Bracken lunged forward, and stood up, drawing his sword and pointing the blade to Navarog. Kendra stood quickly and reached out to grab Bracken's arm.

Navarog crossed his arms and didn't back off, then he scoffed, "I saved your sorry life, that least you could do is grovel."

Bracken's eyes narrowed he shifted his gaze to Seth, "Does he speak truth?"Seth nodded cautiously and turned to face Navarog, aiming Vasilis at the dragon. His eyes flickered with distrust and Bracken understood Seth's stand on the matter.

Kendra tugged Bracken's elbow, "He really did save you!"

Bracken looked down at her, his eyes cold and sad, like ice rain, "Why do you defend him?" He reached a hand to stroke her hair, and brushed a strand out of her eyes. Both Seth and Gavin tensed watching this tender gesture in the corner of their vision.

Kendra took a step back from Bracken, avoiding his touch, "Why shouldn't I? Your mother asked him to save you."

Bracken looked quizzically up at Gavin, lowering his sword a little. "My mother?" He looked down at his sword and put it away, scratching his head a little awkwardly, "She must have her reasons."

Gavin relaxed when the sword was away again and looked directly at Bracken once more, "And why do you keep a human girl close to your side these days, Bracken, Old pal, old chum?"

"Do not call me that." Bracken warned, bristling and clenching his fists. They glared at each other for a while before Seth coughed into his fist.

"Hate to break up your love-fest, but we have to go. The museum opens in thirty minutes and the morning security guards have just entered the building."

Kendra looked at her brother wonderingly, "How do you know that?"

Seth cocked his head to the side as if listening to something and smiled dryly, "I have my sources." A shadowy cat padded out of the shadows and came over to Kendra, it sniffed her.

Kendra smiled and bent down, "Are you a shape-shifter?" This cat seemed somewhat similar to Tux, Kendra thought.

"Yes, Mi'aiq is a shape-shifter." His tail swished in pleasure as he was recognized once again, "My, Mi'aiq is popular."

Kendra looked up at Seth all-smiles, "Congratulations." Her younger brother looked confused, "What?" He put his hands in his jean's pockets and leaned down to look at Kendra. She gasped, "Oh, you don't know! Agad came over a week ago to ask the both of us to be Eternals."

Seth's red eyes widened, "No way!"

Kendra nodded and shot an accusatory glare at her brother, getting to her feet, "What? You think I'd lie to you?"

Seth chuckled, "You could be pulling my leg, but wow. Eternals…" He looked over to the glass doors, "That would be…" He said, voice trailing off into silence.

Horrifying.

He looked back at his sister and realized she was expecting an answer, but he didn't want to say what he had just thought, so he smiled and said, "So cool."

Kendra nudged him with her shoulder, "Thought you'd say that, and now you have the test halfway done."

Seth frowned, "Test?"

Kendra shrugged, "Yeah, apparently, Agad is having a contest for the candidates. There are other people…" Her eyes darkened as she thought of Jin, "who want to be Eternals."

Seth watched his sister finish her sentence a little more dully than she had started it, so he scanned her figure. And soon enough he saw her glowing soul surrounded by a faint, but dark gloom. He focused on the haze and bent it to his will, forcing it away.

When he looked back up at his sister, she was blinking in surprise, "What was I saying?"

Seth smiled uneasily, she looked so carefree now, but he felt as if he had done something he shouldn't have. "The contest…" He started.

"Oh, right! You have to find a shape-shifter to be your partner, and a sword of legend that takes to you."

Seth looked down at Vasilis in his hand, still in its sheath, "But won't Vasilis count?"

Kendra shook her head, then giggled, "I asked Agad the same question, actually!"

Seth found himself laughing quietly along with Kendra at the irony, but soon found her looking at him strangely. "What is it?"

"You seem more… subdued… and older." She commented looking into his deep red eyes, "Maybe it's the eye color change." She shrugged and began walking over to where Gavin and Bracken were having a less than heartwarming chat from the looks of it.

Seth panicked, looking at Mi'aiq, "What color are my eyes?"

Mi'aiq rubbed his head on Seth's leg, "They are a lovely shade of crimson."

"The first thing I want my eyes described as; lovely!" He mumbled sarcastically. He knelt down and patted Mi'aiq on the head regardless, glad to have this faithful friend.

"Now feed me tuna!" Mi'aiq purred, tail wiggling in the air behind his head happily.

"Wha?!" Seth gacked as he fell on his behind, caught off balance by the cat's blunt statement.

"Mi'aiq's services and assistance is not free, Mi'aiq desires payment!" The cat sniffed and lifted its nose into the air.

"Hold on, who is in charge here?!" Seth huffed, crossing his arms and legs.

Mi'aiq opened one eye to gaze imperiously at Seth, "Tuna. Now."

Seth sighed and slumped, "Fine." Then he sprung up, grabbing the cat mid-motion. "But I'm still in charge, you only asked to follow!"

Mi'aiq stuck his tail in the shadow-charmer's face and wiggled it, "Fine, Mi'aiq will follow you, but only after tuna."

Seth and the cat smiled at each other in contentment for a moment before the amity was broken by a voice,

"Hey! You guys are kids. How did you get in here? And animals aren't allowed in here!" A security guard yelled after seeing the teens in the lobby before hours.

They all tensed, and Seth dropped Mi'aiq to the ground, who understood his plan. The cat ran over to Kendra, Gavin, and Bracken yelling "The door!"

They all made a run for it as Seth stayed behind long enough to finish business.

Only Bracken looked back as they got out, and what he saw was Seth raising both arms to cross over his chest, all the remaining shadows of the room coming to him. Then the boy punched both fist at the same time towards the man, who took a full blast of the shadows to the chest and promptly collapsed on the spot.

Bracken called Seth's name and ran back, not sure why he was running. Was he concerned for the human man? Or was he worried for Seth? Seth was clearly the more powerful, so why was he concerned?

Bracken got there just in time to catch Seth as the boy fainted from over-use of his abilities and from exhaustion. The unicorn held Seth for a second before picking him up and carrying him outside the glass doors.