Hey guys! Sorry for my long hiatus! I finally got the inspiration to once again continue this story (although I don't know how long that will last). Anyway, I apologize keeping you guys from the edge of your seats for so long. The story continues, and the mystery will be unraveled soon enough!

Hay Lin blinked once. Twice. "A-Are you sure?"

Luba shook her head. "I'm sorry, but the Oracle really did leave. He went to Earth."

Cornelia folded her arms and scoffed. "Well, coming to Kandrakar was a complete waste of time."

Hay Lin tilted her head in confusion. She was sure her companions were just as confused as she was. Since when have they known any cases about the Oracle leaving Kandrakar?

"Wait…" Hay Lin questioned. "What business does the Oracle have on Earth?"

Luba shrugged. "He did not say much to me."

Hay Lin analyzed Luba's appearance before her. Despite her struggle to remain casual and indifferent, she had her shoulders raised, and she was clearly gritting her teeth whenever she wasn't speaking. What has gotten Luba all tense?

"Hay Lin," Will stated solidly, snapping the air guardian from her deep thoughts. The red headed girl gripped onto the Heart of Kandrakar and swiped it in front of her. The same blue portal opened, creating a moderately strong breeze around them. "If the Oracle is on Earth, we have a better chance of finding him when we're there. Not here."

Hay Lin nodded slowly and turned back to Luba. "Sorry for bothering you."

Luba gave a small smile. "Just please persuade the Oracle to return as soon as possible." She watched as each of the guardians gave her a farewell glance, before jumping into the portal.

-xxx-

"Phobos…" Jezebel whined. "If I'm going to get this hand treated, please don't send me back. Promise?"

"No," Phobos said flatly.

Jezebel pouted. "But Phobos!"

Phobos tried to block out her constant pleas as they started to cross the park. The Lin's family restaurant was in sight and a wave of relief washed over him.

"As soon as we get to that filthy basement, we can treat your wounds. Then you can go home."

Jezebel felt tears well up in her eyes. "You don't really want me to leave, do you?"

Phobos opened his mouth to respond, when another voice entered their conversation.

"Yes. I do want you to leave this place."

Jezebel's violet colored eyes widened in shock, recognizing the smooth, yet stern tone. She slowly turned her head to see a young, white haired man standing a few meters away from them. "Brother?"

Himerish turned his attention to the blond haired prince behind her. "Let her go."

Phobos swiftly raised his hands in the air, giving him a sarcastic, indifferent expression. "Gladly."

Jezebel ran over to her brother, gripping the collar of his shirt. "Please! We can't leave. You two need to talk!"

Himerish ignored her pleas, staring in horror at her wounded palm. "Did Phobos do this to you?"

"What?" Jezebel cried out. "No! No he did not!"

Himerish quickly turned back to Phobos. "You hurt her, didn't you?"

Phobos shook his head. "Of course I didn't. What in the world would I gain by doing so?"

Himerish glowered, his eyes narrowing into a dangerous expression. "Why the hell would I trust you?!" he roared. The Oracle angrily clenched his fists to his sides, trying to contain his rage.

Phobos raised his eyebrow. "Now, now, I didn't expect such language from the Ora-"

A blast of white light shot the prince in the abdomen, sending him skidding across the ground.

"Brother!" Jezebel cried out, seeing Phobos on the ground. "Stop! I swear on my life he didn't do anything!"

Phobos quickly rose onto his feet. His misplaced strands of hair curtained over his now hateful expression as he met eye to eye with Himerish. "Is that all you've got?" he taunted. A small, dark smile spread across his face. "I'll show you what true power is like."

Phobos began to summon a ball of black energy, ignoring Jezebel's cries to halt his attack. Phobos pulled his arm back, preparing to launch the orb, when he felt small fingers wrap around his wrists, forcing him to stop. He turned to see the air guardian glaring right into his electric blue eyes.

"Bratty child," he mumbled hatefully, roughly pulling his arm away from her. He dissolved his magic as the rest of the guardians approached him.

"What is going on here?" Will yelled, stepping in between the two parties.

Phobos raised his eyebrow, crossing his arms. "It annoys me how you try so hard to be authoritative," he commented. "And besides. I'm the one who got attacked first from this irrational man."

Himerish scoffed, attempting to charge at him, only to be pulled back by Jezebel. "Don't you dare try victimizing yourself in this situation. Everyone knows you're a villain, and you'll always be a villain."

Phobos smiled at him contently. "Why thank you very much. I'm truly flattered by that comment."

Cornelia rolled her eyes. "Oh, I should have known you had dark humor."

Taranee tried assessing the situation, tilting her glasses slightly on the bridge of her nose as she spoke. "Okay. What exactly is going on here? And why is she here?" She pointed at Jezebel who gave her a friendly wave.

"I'm Phobos's friend!"

"No you're not," Phobos responded swiftly.

Irma stared at her suspiciously. "You know, when I imagined someone being Phobos's 'friend', I'd imagine them having green skin or looking like a total freak show."

"I can be freaky!" she peeped innocently.

Caleb shook his head, slamming his palm against his forehead. "Uh, Oracle, sir. We were actually wondering why you were here."

