Kai started to panic. What Dr. Julien said was true; the burn mark was no longer there– he couldn't feel it.

He thought his suspicions were confirmed, that Cole's healing abilities were coming into effect. Cole had only healed his arm, though, and nothing else! That bite mark was the only thing that had vanished – it wasn't possible that it would work on other injuries.

It couldn't be possible. Unless Kai was very, very wrong.

"What do you mean, it's gone?" he asked Dr. Julien, incredulous. He tried shifting around to see better. "That's not possible!"

"Believe me, it just disappeared," the doctor muttered. "How fascinating… it's unlike anything I've ever seen…"

Suddenly, Kai sensed Dr. Julien stiffen. The shift in the man's poise made him apprehensive as well. Before Kai could say anything, Dr. Julien stood up and beckoned for him to follow. The look in his eyes made Kai realize that he shouldn't ask any questions.

Surprised, and extremely confused, Kai reluctantly followed him. Questions swirled in his mind, and he wasn't sure why Dr. Julien wasn't recording the injury, or alerting the other doctors, or acting calm during a time like this. Instead, they made their way towards the back of the medical ward, where Kai noticed a large wooden door, locked and untouched.

"This is where our patients can wash," Dr. Julien told him. He pulled a steel key from his pocket and inserted it into the keyhole. "We usually aid them into the basin, but clearly you're well-off walking by yourself," he said with a small chuckle. They were further away from the other patients and doctors now, so Kai deemed it an appropriate time to talk.

"What's really going on here?" he asked quietly, anger and fear boiling up within him. Dr. Julien had opened the door, which led inside a spacious room with a massive washbasin at the center. On a couple of wooden shelves sat shampoos and swabs, leaving the room dancing with the fragrance of sweet honey. There were neat piles of towels resting on top of a cupboard, and they looked soft to the touch. Kai tried his best to concentrate. He ignored the sugary scent, but oddly enough, it was coming to his nose a lot better than he expected. "Why are you bringing me all the way back here?"

Dr. Julien sighed. "In truth, sonny, this is something none of us of have ever seen before… except for me," he told him carefully. Kai's heart abruptly plummeted to the pit of his stomach. Before he could say anything, Dr. Julien continued to talk, "With a burn that severe, no one could have just made it out alive, at least, not without life-threatening risks." He hesitated before moving on. "In your case… you were able to withstand it; not only that, but you also healed incredibly quickly. Less than a day, to be precise. To the normal eye, that would be superhuman. Others would want to experiment on you, investigate, exploit you."

Kai was speechless. What in the world was Dr. Julien talking about? Was he trying to save him? Or was this some kind of trick?

"How… how do you know about this?" Kai asked tentatively. He was still puzzled, but he mostly wanted to make sure Dr. Julien wasn't talking about Cole and his healing remedies.

There was a moment's silence until the doctor replied. For just a second, Kai noticed a far-away look in his eyes.

"Because the same thing happened to my son."

Kai's eyes shot wide open. His heart began to hammer in his chest, and suddenly his knees felt extremely weak. There was a terrible chill that crawled up his spine after he heard those words.

Was it just him, or did the room feel a lot… colder?

"He was a curious young lad, he was," said Dr. Julien. As he recalled his memories, a faint smile appeared on his face, like that of a proud father. "It happened long, long ago, you see, but... I miss him every day of my life. Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if – "

Just then, a patient began to sob from their bed. Dr. Julien took that as his cue to leave. "I must get back, but you go wash up. I think that would do you best for now," he said. His eyes twinkled, and Kai had a foreboding feeling that he was leaving out a lot more information than he realized. "Once you're finished, I'll have a bed prepared for you. You'll be sleeping here for the night; you still have a couple of other injuries that need an extra day."

Without another word, Dr. Julien left him alone with the washbasin, hurrying over to the wailing patient. Other napping tenants began to stir, some complaining, while others tried to close their eyes again.

