Rachel was wary at going with this stranger, but she could hardly refuse – she hated how she had become so suspicious of everything and everyone.

They arrived on an island that was completely dead. A few short straw-like plants stuck up from the ground, and the island was so small the sea was visible stretching on for miles all around.

'Where are we?' Rachel asked.

'Flores,' Esimi answered, a little too happily.

Venibilles smirked. 'Very good.'

'Volüsa's idea. Worked out pretty well, but we're two thousand years or so in your future, and I suppose where you landed in Japan is where Flores used to be. I still thought it was rather clever.'

Rachel decided to let it slip, although she was curious to why Zina seemed to understand too – in fact, she wanted to know so much about this woman, what she'd seen and known, everything. Odder than Zina herself, was Heiki's pure lack of caring for what she didn't understand. Or perhaps she pretended not to care, biding her time.

Esimi led them all across the island to a square pit, almost like an archaeologist's, at least twenty feet deep with a ladder going down. Saying nothing, she went down herself and others followed her. She seemed to search on the ground by scraping her foot on it for a long time, homing in on something, and when she found it she stamped her foot rather obnoxiously and yelled, 'Cy! Let us in! You won't believe this.'

Esimi took a step back and a perfect square of ground slowly sunk down, leaving a dark hole. Without looking to anyone else, Esimi leapt into the hole, and after a brief childish fight over who should go first, Zina jumped down out of pure frustration and everyone slowly followed suit.

No one could hide their confusion at landing in what looked like an enlarged wooden box, mysteriously lit up even once the hole had closed. Esimi seemed bored, and leaned against a wall. 'Cy,' she said, again, this time looking slightly over he shoulder to the wall. 'Could you be as so kind to let us in or are you 'busy' on your computer again?'

This time, an entire wall opened up by being risen upwards.

There was a very similar room, except this time furnished and a lone boy sat under the light of a computer screen, the square monitor reflecting in his chocolate eyes. It was clear he had barely any magic. He looked young – almost too young to be involved in such things, the only hair on his entire body were the thick short braids covering is scalp. They entered and once the wall had closed behind them Cy rapidly looked up. He didn't care much for Heiki, Rachel or Zina, more staring at Venibilles blankly.

Venibilles awkwardly noticed this and said cockily with a wink, 'I know I'm attractive but I don't date humans.'

Cy shook his head, not leaving his chair and desk, keeping one eye on his computer. He took a while to configure himself before he spoke. 'I get who you are that's obvious. The albino Eurasian was Heiki, right?' He looked to Esimi for confirmation.

Esimi walked over and clipped him around the ear. She said, 'It's Heiki and Rachel, don't be an ass.' She leant on the back of his chair, looking to the group. 'This is Cy, he's our pet geek.'

'Thanks, thanks,' Cy pressed a few keys on his computer before continuing. 'I happen to be the genius that helps everyone stay safe, but excuse that.'

'How old are you?' asked Rachel, curious to whether he was young or there had been two thousand years of missed evolution.

'Fifteen,' he promptly answered. 'I just have a high intellect. And I should clarify I know who you are because you stick out on this world, thank God Esimi got to you before anyone else. You'd be doomed.'

'What he's trying to say you've missed two millennia of human evolution. People got taller, got the same various dark skin tones, which is the main reason you stand out. They'd think you had some weird skin condition, which is impossible as this pathetic society has an obsession with perfection. Deformities or "deformities" don't exist, I had three plastic surgeries before eighteen, and that's not uncommon.'

Heiki looked insulted. 'I would be classed as deformed?'

'Severely.'

'Earth has its own problems, we long ago established that – where does magic fit into all this?' Venibilles piped up.

'Personally I'm not entirely human, per se,' Esimi swept her hair behind her ears, revealing them to be pointed. 'It's a sign of psychic magic – a special kind in Sprites. My granddad was a Sprite, interspecies became a thing I suppose.'

