“I didn’t think that you would be this excited,” Kacy said, tilting her head. “I told you before, but you shouldn’t expect much.”

“So?” Demund demanded. “How do you get into the Islands?”

She looked around, pushing her long hair back with her fingers. “The whole point of the Islands is to nurture special people. To get in, you have to show something to them. Take down a criminal, save a plane from plummeting. Oh, but don’t think about becoming a vigilante. You’ll still get punished.”

“Showing something,” Demund muttered. “You mean creating magic and teaching it to others.”

“Yes.”

“I see, I see.”

Demund nodded, rubbing his chin. “But how exactly am I going to show people?”

“It’s simple,” Kacy smiled lightly. “We become Vigglers.”

Viggle was the video platform everyone used to watch or upload videos or streams, and Demund himself had used it quite often in the past for entertainment. Now, he mainly used it for studying.

“You know, there are tons of Vigglers who have cool superpowers that they show off,” Demund reasoned. “Ours isn’t that fun. I get what you mean—if we constantly improve, we might be able to get some views. But it’ll take a long time.”

“Give it a year,” Kacy shrugged.

“A year.”

By then, Enariss would be back. As much as he wanted to meet his friend, he didn’t want to leave Enariss behind. It wouldn’t be as…dramatic.

“We could try,” Demund said, “but I won’t be able to focus on it much. It’ll only be short clips of us practicing, and that’s probably very boring.”

“It’s better than nothing,” Kacy said. “It’s also about having fun.”

To be honest, Demund was disappointed. He’d expected more from the girl whose father had ties with the Islands. It was why he’d answered every text she’d sent him and had bent to her requests even if they came across as condescending. But this was it—uploading videos to Viggle. He’d thought of that before as well.

Kacy’s eyes twinkled while looking up towards him. They were full of expectations, looking into the possibilities they would achieve, though Demund didn’t think that anyone would watch them create light when they could watch others fly into a hurricane or dive into the deep ocean.

Then again, he’d liked watching Vigglers play games. Perhaps a few would find their efforts entertaining.

“Then let’s have fun with it,” Demund surrendered.

“Perfect!”

The next moment, he was standing with Riley, Rhyne, and Alina before an expensive camera Kacy had brought, awkwardly looking at the lens, not sure of what to do. None of the others seemed to know what to do as well.

“Okay. I’m starting,” Kacy announced, raising her hand. “Get ready—and go.”

“Yo, yo, yo!” Rhyne said enthusiastically, raising his hand to wave. “I’ve heard that you have an ancient power that you are willing to teach! Please, enlighten me.”

“No, no!” Kacy complained, stopping the video. “You have to be more natural. No weird introductions.”

“But that’s how Vigglers start their videos,” Rhyne argued. “It has to be exciting.”

“I don’t think we’re gaming Vigglers,” Riley told him. “We are more like…studying Vigglers?”

“Even they have to be fun and exciting to get views. No one’s going to watch something boring.”

The future looked dark for Demund.

“I think we should sit down,” Alina suggested. “Standing makes it unnatural.”

So they sat down around a table, and Alina adjusted the camera once more. After she gave them the okay sign, they began again.

“Welcome to the circle of wizardry, where we learn magic from another world,” Rhyne began with the creepiest voice he could conjure.

“Dude.”

“What?”

“No.”

“I think it was good. Adds mood.”

“Okay, we’ll do one more take,” Kacy announced. “Clear your throats—and go.”

Nobody spoke a word. Everyone was silent, staring at the camera and each other.

Rhyne burped.

“Oh, I didn’t mean to do that,” he apologized.

“Right,” Kacy said, stopping the video. “I knew things would turn out this way. Now that the bloopers are done, it’s time to go over the script.”

“Script?”

She reached into her bag and took out several bundles of paper, each stapled together. They each took one from her. It was titled, ‘Project V.’

“You planned all of this,” Demund asked, flipping through the pages. At a glance, she seemed to know what she was writing about. There was an introduction, different dialogues they could use, and several catchphrases she had thought of.

“We need an outline,” she said, sitting down before them. “Being a Viggler takes effort.”

Demund raised an eyebrow. “You do know that we’re here to study, right?”

“But sometimes some breaks are okay,” Rhyne added, nodding at the script. “I like this. It’s well thought of. Ooh, this name. The Circle of Magic! That’s like mine.”