After processing what he had just been told, Kai locked the door and slowly made his way to the shelves. He began to undress and carefully set his clothes on the ageing wood. His skin prickled as he felt the cool air brush against him, and he touched the shelf, feeling the indents and soft texture of the lumber. He closed his eyes and sighed, wishing he could be out in the forest again, wishing he could at least run with Cole without the fear he once bore.

Kai turned the tap on and waited for the water to pool in about two-thirds of the way. Meanwhile, he gently laid out a towel on the floor to prevent a watery mess. As he stuck his arm over the basin to test the temperature, he felt the steam welcome him into a warm embrace, the water patiently waiting for the right moment to engulf him.

Kai dipped his feet in and gently slid into the water, just until it touched his chin. He let out a breath and tried to stay calm. The warm temperature certainly helped with that, and it was the most comfortable he'd felt that day. Still, he couldn't help but think about what Dr. Julien said, about the tests and ruthless experiments... on his son, no less.

Nothing like that would even come to fruition; no one would even think to do something like that in this town.

...Would they?

The more he thought about it, the more he started to question Krux and Acronix. Kai knew that they weren't the greatest rulers, but he couldn't believe that even they could do something as cruel as human experimentation. To what lengths would someone go to pull off something like that? If they did do it, was it in secret? Did the Lords have a full team behind them? Was Dr. Julien the only one who's kid had been experimented on? Why in the world did he tell Kai? Were the experiments performed in their very own chambers?

Kai tried to take a deep breath, tried to focus on the scent of the room he was in.

Wait, why the scents?

He wasn't sure why he decided to concentrate on the smells, but he didn't particularly care at that moment. He just wanted to get away from the visions, his thoughts, the possibility that something terribly dangerous was currently being undergone in the fortress.

The bathing room darkened as night approached. The only source of light poured through the window, and the colors of the night eased him. The water started to cool down as well, and he took that as a sign to start scrubbing down the dirt and mud. He washed himself with a sweet lavender scent, trying to cover himself with an odour much nicer than he'd like to admit.

As time went by, Kai slunk in the basin and waited there. No one had knocked on the door yet, and the night left him feeling drowsy and comfortable. He blew a couple of bubbles in the water, watched them drift apart and pop, then blew some more. The water eased him into a nice lull, and it didn't take long before Kai felt his eyelids sag. Any thoughts of the tested child left his mind, and so were his theories about the Lord Protectors. Before he knew it, he closed his eyes and slowly drifted off into a peaceful nap, savoring every bit of comfort he had left in the cold, secluded bathing room.

. . .

From the medical ward, the faint sounds of snoring guards seeped through the windows. Patients grumbled and tossed over in their sleep, mumbling incoherent words into the air. But Kai could hear everything.

He slept soundly in his own bed, which had been arranged by Dr. Julien. He wore a fresh nightgown, which every patient had to wear. His cloak and outdoor clothes had been neatly folded on the nightstand beside his bed, which he was glad about. He'd have to remember to wash those, too.

There were no disturbances outside; no rampaging dragons, no bellowing guards and desperate townspeople, no infuriated fathers, nothing. No one had come knocking on the door, either. Yet again, he was able to fall into another restful slumber.

That was, until he was thrust into an unforgiving nightmare.

Kai was dropped into a landscape of pure ice and frost. His hands were frozen and withered, and the veins in his limbs popped as he felt himself shrink in the frozen wasteland. White storms thundered and flew into the glazed forest ahead of him, slicing nearly every tree clean off their stumps. Powders of snow glistened from the shaking branches, and hot steam left Kai's mouth as he screamed.

Several feet away from him stood a young boy, with rigid blond hair standing straight up. Kai couldn't see his face, but his posture was incredibly tense, and his fists were clenched. He thought he could see them shake.

The boy wore a white gown, just like Kai's. It looked exactly like the type patients would wear in the medical ward. Kai's mind began to whirl. When was this happening?

Where the hell was he?

Who was this kid?

Kai realized just then that he had no protection from the cruel weather. If he was wearing the same nightgown as the boy, his body was barely shielded from the wind – the moment he came to that realization, he could've sworn he felt ice spears stab through every part of his body, leaving him a frozen vessel left to die.