"I came to get my sister," Himerish stated, trying to retain his composed self. "We were just about to leave."

"But Himerish! You and Phobos need to talk! He's your friend too!"

"Jezebel!" Himerish scolded. "You need to quiet down."

Hay Lin's eyes widened. Friend? What was she talking about? She felt her head pound against her chest, recalling her uncanny dream about the Oracle and Phobos being friends.

Hay Lin stepped forward, preparing to question further about them being friends when she felt a bright explosion of light blind her sight, followed by a strong, invisible force that sent her flying towards the ground. Her head began spinning from her head taking a good impact, and she staggered as she tried to raise herself from the ground. She looked on in horror, witnessing her companions had fallen as well and were struggling to stand back up.

"So Himerish," the familiar, malevolent female voice sounded in the air. "Do tell us more about that friend of yours."

"Nerissa," Will hissed as she looked up at the sorceress in anger.

Nerissa smiled at Will, before looking over to Himerish. She took slow, deliberate footsteps towards him, her grin growing wider and wider as she approached the white haired man.

"Now do tell me… What is the Oracle doing here in Heatherfield?" she questioned tauntingly.

Himerish groaned in pain, before flashing his eyes at Nerissa with hatred. "What do you want?"

Nerissa raised her eyebrow. "Don't tell me you've forgotten, Himerish. You took the Heart of Kandrakar away from me. You took everything away from me. Now… after everything you did… Don't you think I have some unfinished business to settle with you?"

Nerissa laughed as she blasted a ball of light towards Himerish. The light began to wash over the Oracle, forming an orb that trapped him into that space.

"Brother!" Jezebel cried out in desperation.

Himerish was about to blast a ball of light to burst the orb open, but before he could, Nerissa flashed away as quickly as she came, taking him along with her.

Will's eyes opened wide as she and the rest of the guardians successfully rose to their feet. "Did Nerissa just kidnap the Oracle?"

Taranee shook her head. "What's even more embarrassing is that we didn't do anything to stop her."

Phobos smirked. "So much for being guardians of the veil."

Cornelia scoffed. "Who said you can talk?"

"I did."

Cornelia rolled her eyes, flipping her blond hair over her shoulder before turning to her companions. "Alright. What are we going to do about this?"

A bead of sweat trailed down Hay Lin's head. "We don't even know where to start. We've never been able to trace where her hideout is."

Will's eyes began to glisten with worry. "Nerissa is a very vengeful person. And the Oracle is one of the driving factors of why she's out for revenge in the first place."

Everyone was quiet for a moment, thinking intently of what they were going to do about the now dire situation. All except Phobos, who was casually leaning against a nearby tree.

"I have an idea," Caleb suddenly bursted out. "One of Nerissa's main targets now is Phobos. He's the only one who can steal the seal from her. She'll definitely return to take Phobos as well."

Phobos raised his eyebrow at the rebel leader. "Are you implying that you imbeciles are going to use me as bait?"

Will clenched her fists. "We don't have a choice."

Phobos merely scoffed. He then spoke quietly. "Her hand is bleeding. One of you should take her to get treated."

Will turned to Jezebel, whose hand was still profusely bleeding. Her eyes widened. "What happened to you?"

"Minor incident," she responded lightly.

"W-Well we have to get that treated," Will informed her. "Come on. There's a nearby clinic just down the street. I'm pretty sure they can treat that."

Jezebel gulped, nodding slowly as she walked towards Will.

Will turned to everyone else to give orders. "Taranee, Cornelia, you guys come with me. Hay Lin and Matt, take Phobos back to the basement."

Hay Lin pointed at herself uncertainly. "M-Me?"

Will nodded. "Yes. The rest of you: Go to Kandrakar. Maybe Luba will know of a tracking spell that can help us track the Oracle."

Everyone nodded as they all parted ways. Hay Lin stared at Will for a moment, knowing her friend when she was in distress. As a leader, Will did her best to hide her insecurities, as she beckoned Jezebel to follow her down the street.

-xxx-

"Nerissa."

Himerish's voice was surprisingly calm as he stared at the black haired sorceress from his cell. Nerissa gave him a taunting smile.

"So we see each other face to face, Himerish."

"What do you want?"

Nerissa began to pace back and forth from the other side of the cell, as if she were deeply in thought. "You ruined my life, Himerish. I should kill you."

Himerish glowered at her. "You got what you deserved, Nerissa. I was right to take the Heart of Kandrakar away from you. It was starting to corrupt you."

Nerissa's eyes widened in horror, and a few tears glistened down her cheek. She suddenly charged towards the cell, shaking the bars furiously as she stared at him. "You have no idea what I was feeling… what I was doing…. When I had the heart!"

"You were corrupted."

"NO!" Nerissa screeched. She was about to unleash her rage, when she clenched her fists tightly, bowing her head down to conceal her expression. A small smile, a sad smile, slowly crept on her face.

"I'll never regret what I did when I had the heart," Nerissa whispered.

Himerish tilted his head in confusion, wondering what she meant, when his eyes widened at what she said next.

"I really did love you once, Himerish," Nerissa stated solemnly. She took slow deliberate steps as she began walking away from the cell.