A new day breaks as Jim wakes up and gets ready to go to school, sure the past few days have been busy with him at rehearsals and trollmarket, but he wouldn't want it any other way, he also knew it wouldn't stay like this forever because a few nights ago he felt a weird shockwave coming from beneath the town and it felt... familiar. And not in a good way. He also knew had to prepare for a war. Arthur was a thorn in Jim's side, but he did mention one good thing the last time they fought, 'there are no handicaps in a war, only advantages to be used' and Jim's biggest advantage was his knowledge of what was to happen.

Jim and Claire had been more close to each other lately, talking more and sometimes not even talking about the play, just genuinely nice talking to each other. Jim appreciated every second he had with everyone.

Jim got home and went to his room. Toby had training with Draal so Jim was free for a few hours and could come up with some ideas for his future actions. First, he needed allies.

"Now, who can we use to have a clear advantage of what's to come?"

"what do you mean, my king?"

"I mean the only way we can stop Gunmar from being released prematurely"

"I see but I see no one who would fit that description my lord, at least not one of your friends "

"what do you mean?"

" I have run the calculations and I have come up with a possible solution but it'll only be about 19% successful according to my results"

"what do you mean, speak up alx?"

" yes my king, I mean we can use the warlock known as Angor Rot to your advantage and we can convince him to help us if we play our moves right my king"

"Angor!? no way he'll join me, much less save the world from his master"

" but if we give him his soul back then they won't have control over him anymore"

"It still too risky..."

just then Jim's phone rang and he got a call from... Douxie?

Jim forgot he gave his phone number to Douxie to call when he needed help or if he finished the potion for Toby and Claire. Jim

also occasionally helped Douxie out with a few 'tough' errands and he gave him the number to get hold of each other quicker. Jim put on his mask to muffle his voice for Douxie

"Yes? Do you need help?"

" well mate, I would say it's very important"

" what do you mean?"

" you'll have to find out yourself mate, meet us at the music shop"

"us?"

"don't worry these are friends" Just before Douxie hung up, Jim could hear a crying girl in the background

Jim got on his bike and rode to a private area where almost no one crosses and where he usually goes to put on his armor. Jim changed into his armor and stealthily crossed from rooftop to rooftop to the music shop of Douxie. As he arrived at the music shop he found Zoe waiting for him on the rooftop door.

"What took you so long?"

"Had to be inconspicuous, so people don't freak out over a knight in armor jumping from roof to roof"

"Fair enough. Follow me" Zoe led the way into a secret room filled with magic crystals and a few familiar faces Jim knew from his past life

"Hey there mate, thanks for joining us. Let me introduce you. This here is Sir Galahad" Douxie pointed to a old looking man in a suit of armor

"Hello there kiddo. You said he was a warrior but I didn't expect him to look so... Young"

"Hello Mr Galahad, I may look young but I'm exactly older than you think"

"Please call me Galahad, leave the Mr or Sir, that's what they called my father"

"Ok then, Galahad."

"And this here is..." Douxie pointed to a small girl covered in leaves and plants and flowers in her hair. She also had green skin. The small girl approached Jim and got very close to his face, almost like she was examining it.

"Uhh hello there..." Jim awkwardly leaned back

"You really are... Fascinating." Everyone looked confused for a second. The small girl leaned back and stood like a cat on the table. "You can call me Nari."

" Nice to meet you all I'm called the guardian" Jim got back into a normal posture, "so why are we all here?"

The air got stiff as the atmosphere suddenly became very tense, everyone looked serious, like they all just received the worst possible news.

"Tell him what you told us, Nari" Douxie said as he gave Nari a small reassuring smile

"My Master... He has awoken"

Jim suddenly knew exactly what she meant due to the pulse he felt the other day

"A few days ago I had a nightmare thaty master had awoken but I thought it was not real due to me and my siblings not having seen him for centuries. Then yesterday while Nari and sir Galahad were cleaning Nari was summoned..."

"I tell you, it was scary. One moment she was helping me move the statues in Camelot castle then the next she erupted into a small forest..."

"Nari was force summoned to the master's throne room. When Nari got there she immediately fought with her siblings when we met, but then..." Nari started to shake from fear. Zoe put her hand on Nari's shoulder and gave her a tissue.

Nari took a deep breathe and continued, "While we were fighting, we felt a breath that immediately felt like the air became heavier than iron... We all knelt out of fear and stopped our fight. We lowered our head and our master was... He was really there, he was awake. He spoke and said he needed us to retrieve some items for him... Four prisms"

"Prisms? Why?" Jim asked

"Yes, he said he was not complete and that he could not fully walk in out realm"

Jim felt his chest, "why? Why does he want to walk in our realm? And why does he need the prisms?" Jim showed a little too much emotion and everyone looked at him confused, but he regained his composure, "sorry, please continue "

Everyone continued to concentrate on Nari but Douxie still gave Jim a small suspicious look before he too returned to the story of Nari

"He wants to destroy the universe and restart it..."

"Why?" Zoe asked this time

"Nari does not know. He gave the arcane order that order centuries ago but never told us the real reason. He said he wants to do it personally this time..."

"He really has a grudge against us for no reason, huh?" Zoe said as she leaned against the wall "and the prisms?"

