"What am I going to do with a cursed sword?"

"The same thing you do with any other sword."

Jaan looks at Heli with raised eyebrows, but Heli avoids his gaze and turns his attention to the now solitary King's sword hanging on the wall. Eugene had thought it was only appropriate to extend their stay and assist with the repair of the front facade of the inn. Now that's nearly complete, and the days are growing noticeably brighter, even if sunlight only lasts a couple hours around midday.

"I'm pretty envious, actually," says Solon. He sits opposite Heli at their table in the cafe. Eira keeps them well-fed with blood and cakes. Viken works on a large bowl of sweetened oats. "Having a cursed sword is even better than a normal one. No one's going to want to steal it."

"I wouldn't want to chase someone down as a ghoul for it," Heli counters.

Jakah laughs. "If you all had a hand in killing the monster, doesn't it belong to all of you?"

Heli shrugs and finishes off his glass of blood. He's almost used to being here now. Despite the cold, the inn is homey and with Solon around he feels more at ease than ever. If only he knew where Jino, or Shion and Noa could be. Being all together again is all he really wants. He'd even forget about Lamia, if she'd just leave him alone.

"Right now it's the four of us," he muses out loud.

"I know," says Jaan. "Unlucky number, isn't it?"

"We're supposed to be seven."

"Now that is a lucky number."

Jakah leans forward, his face alight with a wide smile.

"You want to find the others, right? Well then, should we try it?"

"Try what?" retorts Heli, but Solon and Jaan both exchange a look.

"It's never worked before," says Solon. "Which means it's not real or it needs all of us."

"You mean, it didn't work without him," says Jaan. "I think we should give it another go." He shoots a glance at Heli, but Heli isn't any closer to understanding.

"What are you talking about?"

The four of them stand, in complete unison. The others have serious expressions. Viken's frozen with his spoon in his mouth. Without a word, they step into a clear space between the tables. Heli's not even sure why they're standing. No one asked. He feels like something is guiding him, like an ancient instinct he'd never tapped into before.

Jaan and Solon raise their right hand, and Jakah follows suit. Something definitely is pulling him to join in, lifting his own arm like the others and offering it to the centre of their little circle. Jakah closes his fingers around Heli's wrist and Heli does the same to Solon, until the four of them are connected.

Viken also rises from the table, his oats forgotten.

"Eugene, the vampires are acting weird…"

"Can you feel it?" Jakah asks and Heli nods.

Now that they're touching like this he can feel something flowing through his hand, like a current of electricity running from Jakah to him, and to Solon. He doesn't know how to explain, and he doesn't need Jakah to tell him. This has always been there, like the threads of fate that bind them together.

He closes his eyes trying to concentrate on the sensation.

"You might be able to find the others," says Jaan. "At least telepathically."

"How, when I don't know where they are? I've never been able to talk to someone without being able to see them either."

"Because we're connected," answers Jakah. "You're already close with them, in an emotional sense. We're going to amplify the abilities you already have."

"How do you think Lamia does it?" adds Solon. "She talks to you across continents, does she not?"

"Yes, but that's not the same thing."

"Why not?" says Jaan. "There's no way you have a stronger bond to her."

"No." Heli frowns. His eyes still closed, he tries expanding the reach of his mind. He can feel Jakah beside him. Viken's essence is moving away. Eugene is somewhere on the periphery of his reach, but neither of them are close enough to send a message to, if he wanted. He stretches to the absolute limit, pushing himself to the point of pain. He stumbles through the darkness, grasping for any hint, any clue of what he's supposed to do. Whatever it is the others are expecting him to do.

This power, whatever it was they wanted to try just doesn't work after all. He's about to pull his hand away and tell them the whole endeavour is a bust when he sees it.

In front of him, a shimmering light passes through the space where their hands are connected. And from this light, three faint white lines flicker between them, stretching out beyond his vision into the dark.

"There's something here," he mumbles. "Like a beam of light. I'm going to follow it."

"Go ahead," says Jakah. "We'll be here."

Heli nods, and with a deep breath, steps forward. This feeling, he doesn't like. Balancing on the ceiling is nothing compared to floating through empty space as he leaves his body behind. He stumbles, but continues, determined to see where these beams go. Despite his feet not making contact with a solid surface, he walks for quite some time without any change. Slowly, the lights seem to grow brighter, more solid as the flickering slows. As he goes further on, they diverge. Two of the beams remain close, veering off to the left, while the third carries on slightly to the right.