'What? Psychic magic, is that what it is?' Rachel slit in, 'And what about Cy? Why does he have magic?'

'Shush, I'm getting there,' Esimi smiled to try to comfort them. 'Obviously some humans got magic. No one was here to keep it in check anymore. This place is a refuge for those people, Cy's not the youngest, but I am the oldest.'

Heiki said casually, 'How old are you? Out of interest, it'd be nice to know how long I can expect to live.'

'I'm ninety. Don't look a day over twenty eh?'

Venibilles tried to take control again. 'Why do those with magic need a refuge?'

'Volüsa tells that story better than me, even if I am involved. But she's been stuck here for years like all of us, Serpantha went to find out how much information of these matters is available to the public, because I have no idea. It would be helpful to find out, apparently, it's what he said anyway.'

'Where's my sister?' Venibilles asked pitifully.

'She's here,' Esimi reassured. 'Cy?'

Cy looked up again. 'Last I heard was she passed out and refused to even drink. I doubt she has much time left if she's lost that much will.'

'What!' Venibilles walked over to them, looking at a ladder that led down even further. 'Last I saw of her was she woke me up – she was a young child substituting me for her father, I'm still tired because of it. Where is she now? Why did she fall unconscious?'

Esimi was unsure how to comfort him. There was a silence in which Venibilles looked pleadingly to her, until she said. 'She's down there. Not immediately, this is a complex network. She's on the lowest floor, her magic is the most powerful and this entire place was built to stop magic being detected, it's safest. I won't stop you if you want to go, she's your sister not mine, but I only warned Serpantha about her.'

Venibilles rubbed his forehead, feeling slightly sick. 'I'll wait for my father.'

Serpantha stopped them walking after what felt like walking up and down the same street for eternity, with no one to talk to without it being an argument you will inevitably lose.

Serpantha didn't waste time. 'You need to sneak in the back of that building, and find out how much information on magic and other species is easily available. You cannot use any magic; if you do we're both dead.'

Calen nodded, too bewildered by recent events to speak.

'Esimi gave me this,' Serpantha revealed a small lens on his finger, like a contact. 'it will record what you see. You needn't read the information, just look at it and we can study it later.'

Calen was unimpressed. 'Technology?'

'Crude I agree, however we have no other choice as we can't use magic, and it is the least I can pay Esimi back for keeping my daughter safe.'

'Fine.'

Calen took the contact and was reluctant to put it in her eye.

'Are you really getting squeamish over that?' Serpantha tried to hide his frustration with her, apparently he didn't do it well, as Calen became defensive.

'This could be anything, sorry for being careful, only you know—'

In one swift move Serpantha took the contact from her and slotted into her eye. She barely felt anything. Even if rumours about his anger could be false, rumours about his delicacy and quickness weren't. It was both frightening and amazing at the same time, so much so Calen admired him, and she wished she didn't.

'Also, put this in your ear so we can talk. If anything happens to me you need to know before they get to you.' Serpantha continued.

Calen took the small curious device, placed it in her ear, and snuck in the small door at the back of the building. She didn't have to wait long before Serpantha's voice echoed in her ear.

'Go to a computer and search for things like magic.'

'Tell me you're joking,' she replied.

'Not in the least.'

Calen did as she was told, humiliated to be sent down to a level of using technology for knowledge and communication. Human technology. She knew she was in some sort of library, and it was packed with people. She chose the most secluded computer there and began searching. The keyboard was unfamiliar to her, and she could barely remember the language, but Serpantha had told her not to use spells – she had no choice but to listen to him. It was the slowest time had ever passed for her.

Back on Flores, everyone had simply sat down again, dejectedly. Esimi and Cy has left them alone, doing there own business but also giving them privacy to take it all in. Zina was the most closed off. She looked as if she wasn't there, and she certainly looked like she didn't want to be. Which was heartbreaking for anyone to watch.

Rachel decided to try. She moved a little closer to Zina, and then said gently, 'What was she like?'

