He found himself face first in the prickly grass. The metallic taste of blood filled his mouth as he tried desperately to climb to his feet. Ren had no clue as to where he was but he could remember how he got there, the short fight between both he and Zeke and the portal. Lying on his stomach he raised his head and found himself in a clearing. The sound of a trickling river was distant and did nothing to calm him in the desperate state he found himself in. The turquoise sky with faded stars barely pierced between the leaves of the large trees that surrounded him and the shadow cast from them seemed heavy. Wherever he was, he was no longer in Sciolyn or even the same world for that matter.


    Ren heard the sound of heavy breathing and grunting to his side, he glanced over to see Zeke, now shirtless, covering his wound. His first instinct was to attack him but his limbs felt heavy and with each forced movement, he felt more and more nauseous. After a few desperate moments of forcing his limbs to obey his commands, he somehow managed to slowly drag himself to his feet, wondering why Zeke hadn''t outright killed him while he was unconscious. Ren tried to speak but his throat and mouth were dry, only a raspy croak came out. Zeke didn''t react to the faint sound but Ren was sure he was aware of his awakening. He didn''t even glance at him - just simply finished tying the blood-soaked torn shirt around his wound and walked forward, seemingly unaffected by it.


    Ren couldn''t quite place why he felt the way he did, was it the lack of sleep? Or something to do with the portal? He wasn''t sure and he knew he wasn''t likely to get any answers from Zeke. He stumbled forward and followed him as he made his way across the clearing - silent and without a word. His surroundings felt familiar yet not at the same time, as he limped he glimpsed several plants that he''d never seen before and for a moment, he wanted desperately to study them but knew that now wasn''t the time.


    The place was inconceivably picturesque like something from a painting, somewhere artificial. A manufactured construct that was man-made. There were no chirps of birds or the rustling of small animals beneath the brush - just the distant rustle of a river. The trees moved in the wind but made no sound, was he dreaming? He felt like he had been torn between two places, he knew he was there but somehow felt distant from himself, like he was watching himself through another''s eyes.


    When they reached the river, Zeke stopped, remaining silent. His gaze was ahead, not flinching or shifting, but dead set on what stood before them. Ren reached his side and followed his gaze and there he saw her, the woman in white from Tycon''s dreams. He knew it was her from the moment his eyes laid on her frail form. She didn''t look as Tycon described, the only recognizable thing being the bright white dress she wore and her silver hair,  though the dress was now tattered. Her back was to them, her pale shoulder blades protruding like wings sprouting from her back as she stood on a large wet rock and watched the river flow before her.


    Suddenly Zeke dropped to his knees, his face empty and staring blankly at the woman. Ren could feel something fade from him at that moment. His soul crushed in one fell swoop, he watched as Zeke slowly whispered.


    "Taren, sister. What did he do to you?"


    Sister!?


    Ren was taken aback by his words, he quickly glanced back and forth between the woman and Zeke. He couldn''t see the resemblance at all, were they of different parents? The woman slowly turned to reveal her sunken face that at one point had been beautiful. She studied the two men and her shoulders slumped as she let out a solemn smile.


    "You''re finally here, Zekhalin," She shifted her gaze to Ren, "And you, friend of Tycon."


    "Y-you," Ren could barely form a sentence, it really was her that stood before him.


    Zeke began shaking and he could hear him silently weeping as he kept his eyes locked on her. Something was wrong, Ren knew that but he was confused. Where was he? Did she even know? Those questions kept sprouting from the back of his mind, he wasn''t even sure if he''d be able to get back home. That question, of them all, scared him the most.


    "I used what remained of my magic to bring you here," Taren said as she stepped from the rock and onto the soft grass below.


    "B-but why?" Zeke barely managed.


    "You should know, brother. Alimar created this place to slowly drain my magic and I''ve been here for over a year, I can''t leave. I want you to change your mind, please."


    Zeke gritted his teeth, "He didn''t tell me that. He kept you as a hostage as a way to make sure I wouldn''t betray him. I never intended to. "


    "So why do you follow him now?" She shouted, "Look what he''s done, what he plans to do!"This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    "He plans to take back what''s ours!"


    "At what cost? Your family? He would kill you the moment you outlived your usefulness."


    Zeke fell silent and dropped his head, hesitating to speak his next words, "Yes, I believe the sacrifice is worth the end result."


    "Don''t be a fool, Zeke," Ren muttered.


    Zeke suddenly rose to his feet and grabbed at Ren''s cloak, "And what would a human know of this, huh? Your kind is the reason we''re doing this."


    "And you''re the reason my home is nothing but a hole in the world, so we aren''t much different, are we? Can''t you see this Alimar is insane and selfish? Your pride means fucking nothing in the grand scheme of things and I''d expect someone as smart as you to know that. What happens when he takes over? You get to keep your pride at the cost of millions of lives, elves, and humans all the same. Is it worth it?"


