The sun is just beginning to crest over the mountains outside of Mornage, casting its thin rays of sunlight over the now sparkling city. The chirping of an assortment of birds sounds somewhat peaceful, though they have no idea what is in store for them soon. Not that they can even begin to understand what a comet is and how it can affect them. Then again, maybe it’s better for them that way, living in bliss without worrying about what the future brings.

I sit up and stretch, trying to get the crick out of my neck from sleeping on the hard metal floor, but that’s what I get for not packing any comfortable sleeping bags or anything. Balling my jacket up to act as a makeshift pillow only worked for so long during the night, and now it sits a few feet away in a jumbled mess. Across the hall, Benjamin Forest looks at me, a sort of tired mixed with sorrow expression on his face.

‟How long have you been up?” I ask, standing and looking out the window as I stretch my shoulders and back with a groan. Some of the lights in the skyscrapers are still on, but most of them are the same dark, lifeless husks as they were the previous day.

‟Long enough to know that your snore could be mistaken for a hippopotamus.” He smiles to let me know he’s joking before throwing the blanket off him and stretching himself. ‟So, are we going to talk about where you left us off last night?”

‟Well, you tell me what you think, and I’ll correct you wherever I have to.” I turn and lean against the window sill again, letting it stretch my back as I push against it.

‟Since you’re here, I think it’s safe to assume that Xaleyp’s alive—”

‟Fair assumption.” I gesture to him with a wave of my hand to continue going, like some schoolteacher pressing their pupil.

‟—but I’m not sure exactly what happened, because it all happened so fast.”

‟What about what we already know about what happened to Xaleyp’s parents, what Ardus told him about his parents, the events that led up to the crash, and how it all ties together?”

‟Well, we know that his mother—your great grandmother—was taken with him, Rach’El, and Zayne—neither of whom we have seen since—by Colonel Ire, and his father was taken by some Hyperion soldiers. Then, we—”

‟Were they Hyperion, though?” I interrupt him, rubbing my chin and cocking an eyebrow. ‟The ones who took Xaleyp’s father, Skylar the Commander?”

‟Who else would they be? The Hyperions were attacking and taking over, blew up that building, they killed his guards and captured him right in the Capitol’s hangar.”

‟Who told you that it was only the Hyperions that were there that day?”

‟You did.”

‟Did I though?”

‟Now, that is just completely unfair.” Ben has a look of mild disgust on his face and shakes his head. ‟If it wasn’t the Hyperions, then you tell me: Who else could it have been, especially after what Colonel Ire told Xaleyp that first day at Vertyn?”

‟Let me answer that by asking the next question: Who told Xaleyp his parents were alive after he thought they were dead for eight years of his life?”

‟That’s obvious, you just told me it was Ardus Kaine. Something about his spies being close to discovering the location of them and wanting to give it to Xaleyp.”

‟Curious that one of the greatest intelligence networks of our age took eight years just to find out that someone was alive and hidden away all that time.” I wave my hand before Ben can reply as if to swat the comment away. ‟But I digress. Final question, then we should have our answer: What were the assailants wearing that took him?”

I can see on his face that he is concentrating hard, trying to remember one of the first things I told him in my story. Finally, a look of satisfaction comes to his face when he picks out the detail, though I can tell he doesn’t fully reach the realization I want him to.

‟Domed helmets and black armor.”

‟Domed helmets seem like an interesting choice for Hyperion soldiers, who typically wore either sleek gas masks, nothing, or used robots, wouldn’t you say?”

‟But if it wasn’t the Hyperions…” His voice trails off and a look of understanding mixed with horror washes over him. ‟You don’t mean…”

‟I do mean.” I nod and smile smugly, and I'm glad I don't have to spell it out for him.

‟But, how did he not realize?” Ben shakes his head and hits his forehead with the palm of his hand.

‟He can’t realize something if he doesn’t even know everything himself.” I shrug and look down the hallway just in time to see a couple spiders skittering over the dull metal. ‟At that time, he had no idea what happened to his father, other than Ire telling him he kidnapped and killed both of them. Now, we’re going to continue in the Nehruian Desert, the largest one on Arcadia, just a couple months after that crash. Any questions?”

Ben shakes his head, putting his chin in his hands in a show of excitement like a kid at a magic show. He gestures at me to continue, and I do.