Chapter 3

Zira yawned as she and her teammates walked along the forested path leading to Seneca Village with the Sandslash and Krokorok in tow. It had been hours since they departed from the Howling Woods dungeon after having already spent hours there. The sun was now below the horizon and daylight was fading fast. Fortunately, the end of the forest was now in sight. Zira breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that the village was not much further. It had not been a pleasant walk back.

Shortly after leaving the dungeon, Zira and her teammates discovered that the Sandslash and Krokorok were an exploration team affiliated with the Andara Explorers Guild. Cyril and Lance reacted badly to the revelation and an argument had ensued. After that, no one seemed interested in talking, leaving the group to walk back to Seneca Village in awkward silence.

Zira felt that her new teammates had been unfair to the explorers. After all, they didn't seem like bad Pokémon. On the other hand, she knew nothing of the Explorers Guild. For all she knew, Cyril's and Lance's accusations regarding the Explorers Guild turning a blind eye toward criminal activity within their ranks were spot on. It wouldn't be wise on her part to take sides without more information. Zira made a mental note to ask about it when they were alone.

As the group emerged from the forest, Zira couldn't help but smile at the sight of the small frontier village. It was certainly a welcome sight for her weary eyes. All she wanted to do right now was curl up in her hammock the instant that they returned home.

Home. It was surprising to Zira just how quickly she now thought of Team Dakota's cabin as her home. Perhaps it was because she still couldn't remember anything of her home on the Human world. During the walk back to the village, she'd desperately tried to remember who she was and what brought her to this world, but nothing would come to her. Were it not for Athena's mind probe the day before, she wouldn't even know her name.

Entering the village, Zira looked around at the businesses along both sides of the dimly lit main street. Some had already closed for the night and the remaining businesses would not be far behind, except for the inns, which were busier than Zira expected for the small village. She figured that Seneca Village must serve as a waypoint for Pokémon travelling between the Federation and what lay beyond its eastern border.

Upon entering the square, the Sandslash and Krokorok broke off from the group and headed for a nearby building. Due to the darkness, Zira couldn't make out the words on the sign above the door, but she assumed the building belonged to the Explorers Guild. When the explorers reached the door, they turned around and looked at Team Dakota. Zira stopped walking and turned to face the explorers. The dispirited expressions on the explorers' faces made her feel awful at the way they'd been treated by her teammates. Zira somberly waved at the explorers, who returned the favor before heading inside the explorers building, closing the door behind them. Zira stood in place for several seconds, staring at the closed door, before turning around and jogging after her teammates.

"I'm sure glad that's over with," Lance said.

"Same here," Cyril replied.

"Was that really necessary? The way you treated them?" Zira asked. "I mean, I know what you two said about the Explorers Guild right after we left the dungeon, but they can't all be bad. Right?"

Cyril let out a sigh as he stopped in front of the fountain in the center of the square. He turned toward Zira and said, "I realize that, and if it were an exploration team from one of the other continents, I'd be happy to chat with them, but the Andara Explorers Guild has a nasty reputation for a lot of reasons and no explorer under their umbrella can be trusted." He turned around and resumed his course for the Federation building. "You should read up on them when you've got a chance. Trust me. They're a bad group."

"Still, they were walking behind us all the way back to the village," Zira said. "If they wanted to stick knives in our backs, they had plenty of opportunity to do it."

"Zira, I'll admit that we might be wrong about those two," Cyril said, "but where the Andara Explorers Guild is concerned, it's best to be cautious."

Zira reflected on Cyril's words as the team stepped into the Federation building. Cyril walked over to the Rescuers Guild desk and placed the journal they'd recovered on the desk along with the job posting. The Pokémon at the desk, a female Floatzel this time, handled the transaction. After reviewing the information on the job posting, the Floatzel retrieved a number of gold coins from a safe under the desk and then dropped them into Cyril's cupped hands.

"Thank you, ma'am," Cyril said with a joyous expression on his face. He turned around to face his teammates, still holding the gold coins in his hands. "Excellent work, you two. A couple more jobs like that and we can pay the rent on the cabin."

"Not to mention afford some decent food," Lance said. "I mean, I like apples and berries as much as anyone, but I'd like to eat at a nice restaurant sometime."

"We'll get there," Cyril said as he placed the coins in a sack that he kept in his bag. "Now, we really should get some sleep. Tomorrow's another--oh, hey Commander!"