Zina turned quickly to Rachel, and was very blank of speech. 'Who?'

'Your daughter.'

Zina smiled and became teary eyed at the same time. But the smile wasn't fake, not at all. 'She was…well, stuck-up and precious about things, she was definitely spoilt; she didn't believe she was better than anyone else, but she was full of herself. You couldn't win a debate with her, not for love nor money. When she knew she was right the whole room did too.' She paused and laughed sadly. 'I suppose that's also where she fell down. Her moral compass was firmly set, a very independent girl who was perhaps too intelligent for her own good, I suppose.'

Rachel had no idea what to say. No one did.

Feeling obligated to, Zina filled the silence by changing the subject. 'So you and Heiki then?'

Heiki lowered her head and scratched the back of her ear embarrassedly. 'I suppose I should have stuck with my original ambition of being a dancer. But no, I had to dream big.'

Zina smirked, taking a liking to Heiki, whoever she was. 'Well you more than repaid your debt. That stuff ain't uncommon, but I don't like this Calen woman. I mean Jesus have you seen the way she looks at Serpantha?'

Heiki tried to brush it off. 'The only opinion I have on Calen is beyond obscene, I can't judge.'

'What do you mean the way she looks at him?' asked Rachel, amazed by Zina's observation of seemingly everything.

'You ain't seen? Just look next time. She tries not to look but she does and it's there in her eyes. Serpantha knows it to – not that that's surprising. Weird though.'

Rachel was baffled. She looked to Heiki, who didn't look like she knew either, so she then turned to Venibilles who appeared indifferent. She whispered to him, 'What does she mean?'

He shrugged, obviously more concerned about other things.

Zina caught Venibilles attention with a snap of her fingers. 'So Owlola and Serpantha finally got together then?'

Venibilles smiled. 'Obviously, why do you ask?'

'Been willing for them to for years, God they frustrated me – all the excuses o' how life got in the way, the only real thing that got in the way was his other kid, but that was years ago.'

'Mother didn't speak to him for a year.' Venibilles continued. 'Rightly so, if you ask me. Father always describes it as the worst year of his life, which is also correctly so. If you ask me, that is.'

'It's odd, you know, Serpantha's father would never approve.'

Before Zina could continue, Rachel cut in. 'Why?'

Venibilles explained this time. 'She's the youngest of a family of ten girls, if you want it bluntly. Which is rather amusing given I was their first-born. She certainly isn't a match for power, and when she was young her father died in battle. Her mother was crushed and… lost the will to live.'

'You mean?' Rachel asked grimly.

Venibilles nodded.

'That's awful,' said Rachel.

'Awful? Tragic? It truly is,' Venibilles was surprisingly unaffected by the subject. 'It was common, though, an unspoken practice that almost became tradition. It is the story of many on my planet, especially during that generation.'

'Anyway,' Zina stopped them. 'Serpantha's father would never approve. No wonder he's worried about you, I imagine it's why he brought you.'

'What?' Venibilles was suddenly uncomfortable.

It was then that Rachel realised Zina's talking wasn't casual conversation. She was impressed to say the least, and began to see how she could win the heart of Larpskendya.

Zina smiled and elaborated. 'Well, I ain't no genius, nor Wizard or Witch, but Volüsa's fate wasn't good – do you expect that awful man not to have played a hand in it? And Owlola was pregnant when ya left, and it's obvious how much Serpantha's avoiding questions bout that. He don't wanna know. Serpantha predicted this ya'll know 'e did, he took all o' you to stop ya having some awful fate. I'm not certain, but knowing his distaste for interspecies an' all that, well, I'm questioning my girl's death.'

Everyone was in shock at the way Zina had pieced it all together perfectly.

'An' from what I've seen,' Zina continued, thinking aloud. 'He saw you two coming, and formed a plan. That snap decision wasn't a snap decision, even Owlola was involved. Wouldn't surprised me, she's a crafty one sometimes.'