“I like Power Learners,” Riley said. “It’s simple and straightforward.”

“But a little vague.”

“True.”

“How about the After School Magic Club?” Alina suggested. “It’s catchy.”

“I like that one as well,” Demund agreed. “But are we a club? We’re more of a study group.”

“We can make a club,” Kacy said. “You, Alina, Rhyne, Riley, and me. I think that fulfills the minimum requirement. We’ll get funds from the school and a room as well.”

“A club…”

The only club he knew of was the MMA Club, the biggest one in the school. There were others, but he’d never bothered to join any of them. Still, he didn’t like the idea of more people joining. Not only would he run out of energy faster, but given how he had been treated during school and by Edan, it sounded like a bad idea.

He had met wonderful people whenever he’d moved places as Shaden. But it had been natural, just like how he had met Kacy.

“You can be the president,” Kacy stated. “If you don’t like anyone, you can always reject their application. But the more people we have, the more benefits we will get. Noticeable benefits.”

She looked at him. He realized she was referring to what they’d talked about before.

“Me as the leader? I don’t know. I’m not really a leader type.”

“I think you’d do well,” Riley said. “You’re the one who’s leading after Enariss left.”

“True,” Rhyne nodded. “How different could it be?”

Demund scratched his cheek. “If you guys are fine with it, we can make one,” he said.

“All in favor?” Kacy asked.

Everyone raised their hands.

“Perfect,” Kacy nodded. She promptly took out additional sheets from her bag—application forms printed from the school.

“Er, we’re still going to study, right?” Demund asked.

The answers he got didn’t sound so sure.

But in the end, they had decided on a club name.

⤙ ◯ ⤚

The classroom door slid open.

Demund stepped inside, looking at the walls. There was a large window right across the door, big enough to open and jump through. They were on the fourth and highest floor, and the view of the campus was something Demund quite liked. The place was empty save a few boxes; they would have to organize them to make room for the tables and chairs they would bring in.

“I like this,” Rhyne whistled, coming inside. “But it’s kind of…”

“Small,” Kacy finished.

The room was small. If a table was brought in, only one person would be able to walk through the gap between the table and the walls at a time. Demund was pretty sure he could get from the door to the windows in three hops, two if he tried.

“I mean, we’re lucky enough to get one,” Alina said cheerfully. “They gave us a room right away.”

“They gave us the storage room,” Kacy said.

“Who do you think our advisor will be?” Riley said, looking out of the window. “Wow, the view is great.”

“Our club isn’t official yet,” Alina answered. “Who knows? Maybe we’ll never become official, which is why they gave us this room in the first place.”

Rhyne snorted. “Riiiight. Introducing ourselves as the Making Abilities Globally Intelligible Club wasn’t such a great idea.”

They’d come up with the name after long hours of debating so that their club’s acronym would be the Magic Club without sounding too occult or silly. But the teacher who had looked over their application had glanced at them with a raised eyebrow with a slightly questioning smile on his lips. They’d been given a room in the end, but it wasn’t a regular classroom like the ones the other clubs had.

“I like this place,” Demund decided. “The smallness makes it cozy. Besides, we won’t need a bigger room for just five people.”

“But if more people join, we’ll gain more recognition,” Kacy argued. “No one will find us here. We’ll have to start advertising—”

“Let’s take it slowly,” Demund told her. “Besides, it’ll be harder to teach you guys if there are more people. My energy isn’t limitless, remember?”

“Okay,” Kacy agreed.

“Let’s start by decorating the room!” Alina piped up. “We might as well enjoy it while we have it.”

So they spent the rest of the time moving the boxes to the side and bringing in the table and chairs. It didn’t take twenty minutes for them to get everything they needed, so when the preparations were done, they sat down around the rectangular table and began their first meeting.

“I don’t think Rhyne needs more teaching as of now,” Demund said. “Rhyne, you can practice your light magic while I teach the others.”

“Righty,” Rhyne nodded. “Erm, how do we deal with the flashbangs?”

“You could go to a corner and place a jacket or bag over yourself,” Riley suggested.

“Aha.”

“Then it’s just the three of you left,” Demund nodded. “Alina can already create light through her ability, so I’m sure she’ll understand the spell in no time.”

“Hopefully,” she said.

