"Why were you going after Shen?" Syndra begun to sound angry.

"Syndra please, you're being irrational, this was before I even met you!"

"I don't care! Were you trying to kill him?"

"Of cour- Syndra, wait!"

She stood up and got out of the bed, heading for the door. Zed grabbed her forearm and pulled her back to him, into an embrace that she couldn't escape. She wriggled and tried to escape, but it was futile, Zed's physical strength far surpassed her own.

"Zed, let go of m-" He kissed her hard, trying to get her to shut up and give him a chance to explain himself. Syndra tried to fight back, or at least she tried to convince herself that she did, not wanting to give into Zed's demands. She slowly relaxed her muscles, giving up on escaping.

"Syndra, please.. Let my explain myself.."

She nodded.

"If I kill Shen, then I will be at peace finally, his burden will be lifted form my shoulders."

"Do you have to kill him, Zed? Why enslave him for torture?"

"Syndra, that is far too dark.."

"You're the one that's trying to murder him.."

He let go of her and slowly walked back over to the bed. Zed lifted the covers, and climbed in, gesturing for Syndra to follow, but she declined by waving her hand.

"I need some time to think.."

"So be it."

And think she did. Zed's particular wing in the Order was of fair size, with several rooms streching off from the corridoor, allowing her to wander freely with her spheres. Even though she hated spending time away from Zed, it pained her heart to do so, the peace and silence of Ionia at midnight was partially what Syndra lived for. She continued walking down the dark hall, and went outside, but was met with a friendly face.

"Good.. Evening? Do you say evening for this time of the night?" It was Hei-An, and she was strangely optimistic. Syndra giggled.

"I suppose so. How are you?"

"I'm feeling.. Perfect. Thank you asking!"

"You seem far too happy, what is it?" Syndra nudged her.

"Is it a boy?" She whispered.

Hei-An turned red in an instant, her face now matched her clothes. Syndra laughed, and hugged her.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have pryed!" She laughed.

"Well, if you must kn-"

"Mistress Syndra! We need your help!" A voice called from the darkness, it sounded desperate and familiar. The silhouette edged close, Hein-An prepared herself to defend Syndra, not knowing who it was running for him.

"Lower you weapon, it's Ven."

"Mistr- ..Syndra. Please, one of the students has done something wrong, terribly wrong, awfully wrong!"

She nodded, and turned back to Hei-An.

"Stay here, and resume your guard." She nodded in acknowledgment.

Syndra hurried over to the small crowd of people with Ven, and gently pushed through everyone, apologising each time she moved someone.

"What's going on he-"

She stopped, and put on hand on her hip as her other hand lazily trailed up to her face, and slapped it.

"For goodness sake Linda, not again!"

"I'm sorry Synd- Er Mistress Syndra! I was only praticing!"

She kneeled down to the panicked child. Linda was very young, but she too was an orphan much like Zed and Syndra, except the only difference is that Zed knew exactly what had happened to her parents.

"Linda, you must run, they're here to kill us! Please, save yourself." Her mother's bloodshot eyes ran straight through her, and it felt like she was speaking with a deceased being. With the end of her plea, a black hook with a green aura could be seen behind her, it's wielder swinging it around playfully as it walked over to them.

"Mummy, can't you walk? It's not far to the boats! You can make it.. Can't you?" Both of them began to cry, but Linda did not understand the full extent to her mother's broken legs.

"Linda dear.." She cupped her face with both hands.

"The horse creature crushed my legs.. You must ru-" A single cough was hear before blood began to splutter from her mothers throat. He had impaled her with the hook.

"Delightful agony.." It spoke.

"Li..daa.."

She ran. Ran as far away as she could before running into a heavily armoured man. Linda looked up at the man, noticing the blades attached to his arms, and the spiky shurikens protruding from his back. She began to cry even more.

"Please mister, I don't want any harm! I was only trying to help her!"

"Shhh, it'll be fine, come with me." He picked her up, and and ran to the boats, avoiding tripping over the piles of dead bodies surrounding the floor. The onslaught of death could still be heard in the background, and it was a massive surprise to the man that this child was still alive, a surprise that she had avoided every obstacle in her course.

"Move! I have a child, we must get her to safety!"

"We also saved two children, Master Zed!"

"Us also, we saved four!"

He quickly looked around, acknowledging how full his boats were. Full of horrified and mentally scarred people. Children, teenagers, adults. It hit Zed hard.

"We must leave, EVERYONE RELEASE THE BOATS, WE ARE DEPARTING."

It was this day that the Order of the Shadows received a grim reminder. Do not attempt to contact the dead.

Linda sat upright on the bed in one of Syndra and Zed's spare rooms, Zed was displeased, but not angry, and Syndra was just fed up.

"Linda, what were you doing training at this time of night?" Zed questioned. His voice was monotonous and neutral, something Syndra hated.

"Zed, you always complain about not being tough enough on the students, this is why, you show neutrality."

"Syndra, you know what happ.. What happened to her. I could never be horrible or strict with her."

She sighed and shook a hand at him.

"Well.. Zed.. I was practicing the elemental shadows like Syndra taught us, and.. I.. I morphed my shadow into water!" She burts into tears.

"Oh, Linda.." He looked at Syndra. "Are you able to fix this?"

"Yes.. I need maximum concentration.. How cliche."

Zed giggled, and promptly left the room.

"What was the trouble, Master Zed?"

"Linda, she.. Morphed her shadow into water."

"That's impressive.. How?"

"We don't know. That child needs to learn how to control her magic, only Syndra can help her with that, after all, she was in the same position herself.."

"Indeed.. Well, please rest, Master, you deserve it for this week."

Zed headed back to his room with a smirk on his face.

"Oh don't you worry Hei-An, I am already.. Well rested." He chuckled.

"What do you me-" It hit her. She shook her head and sheepishly walked down the corridor, cringing at the realisation. Zed just laughed, and resumed to his bed.

Meanwhile...

"Shen, what if Zed attacks us again?" Akali's voice was softer than usual as both of them looked down at their peacefully sleeping baby son. Shen reached to his face and gently stroked it. He was leaning on the bar of the cot, as Akali stood beside him with her head on his shoulder.

"I hate the words to fall from my mouth but.. We may have to call a truce."

"A truce?" She looked shocked, but not angry.

"Yes.. Until we know we are safe here, or elsewhere in Ionia, we will have to avoid war by any means.."

They both looked down at Raiden with a small smile on their faces. The room was dark, but was well lit by moonlight.

"It's amazing what new-found love can do to a man, isn't it?"

She giggled.

"Indeed, Shen. But what we must realise is that he will be the next Eye of Twilight.."

"Akali.." Shen stood up and place his hands on her shoulders and leaned in to kiss her. She lifted her arms up to his waist and hugged him. He sighed heavily.

"I don't want him to live the lives that we have up until now, not much love and loving attention, just training to kill.."

"Shen.. We will give him all the love that he deserves, I promise."

The promise was sealed with a tender kiss, a promise that Akali, or Shen would not break.