Zira turned her head to where Cyril was looking. A rather intimidating Nidoking was walking toward them. Zira figured that this must be the commander that Cyril was referring to.

"Hello, Cyril," Commander Cale replied. "Looks like you've had a successful day."

"Sure did," Cyril said, still smiling.

"I noticed you came back with an exploration team," Cale said. "Did they give you any trouble?"

Cyril shook his head. "No."

"That's good to hear," Cale said. Just as he turned to leave the building, Cyril suddenly stepped toward him.

"By the way, Commander," Cyril said, "I'd heard a while ago that you had a bad run in with an exploration team. If you don't mind me asking, what happened?"

Cale turned toward Cyril. "Back when I was a lieutenant, a year out of the academy, Jake and I were assigned to an investigation regarding a smuggling ring near Emerald City. My commander enlisted the aid of an exploration team to help locate their base of operations. What we didn't realize was that this exploration team was working for the smugglers and they lured us into an ambush. Jake and I made it out alive. Our commander didn't."

"Damn," Lance said. "I hope they all got what they deserved."

"Oh, they did," Cale said. "I personally led the expedition that wiped them out. For my efforts, I was given a commendation, a promotion, and my choice of available commands."

Lance snickered. "And you came all the way out here?"

Cale laughed in return. "Say what you will about Seneca Village, Lance. I like it out here. Being so far from Emerald City, we're well insulated from the political mess that currently grips the Federation. And I also don't see things that keep me awake at night." He let out a yawn. "Well, I'm going to turn in for the night. You three take care."

As Cale left the building, Cyril yawned as well, followed by Lance and Zira.

"We should turn in as well," Cyril said, walking toward the exit. "Come on, let's go get some sleep."

---

Cale yawned as he walked through the dimly lit streets of Seneca Village. The bluish glow from the luminous orb streetlamps being cast upon the village combined with the pleasant, warm breeze gave Cale a feeling of serenity. On nights such as this, he often found himself staring up at the stars. However, there were no stars tonight. Cale looked up at the sky, seeing that it was completely covered with clouds. A drop of water landed on his face, indicating that it would likely be raining soon. Cale was glad for it, despite his ground typing. Listening to the rain helped him sleep.

Even as the day was ending, Cale was already thinking about his agenda for tomorrow. First thing in the morning, after the staff meeting and the meetings with rescue team volunteers, he had to push through the paperwork on his desk that was piling up. The paperwork was his least favorite part of the job, but someone of his rank couldn't escape it. Still, he tried to get out on the streets as much as he could.

As his house came into view, Cale tried to purge the subject of work from his mind as he prepared to sleep. Though he loved his job, the long hours sometimes took their toll on him. The chief medical officer at the outpost has been encouraging him to reduce the number of hours that he works to make time for rest and relaxation. Cale tried to comply, but it was never long before he was back to the long hours.

Walking up to his house, Cale retrieved the key to his door from his travel bag. As he prepared to insert the key into the lock, Cale heard what sounded like a thump nearby. He surveyed his surroundings, suddenly becoming aware of the unnatural stillness around him. The breeze was gone and he could no longer hear the sounds of insects. It was dead quiet.

"Hello?" Cale said aloud. He began to feel very vulnerable. What caused the thump? Was there someone nearby? And why did it get so quiet? Cale's breaths were slow and shallow as he continued to gaze from side to side for the cause of the disturbance. After nearly a minute had passed, Cale turned back to the door, ready to chalk up the event to fatigue. Just as he brought the key up to the lock, the sound of a pebble bouncing off of the stone road reached his ears. Cale spun around toward the direction of the sound. He was certain now that he was being watched.

God damn bastard's toying with me, Cale thought. Placing his key back in his bag, his horn crackled with electricity as he prepared to fire a thunderbolt. He held is arms outward from his sides as he assumed a battle stance, his hands glowing purple as he prepared a poison jab attack. Cale walked away from his house until he was standing in the center of the road. He turned toward the direction of the pebble impact, ready for a fight.

"Alright!" Cale yelled. "Come on out!" The section of the road in front of him was dark due to the luminous orbs along both sides of the road being deactivated. That's when he noticed it: a massive creature, just barely visible, standing in the middle of the road. As Cale stared at the creature, it's eyes suddenly began to glow blue. Cale's view of his surroundings faded into darkness as a powerful presence entered his mind. Only the creature remained, which was no longer shrouded in darkness, revealing it to be a Lugia with emerald-green eyes.