“And Riley—”

“I’m pretty sure I almost got it,” he said. “Just a little more.”

“Yep. Kacy?”

“I don’t know,” she said. “I didn’t get any ‘feels’ as Rhyne did.”

“Then you’ll practice with me the most,” Demund decided. “Let’s do ten minutes each for Riley and Alina, fifteen for Kacy. We can change it later. I’m pretty sure I can keep it up for an hour or two.”

They began right away. To save time, he did what he’d never done before: teach two people at once. He held Alina and Riley’s hands with his fingers, sending his mana through to create magic on the tips of their fingers. It tired him twice as much and made his head hurt a little, but after the first two minutes, he knew he could do it.

After they were done, it was Kacy’s turn. For her, he sent his mana through her whole hand so that she would experience the magic better. She nodded slowly while keeping her eyes closed.

“I may or may not get it,” she said, pursing her lips. “But it feels…nice.”

She said it very softly, making it almost a whisper. She turned her head away right after so that she wouldn’t face him.

“What I meant is that the magic feels nice,” she clarified.

“I didn’t say anything,” Demund chuckled. Ages ago, he would have been much more embarrassed, stuttering over his words. But he’d seen plenty of beautiful women and girls during his life. All things considered, despite his complete lack of experience with dating, he was pretty good at not being awkward.

Probably.

They continued, all the while flashes of light illuminated the room from the corner. Before he knew, an hour and a half had passed—

Demund’s head suddenly felt dizzy. He heard a high, sharp note ring inside of his ears, vanishing a few seconds later.

“Demund!” Alina cried. “You’re bleeding!”

“Huh?”

Demund touched his nose, feeling something wet. Sure enough, a small trail of blood was going down his skin. While he kept his head back, Riley quickly ran to the toilet and grabbed a handful of paper towels which Demund put on his nose.

“I feel so tired,” Demund muttered. “I think I might have used too much mana.”

The headache was something he hadn’t felt in a long time. He’d always been careful not to overexert himself. He was sure he’d done the same while teaching the others. Had using magic with both hands done something? He wasn’t sure. All he knew then was that he was very, very tired.

“Are you okay?” Kacy panicked, holding her hands together in worry. “Is this dangerous?”

“The nosebleed is new, but I’ve had this before,” Demund reassured. “It’s nothing serious.”

“Really?”

She didn’t sound convinced.

“I’ll take him to the infirmary,” Riley offered.

“Nah, I can go alone.”

“What if you faint on the way? Let’s just check if anything’s wrong.”

“I’ll go as well,” Rhyne said.

“We can all go,” Alina suggested.

In the end, having nothing to do, they all went down to the infirmary, helping Demund not trip or fall on the stairs. He felt incredibly light-headed as if he’d run ten kilometers, but when he came to his senses, he was lying down on one of the beds, staring up into the ceiling. Ms. Clarn the nurse was looking at him, checking for any abnormalities inside of his body.

“Nothing seems wrong,” she told them. “Your dry nose was likely the cause for the nosebleed. Make sure to stay hydrated. But…”

She frowned. “Your SAP concentration is much lower than I remember. Have you been using your superpowers?”

“It’s magic,” Rhyne corrected.

“Hm. Magic,” she nodded. “A shot of anexide will likely do the trick.”

“You seem less tired, Ms. Clarn,” Demund observed through his squints.

“Let’s say some good things have happened to me recently.”

She prepared the shot and put the syringe into Demund’s arm. Soon enough, he felt the strength returning to his body, eradicating the deep sense of laziness and dullness that had formed in his body. He sat up and stretched, yawning broadly.

“That feels much better,” he said, “I’m still tired, but it feels better.”

“Overusing your power will cause fatigue, especially if you are ranked C or lower,” Ms. Clarn smiled. “I never thought you would be expending your SAP. Have your ‘magic’ discoveries been successful lately?”

“About that, we created a club for it.”

“It’s called the Making Abilities Globally Intelligible Club!” Rhyne announced. “Or the Magic Club for short.”

The nurse looked surprised. “The Magic Club?”

“We have submitted our applications,” Kacy interjected, looking at Ms. Clarn with twinkling eyes. “The club is not official yet. We’ve acquired a small room but no advisor. It would be great if we could find a teacher who is willing to become our advisor.”

“What do you do in this Magic Club?” she asked.

“We learn magic!”