"They've split up," he says. "Should I go right or left?"

"That would make sense if they're not together." Jakah's voice is far away. "Try whichever you feel is strongest."

Neither one feels stronger than the other but the two on his left appear brighter. He turns to follow that path. Curious, he reaches out and runs a hand along the beam. It's not physical in a way he can feel, but putting his hand through the light causes a tingling sensation to run up his arm. The farther he goes, the stronger he can feel a pulling at his back as the connection to his body grows thinner and thinner.

Cold hits his face, and his feet. The sound of sloshing grows louder and he looks down and sees dark water. A pitch-black sea surrounds him, the bright lights refracting as they disappear into the waves.

He stops.

"Are they underwater? There's an ocean here."

"That doesn't seem right," Jaan's voice floats down through the air. "Can you see anything else?"

"No, just water."

"Try the other way then," says Solon. "We don't know what could happen if you go too deep."

Heli agrees so he turns back. He doesn't want to know what could happen if he got lost out here, barely attached to his own body. The lifeline tying him back is stressed as it is.

He follows the threads back to the point where the three meet, and continues on in the other direction, following the single line. This one doesn't go as far. Before too long it grows even brighter than the other two had, until the light is nearly blinding. He raises his hand to block his eyes from the intense glow. He squints, still trying to make sense of where he's going, when suddenly the entire space is awash with a cool, grey light.

He lowers his hand, blinking as his eyes adjust. Overhead, a cloudy sky is lit with midwinter sunlight. A light layer of snow covers the ground and the surrounding trees, their bare branches reaching up into the sky. All around him, rows and rows of headstones cover the ground, some of them tipped over and most worn from many years of weathering to be no longer legible. Not too far away, several small stone buildings, their rounded roofs each topped with a cross.

"I'm in a cemetery," he reports. "But I don't know where."

"Describe it," says Jaan.

"It's old," Heli replies. "And completely packed with graves. There are some mausoleums too."

"Anything distinctive?"

"I don't know, it's a cemetery," Heli sighs. "There's a church, in the distance. This place is massive."

"Any signs of vampires?"

Heli walks through the rows of graves, searching for the hint that anyone had been there, but everything looks abandoned and neglected. He passes by one of the mausoleums. Something hanging from one of the doors glints in the light. He draws closer for a better look. A small, silver cross swings on a chain, suspended from the stone structure. He knows this cross. It was once embedded in his palm.

"Jino is here," he says. "Or he was. I don't see him."

"Let's figure out where you are," Solon says. "Can you get a better look at the church?"

"From here, I can see three towers," Heli starts the hike towards the church. "It has a black roof and really tall arched windows. I'm going to try to get closer."

"Okay, that's good," says Jakah.

Heli picks up his pace, when he hears rustling behind him.

"Jino?" He whips around, but can't see anyone. "Jino, are you there?"

Wind whistles through the trees and a chill runs up his spine.

"Jino?" he repeats, his voice barely more than a whisper.

The rustling grows louder, as if weaving between the headstones as it approaches. Heli's eyes drop to the ground, but he's already too late.

A black snake flings itself from behind a stone, its mouth open and fangs bared. Heli throws up an arm to block his face, and the snake digs its teeth into his forearm. It keeps its grip until he swings his arm hard, and tosses the snake off. It smacks into a stone, turns and makes a new lunge for him.

This time he's ready. Before the snake can bite into him again, he brings down his fist, slamming it into the ground.

"Get out of my head!" he screams, smashing into the snake again. "Leave me alone!"

The snake curls up on the ground, writhing as it twists with each blow. With a final twitch, it evaporates into black smoke, dissipating into the air.

"Heli? What's going on?" Jaan sounds even more far away than ever.

Burning pain radiates up his arm. He whimpers as he pulls up his sleeve. Deep punctures in his arm slowly ooze blood, but more worrying are the black lines sneaking through his flesh, stinging venom crawling further up his arm with each beat of his heart.

"Heli, come back." He barely hears Jakah. "Come back, please, we're here."

Heli tries to stand, but his head spins and his knees don't want to hold his weight. He leans into the headstones as he tries to crawl back out of this scene, but he can't find the beam of light that had led him here anymore.

"Heli!"

"I'm trying," he gasps.

He's vaguely aware of someone shaking his shoulders as they call his name. He sinks to the ground, his face in his hands as he struggles for air.