"Hello, Commander Cale," the Lugia said with a soft, feminine voice. "My name is Athena. We have much to talk about."

---

The next morning, Zira awoke suddenly to the sound of something heavy hitting the floor. She sat up in her hammock to get a look at what happened, groaning as she did so.

Lance had knocked a book off of the desk. After reaching down to pick up the book, he locked eyes with Zira. "Sorry about that," he said. "I'm still a little groggy."

"Same here," Zira said, rubbing her eyes. She took in a deep breath as she basked in the morning sunlight filtering through the windows. Nearly a minute had passed before she finally slid out of the hammock, stumbling slightly as she landed. "Ugh... I guess I'm not much of a morning person."

Lance smiled. "Given what you've been through these past couple of days, I'm surprised you're sleeping as well as you are. In any case, I'm sure you'll find your balance soon."

Zira nodded as she yawned. It took her a moment to realize that Cyril wasn't in the cabin. "Where's Cyril?"

"He ran out to grab a few supplies before we head up to the Federation building to look at the job board," Lance replied. "He shouldn't be gone long."

"So, this is a pretty fast-paced life, right?" Zira asked.

"It can be," Lance replied. "To be perfectly honest, Cyril and I haven't had much work since we came here. We've had to volunteer to take on security patrols just to make ends meet."

Just as Lance finished his sentence, Cyril walked into the cabin wearing his travel bag. His eyes immediately focused on Zira. "Oh, you're awake. Did you sleep well?"

"Well enough, I guess," Zira said, rubbing her eyes. "I'm still trying to wake up."

Cyril smiled at her. "Remember anything yet?"

Zira shook her head. "No. I've been trying, but nothing comes up."

"Give it some time," Cyril said, still smiling. "I'm sure you'll remember something soon."

Zira returned the smile as she gazed into Cyril's eyes. She was so fortunate to have encountered Cyril and Lance. They were good Pokémon. Her first day on this world could've turned out any number of ways and very nearly ended with her death. Zira was more determined now than ever to repay the debt she felt she owed to her rescuers for their kindness and generosity.

"If I may interrupt," Lance said, "that bag looks awfully light, Cyril. Did you get anything?"

"Uh..." Cyril turned toward Lance with a nervous expression on his face. "I got an oran berry and a totter seed."

"That's it?" Lance asked, the disappointment clear in his voice. "No escape orb or blast seeds?"

"I'm trying to save what little money we have," Cyril replied. "Orbs are expensive and we don't really need the blast seeds. Between my solar beam and your hyper beam, we've got enough firepower when we need it."

"Unless we're unable to use our most powerful moves for whatever reason," Lance said. "Blast seeds are a good fallback weapon."

"Look... let's just grab our things and get to the job board," Cyril said. The conversation seemed to have flustered him. "Let's just hope there's work available for us."

Lance grabbed Zira's bag off the desk and tossed it over to her before picking up his own bag. As Zira threw the strap over her head, she turned her eyes toward Cyril.

The Grovyle was already standing outside, waiting for his teammates. Cyril stood with his back turned toward the door and his hands on his hips. He seemed unable to stand still, looking from side to side and shifting his weight from one leg to the other. Zira was still getting a feel for her teammates' personalities, but from what she'd observed so far, Lance seemed to have the cooler head of the two.

Joining Cyril outside, Zira and her teammates immediately made their way toward the square. It had rained at some point during the night, leaving puddles on the ground and the air cool and damp. Zira took in a deep breath of the humid morning air, immediately feeling more awake and refreshed. As she took a moment to observe her surroundings, Zira stepped in a puddle, the water biting into her fire-type foot. Zira yelped as she quickly retracted her foot from the puddle.

"You okay?" Lance asked. He and Cyril had stopped walking and were now looking back at Zira.

"Yeah," Zira replied. "I just stepped in a puddle."

Cyril and Lance both chuckled as they turned around and resumed their course. Zira shook her head as she let out a sigh. That something as simple and innocent as water could cause her so much misery was a concept that she had trouble wrapping her brain around. There was so much about her new Charmeleon body that she had to get used to.

"Zira," Lance said, slowing his pace till Zira was walking beside him. "I was thinking about your amnesia before I fell asleep last night. I might be able to help you with that."

Zira turned her head toward Lance. "Really? How?"