"He said he needs a vessel to complete himself and he located one in a place between time and space itself "

Jim's face frose in fear because he knew the place Nari was talking about. Luckily his mask was hiding his face otherwise Douxie would have seen his fearful face

"Ok so we just have to stop him from collecting all four prisms and he can't do anything, right?" Zoe said as she pushed herself off the wall

"Right love, but your forget one very important fact. Where are those prisms?" Everyone stared at Nari for the information

"Neither of us knew. The master said he also does not know and can not located them while he is too weak so he told us to look for it"

"Ok so that at least puts us on an even playing field" Jim said as he felt a bit relieved

"But Nari will not be assisted anymore, because Nari protested against the master and he told Nari that Nari is now an enemy and banished Nari"

"Why didn't he kill you then?" Zoe asked but everyone looked at Zoe for asking an insensitive question, "what? We are all thinking it. If she was there 3 against 1 they could have easily killed her, but he let her leave, unharmed?"

Jim knew exactly why, it was because they still needed Nari, to open the seals of genesis. They knew they can get her later so they let her go

"We don't know but there is another question that is also on my mind, who or what is this master?" Douxie asked Nari

"He is what we call a celestial. A being that existed to protect time itself. We don't know if he is the only one but we only ever knew him. And he is the one who created Nari and her siblings"

"Wait, he created you? For what purpose?"

Nari started to cry "for destruction " Zoe immediately took Nari and hugged her

"It's ok you don't have to tell us today. We have got enough for today out of her" Zoe led Nari to nearby chair to rest.

"Ok so we just have to find at least one prism to stop this celestial thing?" Douxie proposed

The group got together and Douxie and pulled out a map and they tried to pull up possible locations for the prisms

Jim was lost in thought with Alx

'My king, we can use this as an opportunity. We can collect the prisms before the order and get TJ out. If TJ is with us we can protect him better'

'Sounds good'

Douxie put his hand on Jim's shoulder "Are you ok?"

" Huh? Yeah yes, I'm good"

"Let's end there for today, each one of us will search a possible location and we regroup here in about a week or so, sound good?"

Everyone agreed and went their separate ways. As Jim landed in the alley way where is belongings were he noticed the sun was setting and he had a text from Toby. Toby finished his training and went to trollmarket to train with Draal at the hero forge. Jim looked at his clock and realized that he was with Douxie them for about 4 hours. He texted Toby and told him they'll meet up and hangout tomorrow.

After toby replied with and agreement, Jim changed out of his armor and rode home.

As he got home he immediately started to cook dinner and just as he was about to set the table he heard the car pull up.

He set the table for him and his mom as usual but just then he heard another voice. It was a male's voice.

Jim quickly got out an extra plate and set it before they entered

"Hey kiddo sorry I forgot to tell you that..." Barbara was surprised to find the table already set for 3 people

"Good evening mom, I'm already ahead of you. Hello Mr strickler" Jim greeted as he carried the last dish on to the table.

"Good evening young Atlas. I'm honoured you considered me"

"No need to thank me Mr strickler. Now let's eat."

"Let me quickly go change and I'll join you boys soon. You can keep each other company"

"No problem mom" Barbara quickly went to her room to change while Jim and strickler sat at the table.

"Thank you again for hosting me young Atlas. I truly appreciate it"

"No problem Mr strickler."

As the night went by the trio sat and enjoyed their dinner and they shared about they day and told stories as they laughed with each other. The night got late and Barbara wiped the table while Jim and strickler washed the dishes.

"Thank you Mr strickler "

"For what?"

"My mom is very happy, and it's all because of you"

"I should be the one thanking you. My life hasn't been much of a happy one before I met your mom. And she makes me... Better"

" You do the same for her. She was actually quite sad these whole years. She raised me alone for almost my whole life and wasn't easy to find someone. I'm glad it is you Mr strickler "

Strickler was speechless and only got out a few Shakey words, "thank you"

There was a few seconds of silence between them before strickler spoke

"How's the 'chess club' going?"

" It's ok but I've been meeting tougher opponents lately, but I'm managing"

"That's good to hear, as long as you don't over do it too much"

"I won't. I have a huge game actually coming up against a really good player, but I have a plan. But the plan is a bit... Hard. I don't know what to do. It might not be a good idea"

"I'd say you should follow your heart. It sometimes has surprisingly good instincts. It can help you through tough battles."

"Thanks Mr strickler, I needed that"

"So how's the 'school board' been?"

" Well, the head of the board's son has been missing for a while. He's been on an... Independent endeavor. So I've been left to handle the affairs myself. But I have been thinking of switching divisions lately. To a better place, but I'm not sure"

"Well a wise man once told me that you should follow your heart, because sometimes it can have some surprisingly good instincts"

Strickler and Jim laughed as they packed away the last dishes

"I can't thank you enough, you and your mom really are very dear to me, young Atlas "

"You too Mr strickler "

Jim gave strickler an unexpected hug, but he gladly accepted it.

After the last grimes were wipes off, plates packed away and chairs arranged, the trio decided to watch a movie together. After the movie Barbara and Jim walked strickler to his car, and they watched as he drove off.

They returned to the house and both greeted each other and went to their room.

Jim finally got to lay his head on his pillow and fell asleep after a long day.

As the midnight passed and the night critters chirped, Jim's phone buzzed under his pillow.

"Ughh... This better be good, its 2 in the bloody morning" Jim moaned as he looked at who was calling him this late

His eyes widened to pure shook when he saw who it was.

He answered as fast as he could, "Hello, Claire?"

Jim could hear crying over the phone, "I'm sorry Jim, but I'm scared, and I need your help..."