    "It is."


    Ren threw Zeke''s arms from his cloak and balled his fists as hard as he could then swiftly punched him in the face, emitting a loud crack, "Listen to me!"


    Zeke reached a hand to where his fist had connected, his eyes locked on Ren. He didn''t retaliate but instead took a step back and waited.


    "Your inability to co-exist with humanity will be your downfall. Look what he''s done to your sister, you''re willing to sacrifice her for someone who put her in this situation in the first place? Is someone like that worth your loyalty?"


    Zeke glanced again at Taren who stood silent as she watched the two, looking so frail that even the slightest touch would crumble her to dust.


    "It''s not my loyalty to him that I''d sacrifice her for, but the loyalty to my people," He paused and turned his back to them, taking a few steps forward, "I''m sorry, Taren. This is what I have to do."


    Taren opened her mouth to say something but hesitated and sighed instead. Zeke waited a few moments then began to walk away, waving his hand in a cross-motion as a portal suddenly appeared before him.


    "There''s no way out for you human, you''ll die here too. I''ll send Tycon your regards."


    Before Ren could muster up a reply, Zeke stepped through and disappeared in a flash of blue light.


    The clearing was left in a deafening silence. He didn''t know what to do or say, he was lost somewhere he couldn''t escape and when the realization truly hit him, any sense of hope flickered and faded like a dying candle on a windy night. He glanced over at Taren, her sunken thin face turned to a frown as she watched her brother disappear for the very last time. They would die here, alone, or so he thought. He felt her eyes fall upon him, the sudden weight incapsulating him as he loitered around waiting for nothing.


    "Ren, friend of Tycon," She said, her voice sounded strained yet soft, "Can you place your hand on my chest?"


    He was confused at the sudden and odd request and for a moment, hesitated to give her an answer but finally, he buckled.


    "Sure but... Why?"


    "You''ll see," She simply replied, taking a few steps towards him.


    As she approached he raised his shaking hand and watched as her pale bony fingers grasped his wrist and placed his hand on her chest. Ren suddenly felt a warm sensation at the tips of his fingers, not from her skin but something else. A light shone from his palm, so bright he had to shield his eyes, Taren wasn''t bothered nearly as much.


    "What''s going on?"


    Taren didn''t answer, she closed her eyes and Ren watched as her whithered crinkled skin began to grow smooth and her sunken, malnourished features began to disappear. She changed like she was brought back to life and she was beautiful, just as he''d imagined. Suddenly he felt weak and collapsed to his knees, breathing heavily.


    "I''m sorry," Taren murmured, "I had no choice."


    "What... Did you do?"


    "I extracted some magic from you. Enough to keep me alive a while longer, a few months maybe but it''s draining. We don''t have much time."


    Ren was simply astonished by her words, even when he felt like he was going to pass out, he could feel the excitement and slight disbelief growing within him.


    "Magic? From me?"


    She didn''t reply immediately but instead turned and made her way back to the rock she stood on before, her eyes returning to the river.


    "All of us are capable of magic," She said, "When we left Sciolyn, we took our secrets with us. Simply put, we erased as many traces of it from your world when we fled and as time passed," She slowly turned back to him, "All was forgotten."


    "You''re saying that I''m capable of magic? How?"


    Her face was still and emotionless, "It draws from your life force," She started, "As long as your heart beats, over time it will replenish itself but if you exert yourself too much, like losing too much blood, you''ll die."


    The logic seemed to make sense but nevertheless he was still confused. It was clear that Taren noticed as well and she let out a condescending smile. Ren couldn''t help but feel like a child in an adult''s world.


    "I''m going to teach you," She said simply.


    "What''s the point? We''re stuck here, might as well just die."


    Taren shrugged, "We may die but you should seize this opportunity, it may well help you in the long run."


    Ren thought for a moment and shook his head, "There won''t be a long run. There''s no point."


    "I''m not going to make you do anything," She replied, "But in the off chance we find a way out, you should be prepared for whatever awaits."


    "So there''s a chance?"


    Taren hesitated to answer, shifting her gaze back to the river, "A very small one."


    Ren weighed his options. He could sit and do nothing, waiting for deaths embrace or he could survive here and learn to use magic. The answer seemed obvious but the gnawing feeling of hopelessness eradicated any motivation that would have sparked within him. He looked again to Taren as her tattered dress and white hair fluttered weakly in a non-existent wind, a woman of true beauty, a maiden of starlight. He could learn magic from her. if Tycon ever came for him, those skills would be invaluable. He''d come so far with him and placed his faith in him many times before, why should he stop now? That''s when he came to a decision, it was better to be prepared for something unlikely than to wait there forever as he grew old in this unfamiliar place and doing nothing with his time. He would learn things not possible in Sciolyn, he would be something more than a human warrior from Winter''s Peak.


    He''d be a mage and the best damn one he could be.