The cold hurt so much. The chill continued to bite at his pale body. Kai felt his skin thinning into a cracked, aching layer. He struggled to peer at the boy through his frozen hair, who was now angling his body to defend himself. Kai tried to look past him, and he thought he could see more shadows, namely two looming silhouettes marching through the brash winter storm. He tried to make out who they were, but it was nearly impossible… then…

His heart suddenly froze.

Lords Krux and Acronix marched towards the small boy, sneering and shooting hateful glances his way. Their black cloaks whipped in the wind, revealing their red suits with the ticking clock carved on the torso. The blond boy began to yell, his words inaudible in the harsh storm. Kai couldn't hear what he was saying, but he could tell the boy's voice was growing more panicked.

Suddenly, spears of gleaming ice shot from the boy's hands and headed straight for Krux and Acronix. The Lords quickly locked arms and… vanished into thin air.

The boy's eyes widened in shock. He swiveled around and tried to locate them. Kai was staring as well, completely terrified.

What was going on?

Then, out of nowhere, Acronix hurled himself from behind the boy and wrestled him into the snow. The boy screamed and thrashed, but Krux held him firmly from the other side. Kai let out a distraught yell, but no one seemed to have heard him. In the distance, he could see more soldiers, some on horseback with others on foot, leaping over fallen logs and trees. They quickly made their way to the child, but a far more powerful chill suddenly fell over them all. The sky swirled into an arena of dark grey and black clouds, and the winds became harsher and hateful.

No one could have prepared themselves for what happened next. With an abrupt shriek into the night sky, the boy shoved himself as hard as he could and hunched his back, spikes of ice shooting from his spine.

They stabbed through Krux and Acronix's hands, warm blood pooling all over the white snow and on the boy's rigid back. They both yelled a stream of curses and wrenched their hands back, throwing themselves far away from him.

Kai dug himself into the snow, frantically hoping he wouldn't be seen. He couldn't tell what expression he was making anymore – his face felt frozen, numb, lifeless. His heart thundered in his chest, ramming against his ribs to break free. He hesitated to look at Krux and Acronix, but when he did, he saw Krux move his bloodied hands in a strange way. He kept moving them in a circular motion, counter-clockwise. It looked as though he was struggling to turn something in that direction, like it was giving him great effort doing so.

Kai felt a slight shift in his weight. It felt like he was propelled in the air for just a second, until he finally felt his balance again. He was so confused about what had just happened, until he noticed that Krux's hands weren't bloody anymore. Neither were Acronix's.

They were still pinning the boy to the ground, keeping his head shoved in the snow. He thrashed around just like before, but Krux quickly pulled something out of his cloak and stabbed it to his neck. The boy's movements ceased. He fell deeper into the compiled snow, blending right in with it. Kai realized he'd been injected with a sedative.

The wind howled in their ears. The storm didn't let up, but it didn't become as fierce as it had been before. After a few moments of catching his breath, Krux shouted at his guards to approach the scene. With everyone there, his cruel eyes searched the crowd, until he spotted the one he was looking for.

He bellowed something into the air, and, after some shuffling, someone scampered to the front of the scene. He looked a lot younger and better poised, but Kai remembered the familiar twinkle in his eyes. He knew that face.

"Dr. Julien?" he breathed, astonished and horrified at the same time.

Dr. Julien's face was slightly bruised, as though he'd gotten into a fight, as if he was resisting. It was the first time Kai had seen him scowl. It was the first time he'd seen him look so devastated.

He tried to approach the boy, but Acronix stopped him immediately, frowning at the man. He gave an order to Dr. Julien, who protested at first, then cowered as Acronix screamed the same thing.

Kai watched as Dr. Julien knelt on the snow, his hands behind his back. Krux called a guard over and must have told him to cuff the child, because the soldier pried the boy's arms and shackled them. From where he was, it could have been the snow, or the wind, but Kai thought he saw Dr. Julien blink back tears. His heart sank.

This must have been the son he was talking about, Kai realized.