"Well, I can't promise anything," Lance continued, "but if I try a full-strength mind probe for, say, ten minutes a day, I might be able to break down the amnesia over time."

"Full strength?" Zira asked, thinking of Athena's warning. "Isn't that dangerous? Athena seemed to think it was a bad idea."

"I understand the Lugia's caution," Lance said. "They're powerful psychics. One of their mind probes at full-strength could be lethal. Golducks aren't nearly as powerful. The worst I could do is give you a mild headache."

Zira considered Lance's words for a few seconds before nodding her head in understanding. "You said 'over time.' How much time are we talking about?"

"Weeks... maybe months," Lance replied. "As I said, I'm not a powerful psychic. On top of that, I've never been inside a Human mind before. I'm in uncharted territory here."

"Well... I guess it'll be a learning experience for both of us," Zira said, smiling. Her words and smile seemed to put Lance at ease. The Golduck smiled in return before turning his attention back to the path before them. The Federation building was just ahead.

The very instant that Team Dakota walked into the lobby of the Federation building, the Nidoqueen at the Rescuers Guild desk, whom Zira recognized from the other say as Anna, began to wave at them.

"Oh, Team Dakota!" Anna yelled as she waved. She had a joyous expression on her face. "Over here!"

Cyril and Lance looked at each other briefly before walking over to the Rescuers Guild desk. Zira followed, not knowing what to expect. Given Anna's facial expression, Zira didn't think it was anything bad. So, what was this about?

"What's up, Anna?" Cyril asked.

Anna stood up, still smiling brightly. In her hands were three new rescue team badges. "I'm proud to announce that the three of you are being promoted to bronze rank. Go ahead and place your old badges on the desk and I'll hand each of you a new badge."

Cyril and Lance both grinned widely as they retrieved their badges from their bags, placing them on the desk. Zira did the same, taking one last look at the badge that she'd been given just the day before. Upon receiving her new badge, Zira took a good look at it. The new badge was virtually identical to the old one, except that it had a bronze-colored crystal in the center rather than a pink crystal.

"Congratulations!" Anna said.

"Thanks, Anna," Cyril said. He turned toward his teammates with tears of joy in his eyes. "We actually did it." He rubbed the tears out of his eyes. "We made it to bronze rank."

"I told you we'd be alright," Lance said, giving the Grovyle a playful slap on the shoulder. He then turned around and shook Zira's hand. "You played a part in this too. Thank you."

Zira looked away briefly as a huge grin broke out on her face. "But I didn't do much," she said, facing Lance again. "All I did was trip over a journal."

"You still did a good job," Cyril said, shaking her hand as well. "Thank you. Both of you."

A clapping sound from across the room suddenly caught their attention. The source of the clapping turned out to be Commander Cale, who was walking toward them with a smile on his face.

"Well, I suppose congratulations are in order," Cale said. "I knew you had what it took to make it to bronze rank."

"Thank you, sir," Cyril said.

Cale nodded and then turned toward the back of the lobby, gesturing with his hand for them to follow. "Come. We have much to talk about."

Cyril and Lance gave each other concerned glances as they proceeded to follow the Nidoking. As Zira walked behind her teammates, she noticed the Fraxure from the other day standing at the job board with his arms crossed. As they passed the Fraxure, Zira locked eyes with the dragon-type Pokémon.

"I'm watching you," the Fraxure said menacingly, pointing at Zira.

Zira stared wide-eyed at the Fraxure for a moment before turning her attention back to her teammates. She didn't know if the Fraxure was threatening her or if he was just annoyed from what happened the other day. In any case, she had other things to worry about at the moment.

Cale led them down the hallway in the back of the lobby and through the farthest door to the right. After Zira stepped through the doorway, Cale closed the door and locked it. As he walked past Team Dakota toward his desk, Lance finally spoke up.

"So, what's this about?" Lance asked.

"I said I'd try to find you some special assignments," Cale said, sitting down behind his desk. "As it turns out, I have a very important mission for you."

Cyril looked at Lance and then back at Cale. "I'm listening."

"This mission has two parts," Cale said. "The first part is a standard search and rescue operation. I've been ordered by my superiors in Emerald City to send a rescue team to locate some missing scientists in a dungeon to the east of here."

"Sounds straight forward enough," Cyril said, his voice full of confidence.

