Heiks.' Rachel said delicately. 'Besides how do you know this?'

'As I said,' Heiki repeated, 'no power is limitless. He could kill millions but he would eventually fall.'

'We don't have millions.' scoffed Calen.

Heiki gave her a vicious look before ignoring her completely. 'And I know this because he told me, obviously.'

'I imagine even if we found our way back he would never give us Yemi.' Rachel said, leaning against the wall next to Zina.

'Of course not,' Heiki looked deeply concerned. 'He's a complete madman. And that's only from what I heard from Serpantha, there's more I don't know. I don't think I want to know, really.'

'My bigger concern,' mused Zina, 'is how angry Serpantha is at Larpskendya for bringing me back to life. I hate it when they argue, it ain't natural. Not to mention he's no longer visibly angry, that's when you know you've crossed a line. If he looks angry you know you can fix things, if he's like this we're all screwed.'

'Can't you fix it?' Rachel asked her. 'I mean surely you know them better than anyone else…'

Zina shook her head. 'I lived there from when I was twenty-five and I'm forty-seven. In all that time they barely argued, the most saw them argue was when Serpantha hated the idea of me living on Orin Fen.'

'Why?' Rachel slid down the wall to sit next to her, deeply confused and curious to meet the woman who got Larpskendya to fall in love with her.

'I'm human, it's a long story I will avoid telling for the time being. Anyway, Serpantha's as calculated as his father – it's where he gets it from, he's always fifteen steps in front of everyone. I imagine he has a vague idea of what to do by now.'

'But Larpskendya broke his trust that really isn't a good thing.' Heiki added.

'But he did nothing wrong!' Rachel said a little too defensively. 'Why would that break trust it wasn't—'

Heiki cut in. 'Rachel it was wrong, and it does break trust. It wasn't Zina coming back to life that mattered, it was the fact Larpskendya trusted his father – the one causing all this destruction – over him. You know, the one killing people and stealing their magic, or did you miss that explanation?'

'And we're still awaiting an explanation on the one thing we wanted to know.' Rachel added moodily. 'But instead of one of them staying to explain in the time we have they both have to go. Can't help but feel like I don't matter.'

Venibilles, who had remained morosely silent until then, said. 'They both went so they can not only discuss things – as there are things that can't be discussed around Calen, maybe you forget that – but to make their peace with each other.'

Rachel appeared slightly guilty. 'Sorry. I did pick up on mention of someone – Lyrai was it?'

'Rachel we can't discuss this is depth here.' Venibilles warned her.

'You know we can talk about who you two are.' Zina asked, 'Everyone knows but me and it's startin' to irritate me.'

'We have no idea who you are, either,' Rachel reminded her. 'I only found out about you recently.'

'He didn't speak about you. It hurt too much.' Venibilles clarified.

Zina continued, 'And what about her? Calen was the other one Heebra had right?'

Heiki smirked at the way Calen was referred to as 'the other one'.

'Heebra's dead.' Venibilles said simply.

'What'd she do?'

'I have the excellent idea of a subject change.' Heiki said, trying not to let Calen see or hear her.

Venibilles ignored her, and loosely explained. 'Rachel was Ithrea, and Heiki was Earth. If Heiki wants me to spare detail, I will just tell you Heebra tried to kill them both and she did it to herself. But it also released magic on Earth.'

Rachel looked at Venibilles panicked, and whispered. 'Calen's right there!'

'Relax,' he said loudly. 'I'd love to see her try something on anyone. We're still in stalemate, luckily, and she isn't that stupid.'

Just then Serpantha returned – without his brother. Instead, there was a girl as tall as Calen, with dark brown skin, long hair braided with streaks of red – she also had magic, no where near the same amount as a Wizard or Witch, but she was clearly more powerful than Heiki or Rachel.

'When are we then?' Heiki asked, only having to turn slightly to face him.

'The year four six eight seven. I sent Larpskendya to get Lyrai when we ran into Esimi here – she supposedly knows Volüsa.'

'Great,' Zina stood up, walking over to him. 'I merely wanted to know what happened in the last twenty years, now more time's passed. Please update me this is upsetting enough.'

Serpantha did appear sympathetic, and reluctantly placed his thumb on her forehead, causing her gaze to fixate on empty space – she didn't blink once in the full minute Serpantha spent assumingly showing her memories, or, more accurately, putting them in her head. When he removed his thumb and Zina shivered back into life, she looked over her shoulder to Rachel and Heiki, looking them curiously, somewhat doubtfully, up and down. She turned back to face Serpantha before anyone could see her eyes moisten for so many reasons.