When the boy was securely chained, and the guard returned to his troop, Krux left Acronix's side to approach Dr. Julien. Kai couldn't stand it. If this was all a nightmare, no matter how sick of a joke it was, he would risk getting just a little bit closer. He needed to know what was happening, he needed to hear them.

Kai missed the first couple of words, but he eventually interpreted what Krux was saying. The Lord Protector loomed over Dr. Julien, who was shrinking beneath his shadow. He raised one arm over the doctor and closed his eyes. He was in silent focus.

"You will never speak of this moment again," Krux rasped. "You won't remember this moment, you won't remember his element, you won't remember your son."

Element? Kai wondered.

Every point he made was followed by the same turning motion with his hands. It went counter-clockwise, and he faintly struggled as he rotated his fist, almost as if he was turning an invisible doorknob. Kai felt a chill slide down his spine as he saw young Dr. Julien turn his head in the same direction as Krux's fist. His eyes were glazed over, like he wasn't truly in his mind or body.

After several moments, Dr. Julien lowered his head. No one moved. Kai didn't dare breathe. About a minute or two went by, he wasn't sure, but Dr. Julien blinked, then he slowly raised himself to his feet. He looked around and flinched as he saw the sliced trees. He blanked when he noticed ice shards litter the frosted landscape. He looked perplexed when he saw lines of soldiers stationed behind him.

"Where am I?" he wondered aloud. He turned to Krux and Acronix, eyes widening at the little boy on the ground.

"Who is he?"

"SILENCE!" Krux roared. "Know your place, Julien. You understand that you are not to ask questions unless we permit you to speak, do you not?"

For a moment, Dr. Julien was stunned. He looked confused; worried. He looked like he forgot something important, but it slipped from his mind before he got a hold of it.

"Y-yes, Lord Protector," he stammered.

"Back to your station," Krux spat. "Now."

Without further ado, Dr. Julien hurried back to the guards, slipping through the front line and vanishing in a moment's notice. Kai stared.

What in the First Spinjitzu Master's name did he just see?

As the Lords and their troop began to depart, Kai stumbled to his feet and tried to follow them. But his limbs struggled to move. They slowed down every step he took, and suddenly the cold felt more painful, like fire was touching his skin. He screamed in anguish, in fear, in hope that he would at least be able to escape somehow.

No use.

He was in the middle of nowhere. The forest was destroyed, his nightmare was conjuring storms even worse than before, the snow was getting thicker by the second, and Kai was drowning underneath it all. He was sinking, and no one was around to save him.

He desperately tried to rescue himself. He dug with his quivering hands until he could see the faint of light peeking overhead. He grasped and pulled and shoved, but every time he did, walls of snow closed in on him more and more. Frozen tears formed at the corner of his eyes, and they hurt so much more than he thought they would. He found it harder to breathe.

Black spots flashed in front of him, and he felt himself go over the edge. He pleaded and cried for help but to no avail. If he fainted now, he wouldn't be able to make it. Nightmare or not, he had to escape. He had to escape, or else –

Kai pushed himself up on his bed, breathing in large gulps of air. His eyes were blown wide open, looking every which way. His arms trembled, and never had he felt such a strong urge to run away. Without ever looking back.

His gown was drenched in cold sweat, and he quickly stared out the window.

No snow.

No storms. No harsh winds. No blizzards. Nothing.

Thank the First Spinjitzu Master.

It was all a nightmare.

It felt so real. But thankfully it only came from Kai's imagination. He slunk back in his bed, then grimaced as he felt a pool of sweat on his sheets. Thinking better of it, he changed into his outdoor clothes and tossed the gown into a separate bin filled with dirty clothes. He knew that the doctors would be awake at this hour. Kai didn't know what time it was, but it was before sunrise. The sky was as dark as it could be.

He swiftly pulled his hood over his head and used his black cloak to blend with the shadows. After waking up from his nightmare, he felt like all his senses were alert, and he made sure to be careful of creaky floorboards.

As far as Kai could tell, his injuries were fine. Unless he was being thrown off, and it was just his heightened senses coming into effect.