Venibilles thought for a while, and then said, 'That explains why I was told to keep out of all of it so much. I couldn't know; it would be dangerous.'

'Now that's impressive,' marvelled Heiki. 'But it doesn't explain everything. We're still awaiting that.'

Venibilles stood up in front of them all. 'I can take a hint, thank you. However, my father did explain it all, just subtly. I suppose many would fail to pick it up, but no one can blame you for trying.'

'Quit whining and get on with it.' Zina said, taking authority of him. She was his aunt, after all, so she would have to be his substitute parent for the time being.

'Psychic magic is something sprites have; it's special and somewhat unique to them. Although Earth did reach similar and close things…'

'I know,' Rachel scolded him.

Venibilles cleared his throat and continued. 'Lyrai is a Sprite, and Sprites can cast a special kind of spell that alters people's perceptions. It doesn't change your beliefs or erase any memories, but say I put a perception filter on—' he grabbed a spoon awkwardly as it was the only small object lying around '—this. You could still see it. The spell affects your consciousness, you see it but the signal between your brain and sight is interrupted, meaning you don't register it as important. Sorry, I'm no good at explanations.'

'No, no, it's fine – go on.' Heiki reassured him.

He put the spoon down, as if it was importantly placed there and he had disturbed it, and then he continued. 'You were not forgotten, neither of you – how could you be? I grew up on stories about you, stories of humans, Highs and Griddas. Admittedly, it was party because I had to be, I am in a unique position because I grew up with Griddas who had been changed into Witches as you know – well, as I know them, the first Witches you knew weren't like that – so all those infants are about my age now – then, I mean.'

'Oh I weep for you,' Zina teased. 'You must have such a difficult life.'

Venibilles gave a shy laugh. 'I know, I know. Anyway, there was an arrangement made, and it is shameful in hindsight. Sprites took down their defences; they sacrificed their entire world, and everyone on it. Their species has been heavily involved in our war, their kind, and magic being almost as old as ours are. Lyrai is their leader, an old friend of my father's, but the damage to their planet was…phenomenal. You cannot imagine it. Being an amphibious species, they were able to retreat miles underwater and defend themselves better, but the planet was still in ruins and they lost billions.'

'Why would they do that?' Rachel asked, emotionally affected by all she was hearing for reasons she didn't know.

'To protect Earth, to buy us time… A big reason the deal was made was to give my father time to train Heiki. Earth's magic was new, it was also grossly inadequate in many places, someone had to be trained enough to be able to train the rest of the children on Earth. Not that Earth's magic combined would be a slightest threat, but it's all time buying. It's all it ever was.'

'And I think I did a good job of it, thank you,' Heiki folded her arms. 'I was actually an achieved human being, and I lost everything. I went back to being no one. I would take bad recognition if it meant recognition.'

Venibilles sighed. 'You did Heiki, you really did. Honestly I've heard on more than one occasion how proud he was of you, but things don't always work the way you want them to.'

'So who decided we weren't important?' Heiki pressed.

'Due to the sacrifice made for Earth Lyrai had her opinions, to say the least and she had the full right to have a say in Earth's fate. My father did the best he could.'

'Show me then.'

Venibilles uneasily tried to avert himself from Heiki's powerful gaze and presence. He vaguely murmured, 'It isn't my place…'

Heiki stood up, with one hand behind her back she gestured for Rachel to stand with her, and she did.

'I lost all I ever had,' Heiki said, 'I nearly died. Humanity nearly died. My best friends nearly died. But it was the best time of my life and it couldn't even last a year. I am owed this; nothing you say will make me think otherwise. Now show us.'

'Heiks you can be terrifying sometimes, you know that?' Rachel said quietly, not wanting to look at Heiki as she did.

Ignoring Rachel, Venibilles said, 'I will, just promise not to tell my father…'

He pushed a thumb to each of their head's, and with that, they witnessed the decision to abandon Earth.