"Heli! Heli!"

For some reason this feels familiar. Just as much as the pain and the dizziness, but also the sinking disappointment of turning away when someone is calling his name.

"Heli! Over here!"

That's right. That time it had been Jino.

He lifts his head. Jino waves to him from across the ballroom. Behind him, Solon is trying to teach Jaan how to waltz, while Shion giggles and Noa does pirouettes. Jakah sits by the stone column, his arms crossed and a sour look on his face. They all ended up with coordinated suits of white, navy and gold. Heli looks down at his own ensemble. A white coat with golden trim.

He steps in Jino's direction, but Lamia catches him first, entwining her arm around his.

"Remember what I said earlier?" she chides. "Don't bother about them. I want you with me tonight."

He tries to hide the forlorn expression threatening to take over his face, but he knows she can feel his sour mood, especially as he sees Jino's shoulders slump and his crestfallen face as Lamia pulls Heli away. He wants to go to them instead. Aside from Jakah, they look like they might be having a good time at this get-together.

"Will you bring them, too?" he asks. "To Aeaea?"

Lamia looks up at him with a small smile. "If that's what you wish. We can do with them whatever you want."

"I won't go without them."

"Very well. Now, please, at least pretend you're enjoying yourself while we greet our guests, hm?"

Lamia had described her plans for the night's event as elegant, refined and her vision somewhat mysterious. Heli isn't sure how well that has been accomplished. The decorations are the same black and white striped fabrics as their carnival tents. Red flowers adorn the tables. He had been curious how the carnival band was going to render dance music on a calliope. The resulting music echoing through the stone halls is certainly weird. The Shadows, still in their long hooded robes, flutter about in the corners of his vision. They've been ordered to see to the guests, and watching them cater to everyone other than Lamia is somewhat humorous.

A neutral expression is the best he can manage to keep his mouth from slipping into a frown. A far cry from enjoying himself, but he's determined. He wants to see this island, to go somewhere with Lamia that's not the carnival.

He's not paying much attention as a queue of well-dressed vampires file by them, taking Lamia's hand and bidding her a good evening. His eyes are on the floor as another couple stops in front of them, the man in buckled shoes and knee-britches, and his companion in a gown adorned with ruffles.

"I'm so glad you could make it, Marquis," Lamia says. "It's always a pleasure to see you."

"Likewise, mademoiselle," the man replies. "I see your collection is growing as always. You truly have an eye for rare gems."

Lamia laughs. "Aren't they charming?"

The pair walks away, and there's finally a reprieve. A Shadow appears on Lamia's other side, whispers something in her ear, then vanishes. She turns, tilting Heli's face to look at her.

"I have a surprise for you later," she says. "I think it ought to cheer you up."

She takes his hands and pulls him into the twirling of the dance floor. She leans close into his shoulder as they turn. He knows he's supposed to lead but he's distracted by her hand in his and the soft scent of vanilla and jasmine with an undertone he now recognises as blood. He would be just as content if she wanted to stand still like this. Everything else just melts away. The Shadows lurking around the walls, the dissonance of the music, the other guests who seem to swerve out of their way as they near. He doesn't even give a second thought to Jino and the others, who are surely watching from the sidelines. Right now, nothing and no one else matters.

When she pulls away it feels like both an eternity has passed, and no time at all.

"Come," she whispers.

He nods and follows her out to the castle's largest balcony. Shadows are already waiting, standing atop the parapets, their covered faces set forward as their robes flutter in the cool spring breeze.

"This masquerade isn't just for the fun of it," Lamia smiles. "I wanted to make an event of things, to show off how far you've come…you're nearly ready. Think of this as something of your debut."

Heli looks up at the Shadows standing around them. "I don't understand."

"A promotion, then, if you will." Lamia gestures to the Shadows. "I am going to grant you the power to command even the Shadows. All I need you to do is one last test."

"A test?"

"Yes, but it's nothing hard, of course. In fact, I think it will be quite enjoyable."

She leads him down the balcony. Command of the Shadows? They don't listen to anyone other than Lamia. Wouldn't controlling them give him equal footing to Lamia? She can't have meant that, unless…

"Are you leaving us?"

She turns, her eyebrows raised. "No, of course not."

"Then why would you be giving me the Shadows?"

"Don't misunderstand," she says. "They will still be subject to me, and so will you. Consider yourself their general. But, first things first."