The only words she could manage were, 'You weren't exaggerating then…' She paused to take things in, her eyes darting, until she simply said. 'I'm sorry, I really am. I can't imagine.'

Serpantha gave a small nod, so Zina knew to shake off her emotion – it would just have to wait until later. 'What now then?' she asked affirmatively.

'Zina, Venibilles, Rachel, Heiks – follow Esimi, my brother and Lyrai should meet you there shortly.'

'Heiks?' Calen mocked, enjoying the moment.

'I wouldn't get cocky, because you are going to come with me.' Serpantha countered, and Calen's face fell quickly.

'I don't have to.' she pouted in childish annoyance.

'Stop acting like an eight year old and do as you're told. Who do you think offers you the best chance of survival?' Serpantha spoke to her as if she was his child, and it was surprising for everyone; he wasn't being angry, he was being protective. He then looked to Esimi. 'You should probably leave first.'

Esimi nodded. 'Come on.'

With that, she shifted, and the others followed, Venibilles taking Zina with him, leaving on Serpantha and Calen to face each other. Serpantha turned and began to walk away up the ally, and eventually he got so far Calen was forced to run to catch up with him, knowing she had nowhere else to go. It was awful, but her best chance was with him.

Once she had caught up and was walking at the same pace as him, Serpantha said, 'I figured out why my father changed you to look like that. He made you into the ideal picture of a human of this era – you completely pass as human to anyone, even with magic. Which is another thing, another reason why I sent the others away with Lyrai. Earth has found a way to disable our magic.'

'In the same way as spell-thread?' Calen looked at him in disbelief.

'No, nor is it in the same way as Eric. The best way to describe this is like being stunned – but this is not a spell. It's something unique, but invented by humans.'

'How?'

'Exactly. Obviously, this means we cannot use magic, we will be killed, and I did not come this far to be killed by humans.'

'But you let the others shift.' Calen said in bewilderment.

'Their technology allows them to see where the spell was cast, not where it's going to. It's risky but they needed to, we, however, do not. Just believe me it would save us so much time.'

Calen was silently afraid of what the human race had, or would, become. Deciding to change the subject, she asked, 'Where are we going?'

'To find the publicly known history, I need to know how much the human race knows about us, or magic – or any other species or world. Esimi is clueless to what the average person knows, we are finding out, as it could prove helpful. Given you pass perfectly for human you can help me; if I use magic to change my form we are detected and inevitably killed. In some twist of evolution humans won.'

Calen looked at him as if he was insane. 'Why would it be helpful it has nothing to do with your father!'

'It could prove or disprove theories of mine.' Serpantha said, hiding his annoyance.

'Also, last I was aware Earth had magic, and the human race did know about us.'

'I should probably explain that on the way. Much of what I have said up to this point is a lie, but you need to trust what I say as the truth. I need you to accept it and work with me, if for no other reason then because I'm placing a lot of trust in you by telling you. And if we survive this ordeal we can return to trying to kill each other as what else could there be to life?'

Those last words cut Calen up more than she would ever admit. She didn't enjoy fighting or even killing like she used to; she had no moral issue it just all seemed pointless. She agreed to restoring the sisterhood and being able to partake in battles again because she thought once she was back out in battle her old self would return. All the talk of the Wizards' lives outside war hardly helped her hold on to her old self. She never knew love. How Serpantha loved, cared for and protected his children was never her experience. In fact, how Serpantha's father treated Serpantha was more on the mark. It's not that she wanted that kind of love with anyone, she knew that made her weak – she only had to look at Larpskendya to see that! – but she didn't want the alternative, either. Perhaps the worst part was that not only did Serpantha sense her inner conflict over it all, but also he understood it. Calen hated him for that, and she couldn't work out why, it just frustrated her. He had every reason to be hateful to the point of murderous and take revenge on anyone (or take his anger at the life he was give out on anyone, for that matter), but he never did. Anger he was infamous for didn't seem to exist. The way he would never waste a word when speaking, his notorious ruthlessness when he could kill hundreds without caring. He still had contrast to his brother, who was known to be compassionate towards even the worst of people, but he was not entirely without compassion – the compassion he had was just reserved for the lucky few. Which only brought her back to the beginning. Why was he so determined to help her just because he understood?