"Not so fast, Cyril," Lance cautioned. Returning his gaze to Cale, he said, "What were they researching? If you don't mind me asking, of course."

"Ah, that's where the second part of the mission comes in," Cale said as he stood up and walked around the desk. Leaning back against his desk, he said, "Are any of you familiar with the legend of Kaiser's artifacts?"

Zira and her teammates shook their heads. Upon seeing this, Cale continued speaking.

"Well, I'm not entirely familiar with the specifics myself, but here's the gist of it," Cale said. "Kaiser was a Human-turned-Charizard and a scientist who lived on Andara more than 400 years ago. Most of this continent was still unexplored at the time, making it an excellent place for a paranoid scientist to conduct his experiments. Kaiser maintained several research labs scattered around Andara inside mystery dungeons that he somehow modified. And, as it turns out, one of his labs is located on floor 12 in the dungeon that you'll be travelling to."

"He modified mystery dungeons?" Cyril asked. "That's incredible!"

"In what ways were these dungeons modified?" Lance asked.

"The main alteration is to the final floor, where he kept his labs," Cale replied. "He prevented the floor from changing across dungeon reconfigurations."

"And what can you tell us about these artifacts?" Zira asked, not wanting to be on the sidelines during the briefing. She desperately wanted to contribute something to the team.

"I can't say much, unfortunately. All I know is that there are six of them and that they have some kind of power. What that power is, your guess is as good as mine." Cale stood up straight and placed his hands behind his back. "So, in addition to locating the scientists, you are to bring back the artifact as well... if possible."

"No problem," Cyril said. "We'll be back by sundown."

"Don't become overconfident, Cyril," Lance cautioned. "This isn't an ordinary dungeon we're dealing with here."

"Lance is right," Cale said. "I've been to this dungeon with Jake and Shar and it's no walk in the park. The stairs leading to the final floor are guarded by a large and aggressive, non-Pokémon creature and there are other nasty surprises sprinkled throughout the dungeon. Be damn careful in there."

"Understood, sir," Cyril said.

"One more thing about the artifact," Cale said. "The legend mentions that no Pokémon may touch these artifacts, which is one of the reasons I picked your team for this mission." Cale looked at Zira. "I'm hoping that you'll be able to break the barrier around the artifact and retrieve it."

Zira's mind immediately latched onto the danger that this could potentially put her in. "But I'm not Human anymore. How do you know that this artifact won't do something awful to me if I touch it?"

"You're still Human in mind and spirit," Lance noted. "That might just be enough, especially when you consider that Kaiser himself was in Pokémon form when he created these artifacts."

"That's what we're hoping," Cale said. "In any case, Zira, I don't think you need to worry about this artifact harming you. If your Human mind and spirit aren't enough to break the barrier around the artifact, you won't be touching it anyway."

Zira was only mildly reassured by Cale's words. There were still a lot of unknowns that they were dealing with here and Cale had made it pretty clear that this was going to be a dangerous mission. However, Zira had to admit that she was curious about this Kaiser guy and the legend surrounding him. What brought him to the Pokémon world? What was the purpose of these artifacts? Why did he create them? And why did he not keep all of the artifacts in the same lab?

Zira's mind kept running over the questions as Cale directed Team Dakota to a series of maps posted on one of the office walls. On the map depicting the area surrounding Seneca Village, Cale pointed out the dungeon's location within the mountains to the east, commenting that they would have to do some climbing when they got there.

With the briefing complete, Team Dakota left the Federation building. The scent of food from the various restaurants and food carts immediately filled Zira's nostrils, reminding her that she hadn't eaten anything yet. However, Cyril was leading the team out of the square, onto the main road leading east out of town. Zira's stomach growled in protest.

"No breakfast?" Zira asked.

"Sorry, Zira. I couldn't spare any poké today," Cyril said. "We should be able to find some apples and berries along the way."

Zira was disappointed by this bit of news, but there was no way she was going to complain about it. She'd figured out by now that Cyril and Lance were in dire financial straits. Zira began to wonder if perhaps they were overextending themselves by accepting her onto the team. It would seem that she wasn't the only one facing an uncertain future. Perhaps, with the team's promotion, their luck would turn around for the better.

At least, that's what she hoped.