She stops. At the end of the balcony, two Shadows stand with lit torches in their hands. In the flickering light of the flames, Heli can see a figure hunched between them. Lamia motions with her hand, and the Shadows reach down to pull the figure up by its arms. Even from here, Heli can tell that it's shaking.

Heli stops cold. Standing between the Shadows is a woman, her braided blond hair a dishevelled mess. Her mouth drops in shock as their eyes meet.

"What are you?" she hisses.

Lamia circles around Heli's back, dragging her fingers across his shoulders. "I seem to recall telling you to get rid of her once," she says. "Do you remember?"

He does. He remembers well this woman, lost in the woods, nearly frozen in the snow with her small dog and bag full of rabbits. Eliza, he thinks her name was. He had helped her home. She was supposed to be safe now. Yet Lamia had found her and dragged her here…

"I took her out of the forest," Heli mumbles.

Lamia sighs. "You knew what I meant, Heli. But no matter. I told you this test would be easy. All you have to do is drink her blood."

Heli nods. That's certainly not an unreasonable request for a vampire. It's what he's supposed to do. The promise he'd made with the others was that they wouldn't kill. He'd just have to be careful.

As he steps forward Lamia reaches up to whisper into his ear. " All her blood."

His mouth goes dry. His heart is racing. Lamia doesn't need to say it plainly, he knows what she's asking. His thoughts scramble as he tries to conjure some way out of this.

Some way he can please Lamia without hurting Eliza too badly. The Shadows pressing closer also convey an unspoken message. They're there to ensure he doesn't try to escape. To them Lamia's word is law and anything she asks is granted. Pricks of pain begin to encircle his left arm, flittering up his limb into his chest. He closes his eyes as he continues to step forward. He doesn't have much choice, but he can do this. He has to. The prickling he feels is just nerves, nothing more. It's not like he's ever actually bitten a living human before, right?

He opens his eyes as he's standing over Eliza, still in the grip of the Shadows. But the terrified eyes looking up at him aren't hers. The face looking back at him is someone else, the screaming in his ears a different voice.

He's already face down on the stone of the balcony before he realises the screaming is him. His chest feels as though it's being crushed, as if something is ripping him apart from the inside. He doubles over as the pain tears through his body. He buries his head in his hands, wishing desperately for it to stop so he can just stand.

When it does pass he's shaking and gasping for air. With both hands, he pushes himself to his knees. His vision is blurry and everything is spinning. The air feels ice cold on his skin. Lamia stands beside him and he looks up, expecting her to look down at him with concern or even pity, but her lip is curled in an expression of pure disgust.

"What is wrong with you?"

"I- I don't, I'm not-" he stutters for words, but he doesn't even understand what just happened. Did Eliza do something? He looks to her, but she looks just as confused, her eyes full of tears.

"Go on then," Lamia commands. "What are you doing? Get up and kill her. "

Heli shakes his head. "I can't, I can't do it, I'm sorry. I-"

She turns away and stands still, her back to him. Finally, motions for the two nearest Shadows.

"Take him to the north tower," she says. "Make sure he does not leave. I need to think about what to do with him."

"Lamia, wait-"

She continues back down the balcony without turning back. The Shadows grab him under his arms and he's whisked away. Far from the masquerade and its guests, his friends and the light and music. The Shadows throw him unceremoniously into the tower room, slamming the door shut behind them. Though still shaking with the lingering pain of whatever that attack had been, he jumps up to reach for the door. A heavy thud from the other side indicates it's been barred shut. He bangs on the door, but even if he could break through thick wood, he can feel the presence of the Shadows standing guard. They had plenty of ways to incapacitate him in order to keep Lamia's instruction of making sure he stayed put. He sinks to the floor.

The north tower is identical to the others, including the one Lamia uses. The rounded ceiling rises high above stained glass windows depicting the sun on the horizon, but unlike Lamia's tower, there are no candles to light it. It's also decidedly bare. A long, rectangular shape is pushed against one wall, covered in a heavy cloth. He pulls aside the cloth and sees a wooden coffin. He lifts the lid. The wood is old and splintered, and it's completely empty. He lets the lid drop back down and settles on the floor next to it.

Lamia wouldn't be too long, he thinks. She'll probably go back to the masquerade as if nothing had happened, so as to not disturb her guests. When everyone is gone she'll let him out. Or whatever else it is she decides. If he's as valuable to her as she keeps saying, maybe she'll come up with another test. Something to demonstrate his powers, perhaps. Something to show the Shadows that she's serious in making them defer to him. Yes, definitely something like that.