He was so confused. He didn't want to look at Dr. Julien in the eyes, he didn't even want to think about the Lord Protectors. His stomach lurched at the thought of them.

Before anyone could notice him, Kai slipped through the front door and ran down the street. He heard a handful of guards snoring very loudly from their stations, but he ran past them and numerous houses and markets until he finally got home. Once he reached the front door, he quietly opened it and saw, with amazement, that it was a lot neater than the last time he'd been there. His father must have cleaned up the mess. Thinking about it made Kai feel a stab of guilt, but he shoved the thought aside.

Kai tiptoed into his house and noticed that his father and Ember weren't there. Then he understood that they were probably at the Dragon's Den. He felt like a massive weight fell from his shoulders, and he would find comfort knowing they were alright.

When he turned to the bedpost, his breath hitched as he saw Nya sleeping on the bottom bed. Relief washed over his entire body the moment he saw her – she was safe after all! But how had she found her way back? They'd ventured so deep into the forest; it would have been next to impossible finding the town all on her own…

Unless she'd been caught by some soldiers? Or Dad found her alone?

He started to sweat as he thought of the outcomes. He wasn't going to ask Nya until morning, and even if she had been found out, she probably would have been locked in chains by now.

Kai tensed when he thought of chains. He thought back to that young boy, getting his hands and legs cuffed as he lay in the snow, limp as a dead body…

No! The kid had been tranquilized! Not dead. But who knew how long ago that had happened? Dr. Julien had looked much younger than he did now. Speaking of… how did Dr. Julien remember his son? It didn't seem like he remembered him in his nightmare.

Then again, it was just a nightmare. It wasn't real. He could have easily imagined him, Krux, and Acronix in the heart of a fierce blizzard. But still… Dr. Julien mentioned his son. Krux had said something about 'forgetting an element', whatever that meant. And the ice shooting out of the kid's body… what the hell even was that?

Kai was pulled out of his thoughts when Nya shuffled in her sleep. He suddenly felt very uneasy. He thought it wouldn't be long until his father would come back, and Kai wasn't supposed to be home yet. Still, he refused to return to the medical ward. He refused to stay in a town where the Lord Protectors were always watching everyone and everything.

There was no other place to go… unless…

With a jolt, Kai remembered the forest. He remembered Cole.

It was a stupid idea. A terrible one. He'd get caught for sure if he tried it.

But he felt as though the Lord Protectors would catch him either way. He didn't feel safe staying here. He had to leave, at least for now. The night was still young; he would return well before morning. Once he's come back, he would tell Nya everything. He also knew he would start his work as a blacksmith since the worst of his injuries had gone. He couldn't be away for that.

Quietly, Kai pulled the covers up to Nya's shoulders, backed out of the house, and locked the door. When he saw that he was in the clear, he darted for the front gates, quiet as can be in the solace of the night.

. . .

"Julien," called a man's voice. "Julien, the boy's gone."

Dr. Julien turned to look at whoever spoke to him – one of his colleagues. It was a little difficult to see in the dark, but he adjusted his glasses and turned on a dim lamp. He looked at the doctor and let out a soft chuckle.

"Which boy? Let me think, now… oh, him, the crazy one! Don't worry, I discharged him," he said kindly. He made sure to keep his voice low so as not to wake the resting patients. His colleague raised a brow, uncertainty written all over his face.

"Really?" the man started. "Just like that? I thought his wounds were… y'know, a lot worse–"

"I've checked on them myself. He was in stable condition, and I made sure to offer him antiseptics to help with any possible infections."

Without another word, Dr. Julien got to work at his desk. Thankfully his co-worker didn't question him any further and instead went to his own side of the ward. Dr. Julien exhaled from his nose and rubbed his temples. His patient had run off earlier tonight, but he wasn't worried. He intended to tell him about his son, but he couldn't bring up the incident from all those years ago. He'd been lucky enough to trick Krux into believing his time-warp-schtick worked. He still remembered his Zane.

After finding out about Kai's burn mark, it was only a matter of time before he'd be found out too. Dr. Julien tried to help by warning him. Now he could only hope that he'd done the right thing.