---

Cale leaned against the doorframe at the entrance of the Federation building with his arms crossed, watching Team Dakota as they walked out of the square. As they left his line of sight, Cale let out an uneasy sigh. He was sure that Cyril and Lance could handle whatever the dungeon threw at them, both being graduates of the Dakota City University, an institution known for training the best warriors on the continent. However, now they had Zira to look after, and she had almost no experience to speak of. Cale hoped that they would be mindful of her inexperience and not push her too hard, too soon.

"Good luck, you three," Cale said quietly. "May the gods watch over you." He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he failed to notice Jake and Shar walking up behind him.

"I'd be negligent if I didn't point out that this is a violation of our orders," Jake said, his coffee mug in hand. "We were told to send our resident diamond rank team. And I don't recall reading anything in the message about recovering the artifact."

"Yeah," Shar chimed in. "When headquarters finds out about this, they're going to be pissed. You'll receive a formal reprimand for sure."

Cale closed his eyes and sighed. "I know," he replied. Cale opened his eyes and turned toward his colleagues. "In my defense, the legend really does say that no Pokémon may touch these artifacts and, as far as I know, there are no other Humans around here except for that Charmeleon. Recovering the artifact would definitely look good on the report."

"That would be quite the prize," Jake said. "It's still not worth gambling your career though." He took a sip from his coffee mug, his face contorting in pain as he did so. "Ugh! Hot! Hot!"

Cale laughed at the Ampharos. "You drink too much of that stuff. When you went on vacation last month, Alice joked that her coffee sales fell by 50 percent."

"That Kangaskhan must love me," Jake said, wiping coffee off of his face with the back of his hand.

Cale smiled at his friend's comment. After patting Jake on the shoulder, Cale walked past the Ampharos and Flygon as he headed toward the hallway leading to the offices. He still had a considerable amount of paperwork to sort through this morning and it was about time he stopped putting it off.

Cale left the door open as he entered his office. Taking a seat behind his desk, he picked up his fountain pen and turned it over in his hands several times, running his eyes over the smooth, wooden shaft while he thought of what Athena had told him. Kaiser's artifacts. Terrible wars. The end of all things. Cale didn't need legends or prophecy to see that something was terribly wrong on Andara. Athena seemed to think that Zira and the artifacts might be the keys to turning it all around, provided that Team Dakota passed the test.

Athena had instructed Cale to send Team Dakota to Kaiser's dungeon without backup. The Lugia wanted to see if they could handle the trials in store for them and if Zira could actually touch the artifacts. Apparently, not all Humans were compatible with the artifacts or the barriers protecting them. The Federation science team had brought in a couple of former Humans to retrieve the local artifact and neither of them could get past the barrier.

It was rather suspicious that the science team had dropped out of contact just a few days before Athena showed up with her request. It crossed Cale's mind that Athena might've had something to do with their lack of communication. Legendary Pokémon typically respected the laws of whatever society they were in, but it wasn't unheard of for a legendary to go rogue. However, Athena didn't seem to be the evil sort and, besides, the scientists' disappearance could just be a coincidence.

Cale set his fountain pen down and began to sort through the paperwork scattered across his desk when a knock at the door caught his attention. He looked up, seeing both Jake and Shar standing in the doorway.

"Do you have a minute?" Jake asked.

"Of course," Cale replied, nodding as he did so.

Jake walked into the room first, followed by Shar, who closed and locked the door behind him.

That looks ominous, Cale thought. They certainly weren't here for idle conversation. No, they were here for an explanation.

"Sir," Jake said, "Shar and I were talking about your decision regarding the rescue mission to Kaiser's dungeon and we were wondering... why'd you break our orders?"

"Guys, I know it looks odd," Cale replied. "I take full responsibility for this decision. I'm just asking you to trust me."

"Cale, you and I have been friends for a long time," Jake said. "I trust you with my life. It's just... it isn't like you to violate orders. You've always been a by-the-book guy."

"Yeah, what happened to you last night, Commander?" Shar asked. "I was flying around the town and I saw you just standing in the middle of the road like you didn't have a care in the world."

"Didn't you see anyone standing ahead of me?" Cale asked.

"I thought I saw... something," Shar replied, "but I figured my eyes were just playing tricks on me. With the luminous orbs on that part of the street out, it was too dark to tell."

Cale looked down at his desk and sighed. He had to tell them. Jake and Shar were more than coworkers to him. They were good friends and he trusted them as much as they trusted him. Cale knew that they could keep a secret. With his decision made, he looked up at the waiting duo.

"Have a seat," Cale said. "I'll explain everything."