At least he hopes.

Maybe she'd ask one of the others to kill Eliza instead. Jino had mentioned they'd also had secret training…would she choose one of them instead? What if they couldn't pass her test either? No way Jino would do something so sinister, and no way Jaan would go back on their promises. What if they all ended up locked away?

No, she wouldn't do that.

He could probably count their trip to Aeaea out now.

He curls up, his knees pressing into his chest. Under the button of his coat, he can feel the locket under his shirt pressing into his skin. He can't wait to change out of these stiff, uncomfortable clothes.

He passes the night worrying, silently pleading for Lamia to open the door and render her judgement on him so this will all be over with. But as the windows lighten and the morning comes, she still hasn't appeared.

Nor does she come for him the next night.

Nor the next.

Luckily the cloth is thick enough to shield him from the light, but he's too anxious to sleep. He suspects the Shadows have changed guard, but there's still two of them outside the door, ready to block him from leaving.

As the nights stretch into a week he starts to think about smashing through one of the windows. But, as he reminds himself, some of the Shadows can levitate, and he cannot. They'd catch him in a minute even if he didn't break every limb on impact with the ground.

He's lost track of days. His stomach aches and his throat burns. He just needs a little bit of blood before standing too long will start to be a chore. He looks to the door. If she doesn't come back soon, he'll just go out and beg. He'll do anything she asks. He'll break any promise just to appease this hunger.

As he's rising to try and plead his case to the waiting Shadows, the door opens. Lamia walks in, accompanied by the two Shadows. The door closes behind them.

"Lamia," Heli gasps. "Lamia, I'm really sorry, I don't know what happened."

She looks at him, her face betraying no emotion until finally she responds.

"I know."

She reaches out her arms, placing a hand on either side of his face.

"Please, give me a second chance," he says.

"Poor, sweet Heli," she sighs, and pulls him closer to her.

He closes his eyes as their foreheads touch.

"The problem is, this was your second chance."

"Huh?"

Once again he opens his eyes to see that she's standing over him. This time he's sprawlled on the floor and with a sickening realisation, he finds he can't move. The Shadows lift him by his arms and legs. Lamia walks over to the coffin, kicks off the lid and the Shadows drop him into it.

"Lamia," he wheezes. "Why-"

"Shh," she crouches down and folds his hands over his stomach. "This is going to hurt me more than you."

She rests her arms on the sides of the coffin as she talks down to him. "You'll have to excuse me for taking so long. I spent a lot of time thinking. Weighing all the options as it were. But I always came back to the same, glaring conclusion." She offers a sad smile. "I need someone who will obey me unquestioningly. Absolutely. That's been the problem between us, hasn't it?"

Heli opens his mouth to interject but she interrupts.

"And that night, I saw something clearly. How could I have missed it! You and your friends have made promises to each other, and they'll always be more important, right? Your promises with them will always come before your promises to me."

"Please, don't-"

"No need to worry about them. They've always been exactly what I need them to be. But you. If you can't do what I ask, if you can't kill," she pauses and shrugs. "Then you're useless to me."

The words hang in the air as his heart sinks.

"So I won't ask you again, just to be lied to. Even if you say you will follow my orders, I know you won't. Not just because you don't want to, but because you can't. And that's all there is to it."

She stands and the Shadows begin to slide the coffin lid back into place.

With one last cold glare down at him she sneers.

"If you won't eat from humans, then starve."

The lid settles back into place, leaving him alone in complete darkness. His mind reels as he replays what just happened. She can't have been serious. She'll come back for him, surely. This is just a temporary punishment, and when she thinks he's learned his lesson, she'll return to let him out.

He imagines that night on the balcony, trying to piece together what led to the attack. No matter how he remembers it, there's no way Eliza did anything. No one else had touched him. Not the Shadows, not Lamia. He couldn't think of anyone who had a power like that anyway.

She had said this was his second chance. If she had known Eliza was there in the first place, of course she would know he hadn't killed her. That was the only way. He certainly never told anyone about the little excursion into the woods, not Lamia, not even Jaan. All this just for one mortal? He must have done something else. He mulls over everything from the past five years, searching his memories for times he'd disobeyed her, times she'd been angry with him, times she might have looked at him with disdain. Before too long, every moment they spent with each other melds into one, the good and the bad bleeding together into one indistinguishable and blurry scene, until the details start to disappear altogether.