Ms. Clarn laughed. Then she cleared her throat.

“Ahem. Sorry. Magic, you say? You learn magic?”

“Yes,” Demund nodded.

“And I’m sure you are the one teaching it.”

“Yes.”

“You would be perfect as our advisor,” Kacy said once more. “You were there when Demund presented at the Junior’s Advancement. I’m sure you of all people know what he can do.”

“Me? An advisor? I’m sorry. As much as I’d like to—”

“You’re busy as the nurse,” Kacy finished. “That’s okay. We just need an advisor in name only. We will take care of all of the paperwork. There won’t be anything you will have to do besides reporting our progress to the school.”

“Kacy,” Demund said, “that’s a little rude.”

“But it’s true. To gain recognition, having an advisor is the minimum. If there is no adult around to notice our progress, then anything we do won’t be as meaningful.”

“We’ll film for Viggle.”

“That won’t be enough.”

“Wait a moment,” Ms. Clarn interrupted, massaging her eyes with her fingers. “Demund is the only one who can use ‘magic’. It’s his superpower. With only him, it won't be enough to make an official club.”

“I think you forgot the presentation Demund gave, Ms. Clarn,” Kacy said. “He stated that he will teach others as well.”

“Yes, I remember. If it is possible, I’m sure you will be recognized as an official club.”

“That is why we are saying that we need you as our advisor.”

Ms. Clarn looked confused for a second. But realization struck her face, and her eyes widened.

“You don’t mean—?”

“Show her, Rhyne,” Kacy ordered.

“Right-o.”

Rhyne held up a finger.

Everyone yelped and covered their eyes—including Rhyne—when a flash of light seared their vision. Groans and complaints filled the room, and Rhyne waved his hand, apologizing hastily.

“Sorry, sorry!” he yelled, rubbing his eyes. “I got too excited and went overboard!”

“He was—taught to do that?” Ms. Clarn gaped, blinking. “Rhyne, if I remember correctly, you’re able to perceive time more slowly.”

“It’s why I was the first to learn,” he said proudly.

“Could you show me one more time?”

So he did it again, this time while everyone stood behind Ms. Clarn at a safe distance. Riley released a flash of light from his finger, then another.

“Well, I can’t control it like Demund,” he grinned goofily, rubbing his head. “But it works.”

“That’s—that’s incredible. Demund, you did it.”

She held Demund’s hands, smiling the widest smile anyone could smile. “You’ve successfully replicated a power on your own.”

“Magic,” he corrected.

“Yes, magic.”

She let go, cracking her neck. “Alright, I will accept your offer. But I will be busy as the nurse.”

“That won’t pose a problem,” Kacy stated confidently.

Ms. Clarn nodded. “How many of you have learned this—magic? And can you use other abilities as well?”

“So far, it’s only Rhyne,” Demund answered. “It took him a week to learn light magic, and that is the easiest.”

“I see, I see.”

She nodded satisfyingly. “I will put in a good word for all of you. What was the name of your club? The longer one.”

“Making Abilities Globally Intelligible Club.”

“Mmhm. I can see how the name fits.”

“If you’re ready, I have the form that needs your signature right here,” said Kacy, revealing a document from behind her back. Demund had no idea when she had brought such a thing over.

“Just to be sure—using and teaching your power isn’t harmful, is it?” Ms. Clarn asked, taking the form.

“Not to my knowledge,” Demund replied. “The doctors didn’t say my ability was harmful.”

“I also didn’t notice anything dangerous. But try not to overwhelm yourself.”

“I won’t.”

They received her signature. It was a step forward in their journey to be recognized. Demund couldn’t believe how quickly and smoothly things were progressing. Once they became an official club, the school would be able to back them properly. If they were lucky, someone higher up would notice them—and his ticket to the Preliminary Islands would possibly come.

It was an unlikely and wishful dream, but it also was an opportunity to obtain more scholarships, not to mention that it would look good on his document once he applied to university.

And it was all becoming possible because of his friends.

He looked over at Kacy. After their eyes met, he mouthed a thank you. She turned away while crossing her arms, but he could see the smile on her lips.

How fortunate was he to have such precious people around him?

The twisted feelings he’d built up from dealing with Edan and the other world seemed to unravel. His past problems were behind him, growing further apart from the present. It was time to move on and forget about his grudges.

