When Sam woke up.

She stared dazely at the Gray wooden ceiling

What had happened? Was it a dream?

Lightly turning her head to look around and take her surroundings.

She was in a long stone room lined with beds. There was nothing that looked familiar about the room she was in. Oddly enough there was no window in the room. There was a solitary door with a red heart near the foot of the bed. There was Something nagging at the back of her head. Something important yet she can't seem to remember it.

Suddenly the door opened and her brother mark appeared. Noticing her looking back at him. Mark froze mid stride and tears started to form. Mark looked hagard, he looked more aged. He suddenly went forward toward me and pull me into his warm loving embrace. He was sobbing saying " Thank God your finally awake." pulling me back he placed a long loving kiss on my forehead and with tears in his eyes looked at me and said. "Sam we - ." He was mid sentence when he suddenly hesitated and said. " No. You need to heal up first, Okey? You don't know how worried I was."

When I tried to speak up I felt strained. My throat felt dry and painful. Mark helped me to sit up and handed me some bowl of water. After drinking a mouthful and weting my throath. I suddenly started to feel light and tired. Mark silently helped me to lay down again saying "your not well yet. There was medicine in the water." while tucking me into bed. I noticed strange markings on his forehead that glowed red. Noticing me starting at him. He looked at me and said "Shhh. well talk soon sam. Just rest and heal up okey" somehow his reassuring voice lulled me to sleep.

Mark looked at her. Looked at Sam. Looked at his last remaining family. They said that she would never wake up. That she was good as dead. That her body can't sustain much longer and she will succumb to malnutrition sooner or later. It had been agonizing to see your own sister getting thinner everyday as you drip water into her lips to help her stay alive longer. After 1 week I had almost gave up.

Yet here she was. Like a Ray of light. She woke up. I was so glad and happy that he had shed tears of joy.

In his emotional state He almost blurted out all the bad thing that he had learned.

Both his younger brothers where gone and no news of them can be found. Hopefully they had escape and are hiding somewhere. His mother was now dead.

The news he heard was even more worse than what he had imagined. The Godkings capital and even more kingdoms of the empire had fallen to the gray tide.

That's why they will be holding off the tide here. He had been helping around the fort.

Noticing that Sam had already fell into slumber He concentrated his mana unto his runes. He Casted calm mind unto her sleeping form to help her sleep better. Ignoring some strand of his hair turning gray. He was much worried about Sam's nightmare. Sam would inexplicably whimper and cry during her sleep. Every time Mark hears and see it, he couldn't help the tug in his heart. Drugs and magic was the way he could keep Sam happy in her sleep, Atleast in her own dreams She was free.

Mark stood up and looked at the man that stood outside the door. " Thank you Uncle Markus."