He remembers nails digging into his head. Lamia was angry, but he no longer understands why.

It can't have been anything that serious. He swore an oath to her. She'll come back for him and let him out.

Being let out is his only hope. As the nerves in his neck slowly stitch back together and sensation returns to his body, the only thing he can feel is pain. He's too hungry to move, and the longer he stays still, the weaker his limbs become. He has no idea how long it's been. Someone must have noticed he's been gone by now. One of his friends would come looking.

Jaan will come for me. Or Jino, or Jakah.

Thinking about it, what is taking them so long? Had they been angry with him too? When was the last time he'd seen everybody? Was it in the castle, or at the carnival? They had been happy then, travelling around, and helping with the attractions. Was that really that last time they were together?

Solon will come for me. If not him then Shion, or Noa.

There must have been something else.

He's walking through empty hallways lined with doors covered with silver crosses. He's not sure if he's asleep or awake, if this is a memory or simply a dream. The scene alternates between unending darkness and bright light, as he's sitting in the shade of a tree, the sunlight filtering through the leaves.

As the pain in his limbs ebbs into numbness, he's too weak to even lift his arms. When was the last time he'd eaten? More moments from the past few years begin to slip away and he drifts in and out of consciousness. Someone presses an apple into his hands.

Miss E- will come for me.

The others are there, laughing as they toss a rugby ball. He remembers this. They play outside all the time, on the sprawling lawn of the orphanage manor. But for some reason, this feels desolate. He wants to get up and join them, but his legs don't want to stand. They've been apart for too long, and the others pay no notice to him sitting there.

When a woman in a grey dress sits down next to him, he can't bear to look at her. He knows who she is. When she grabs his hand, he knows it's a gesture he doesn't deserve.

He was the one who destroyed the manor. It's his fault when the ground opens up under the orange glow of erupting flames and swallows him whole. He's not surprised when his hand slips from her grip. She has every right to push him into the void.

If only he could remember what he'd done.

He's no longer falling, but he doesn't hit the ground either. He's sitting, just as he had been, but this time he's in a large field, full of flowers a blazing hue of red. A deep blue clear sky is overhead, and the ground twinkles with the lights of glow worms. In the distance, mountains climb into the sky and just breaking over their peaks, is the pinkish yellow of a rising sun. He reaches out for one of the flowers near his hand, but the bloom is wilting. The whole field is. As he watches the plants bend and droop, browning and shrivelling, the glow worms flickering out as the last bits of life leaves them.

So this is it.

No one had come for him after all.

How could they just leave him like this? He still had an oath to fulfill. Didn't he promise Lamia he'd protect her? That he'd protect all of them? His chest feels like a gaping hole and he oscillates between anger and complete despair.

What had happened?

He needs to go back to Lamia.

The sun rises higher over the withered field and he knows it's no longer possible. The only thing there is left is to let the light take him.

The air is still. He pushes aside his racing thoughts and focuses on the calm of his surroundings, the strange peace of this isolated world.

That's when he hears it.

A low humming, that steadily grows louder. The melody is slow and pleasant, the voice singing is soft. He smiles, taking in the song. For some reason, it strikes him as one of the prettiest things he's ever heard.

Beside him, a new light flickers to life. He rubs his eyes, not quite sure what he's seeing. A single green flame floats just at shoulder level. He reaches out to touch it. It's warm and doesn't burn. Another flame pops into sight behind the first. Heli turns to see that behind him is a forest. The trees are dense, and a single path disappears into darkness. As he watches more small green flames appear, one by one along the path.

He stands, and hesitantly, starts to follow the flames. The further he goes, the more appear, lighting a path deep into the trees. He walks faster, eventually breaking into a run as he leaves the morning sun behind.

He opens his eyes. Unlike the last time he awoke from this dream, he's lying in a warm bed, a soft pillow under his head. His mouth tastes like blood and though he's a bit drained, a test movement of his hand indicates no pain, no stiffness. Someone has changed his clothes and he's clean.

Viken sits at his bedside, his long hair obscuring his face as he adjusts the antenna on Eugene's little radio. Though it mostly emits static, a hint of music is coming through. He freezes when Heli's hand moves. He turns, surprised at first, but then his mouth curls into a smile.

Heli looks from Viken's face to the radio in his hands, the soft hum of music still lingering in his mind.

"You found me."