All that was left to do was move forward.

⤙ ◯ ⤚

“I think it is about time you experienced real situations. Practice is good, but there is a difference between it and experience.”

Shaden looked up from the mirror. “This soon? You told me that my aunt didn’t make a debut at all.”

“That is because she was inadequate. You, on the other hand, have understood everything I have taught you. Every basic foundation, you now know. To mature, you must be put into real situations. But if you are against it—”

“No, not at all,” Shaden denied. “I’d love to.”

“Excellent.”

Practol beamed, sliding some sheets of paper before Shaden. Shaden glanced over them, squinting his eyes, suddenly excited about what was to come.

“Kitos,” he said aloud, “my new name.”

“Your first act will be a noble from the countryside who has come to the capital seeking business opportunities,” Practol told him. “How is your voice training coming along?”

“Very well,” Shaden replied.

It was easier than he thought, changing his voice. If he focused his mana on his throat and pulled the muscles and flesh a little, it would change. There were other elements to it such as pronunciation or controlling his voicebox and nasal areas, but he hadn’t wanted to waste more time on it than necessary. After just a month of lessons, he could sound like a different person. He was satisfied with that.

This was why Practol had brought up the present topic in the first place. Now that he was done with voice lessons, he needed something else to take up his time. Shaden had considered asking about magic, but Practol had been wise so far. He could excel at this first, then request proper lessons on spells.

With the old man’s guidance, Shaden changed his face into an older-looking one. The only problem now was his height.

“You will have to wear shoes with thick soles,” Practol told him. “One thing you must learn to do is to look for a proper disguise. Our art will cover our skin and appearance, but clothes and accessories are things that are better when real. My son and I have a great collection which you may borrow from.”

After a short trip into their walk-in closet, he was ready to begin his expedition into noble society. It was quite easy with Practol’s help to find a party held by a wealthy merchant, and within two days, he was standing in a large banquet hall, awkwardly eyeing the plates of food while nobles buzzed around him, making as much talk as they could.

Practol’s mission for him: to find a man named Benor.

Shaden picked up a glass of wine from one of the moving platters and slowly strode around the room, keeping an ear out for any mentions of ‘Benor.’ He was a man with red hair and decently handsome according to what he’d heard. Practol hadn’t been very specific aside from the fact that he would have to tell Benor about his plot of land in the countryside that would be able to grow sugar.”

“Even if you make a mistake, take it as a learning experience,” Practol had told him. “Failures make you stronger.”

But Shaden wasn’t planning to fail.

He spotted the man talking with a group of two to the side of the room. Adjusting his clothes and making sure his face was perfect, Shaden confidently strode towards them, putting on a smile on his face. He was supposed to be a cheery man.

“Hello, and greetings,” he began, remembering the list of phrases Practol had provided him with. “The drinks are terribly bitter today, aren’t they? A little bit of sugar would do the trick.”

The red-haired man turned to him, as did the other two. He didn’t look too happy.

“Why, a new face. That is rare,” he said. “It would be proper manners to introduce yourself.”

“I am Kitos from Bluelake,” Shaden told him. “It would honor me to hear your names.”

“I am Benor,” the man nodded. “The drinks are well-flavored. Are you in need of sugar?”

“No, but my land requires much,” Shaden replied. “I’ve too much land to spare but no sweetness to fill it.”

Practol’s words echoed to him. Sound ambitious. Many times, people will take the words of a blatant fool more readily.

“Land? Tell me more.”

Shaden read aloud from his head the words he’d seen on his script, trying to sound eager and naive, throwing in a compliment or two for the men’s clothes and jewelry. They conversed for a while. But in the end,

“If you require sugar, you should not let your sticky hands touch those around you,” Benor stated. “Sadly, we are content without sugar. Perhaps next time, we will have some sugar seeds to send to your land. But I must say, it does cost quite a deal.”

“That is okay. I have brought carts of my family’s savings to the city,” Shaden said confidently.

“Ah. I must ask, where should you be staying? Perhaps I can send you a word.”

“That is difficult to say. I shall be moving from place to place, after all.”

“Then safe travels to you, Kitos from Bluelake.”

Then the three men turned around like he didn’t exist. Their sudden cold treatment towards him came as a shock to Shaden, but he departed from them and waddled to the other side of the room. He’d done that pretty well, hadn’t he? He’d talked about sugar and his land. Everything on the checklist was complete.

