Shortly after the ritual, both thieves ceased to exist.
The Haven, who had once again been cut off from the Primordial Sea, was in far less in shambles then when the Dark Ages had settled over them, was still in a wild panic.
But none more so than Artemus.
Garrett had told him that their fence friend, Basso, was plotting on forcing he and Erin together, and the Eve of Second Darkness was meant to be that particular mission.
Unfortunately for Artemus, the moment the ties between the Keepers and the Primordial Sea were severed, First Keeper Orland once again ordered the Haven into lockdown.
And unlike in the days of olde, where much of the Haven resided on the surface, hidden away from the prying eyes of commoners through Glyph Runes and spells, the New Haven had been moved completely underground, far below the city streets, where safety and refuge could be found.
The Haven below the city was a work of art, a sprawling metropolis, and if so desired, an impenetrable and inescapable fortress.
Which was how Artemus found himself on his knees before the First Keeper, begging to be let out into the city to search for his missing children.
It was a fools errand, but Artemus was desperate.
Luckily for the Keeper however, as in the olden days, there were still those within the Haven who were quite fond of Garrett and Erin, and while they too supported Orland's decision to seal the Haven off from the rest of the city.
The thought of abandoning those two thieves was not something many of them could stomach.
So when Keeper Vairia approached Artemus with a plan to get him out of the Haven, Artemus agreed without hesitation.
"You won't be able to rely on Glyph magic to remain undetected." Keeper Vairia reminded his old friend as he watched Artemus scramble around his home, preparing a rucksack for his adventure.
"The common folk will be terrified… Just because they can't use the same magics we do doesn't mean they can't feel the shifting of the tides…"
When the Dark Ages first befell the city, riots and unrest ravaged the streets, the people afraid for reasons they knew not, Artemus had no doubt that the second fall of the Primordial Sea would bear similar results.
"You are brave Artemus." Keeper Vairia sighed as Artemus donned a dark cloak, not a Keeper's cloak, just a dark, dark cloak to keep him unrecognizable and hopefully less noticeable.
"I'll be waiting for your return." The history teacher sighed as he pressed a sleek dagger into Artemus' palm.
"I'll be waiting." He repeated softly, "And you better come back."