“Kitos.”

He snapped his head, finding a waiter before him. The man held a cup out to him and leaned into his ear.

“Someone would like to see you in the second hall,” he said.

“Where is that?”

“Follow me.”

With a nod, Shaden went through the doors and down the hall, following the servant. They passed through a series of corridors, eventually entering a small meeting room. The servant sat down, and Shaden did the same opposite of him.

“Practol,” Shaden sighed. “I didn’t notice you come in.”

“That is how it should be. There, but blending in perfectly,” the waiter said. His voice was different, but Shaden knew that it was the man due to the marker he’d placed on him. “Now, it is time to review.”

“Review?”

“Things you did well, things you didn’t do so well. For your first time, you fit the role quite well. Can you guess what you were talking about?”

“Sugar,” Shaden said. “So, agriculture. I need an investment to make a plantation on my land.”

“Close, but not exactly. What is sugar?”

“Small crystals that are extracted from the sugar cane or sugar beet,” Shaden answered. “No?” he added after seeing Practol furrow his eyebrows.

“You are thinking of normal sugar. The correct phrase would be drugs, or more specifically, the Kocay plant and its leaves.”

“Drugs?”

“Of course, those who deal with it are very secretive. It will always be referred to as sugar as such a term will not be held accountable in court. Now,”

Before Shaden could ask more questions, Practol placed his hands on the table. “Your performance review. At the last moment when the men treated you with disrespect, you appeared to be too calm.”

“I was,” Shaden nodded.

“You would be. But what about Kitos from Bluelake? He is a haughty noble who seeks wealth in the capital, believing that he has the ability to multiply his coin. How would such a person react?”

“They would become red in the face.”

“Yes. Remember the small details, my boy. The fluster of the skin, the narrowing of the eyes, the whiteness of your fingers.”

“I was too caught up with the mission,” Shaden realized. “I wasn’t concentrating on myself.”

“You are a quick learner.”

They went over multiple more mistakes he had made as well as things he’d done well, including his body posture and accent. To be fair, Practol didn’t know about his ability to perfectly replicate any language and its accents without trying, but it still felt good to be praised. But his confidence quickly fell as the number of his mistakes rose to the thirties mark, not appearing to stop.

“There are more, but I am a perfectionist,” Practol concluded. “This will do for today. How was your experience?”

“Awkward. But if I could do it again, I’d be much better.”

“Excellent. However, your role as Kitos from Bluewater will conclude here. In three days, you will be Kitos from Westhark.”

And Shaden knew that his time would be spent mastering all sorts of mannerisms and techniques he’d failed to do that day.

⤙ ◯ ⤚

Deion looked at his phone after receiving a notification from one of his assistants.

The first video of the newly made channel had been updated. The Magic Club. He pressed on the video. High schoolers appeared inside of a small classroom, and a familiar face guided the viewer through the simple ideas behind the club. Deion’s eyes slightly widened when he saw another boy create a flash of light on his finger, giving rise to complaining groans around the room. Two girls and three guys.

He hadn’t expected it to be created this early. Then again, the boy had failed to go to the Islands. His project had been intriguing but mediocre compared to what he could have done. There were plenty of smaller abilities being replicated in the Islands, though it would be a while before the advancements of the Preliminary Islands reached the common household.

Then again, they had been playing dodgeball together more than a year ago. Time passed too quickly, even for an ability user such as himself. Perhaps it was because he was familiar with time that it passed more rapidly for him. But this time, everything else was proceeding just as quickly.

Rayn. The self-proclaimed advocate of change—the leader of the Pathfinders—was a necessary element but an uncontrollable one. Each time, the man did something different. Each time, he found a way. Time was on Deion’s side, but luck and coincidences were not.

It would mean that he would have to proceed faster—many steps ahead of everyone else.

He closed the video and dropped his phone into his pocket.

At that instant, the world slowed around him, coming to a halt. He leisurely strode past the civilians, enjoying his time alone in the silence. If he could, he would rather forever remain in that solitary space, away from the horrors that were to come. But they would come.

He couldn’t let his loved ones slip past his fingers.

“High school was nice,” he muttered to himself, whistling a nostalgic tune.

And thousands of kilometers away, Demund woke up, unable to believe the words that were written on the sheets before him.