I knew that everything was about to get worse when I saw Jeriah running toward me. To start off, he was alone, and he had gone to search Ianarea with Alyssa. Secondly, he was crying and screaming. I had seen the other two do quite a bit of screaming and crying, but never had I seen Jeriah being emotional. He always had the least motivation, and, I had guessed, the least will to continue living. When I saw that something had happened that Jeriah cared this deeply about, I knew something was very, very wrong.

He was about to pass out. Everyone gathered around, and I saw Ianite's face go pale. Panting, with sweat and tears rolling down his face, he collapsed onto the ground. His eyes glazed over, and I wondered for a split second if he was dying.

"WHAT HAPPENED?" Mianite yelled, trembling. "WHERE'S ALYSSA?"

Jeriah was struggling to stay conscious at this point. "The Shadows have returned," he gasped. "No, I take that back. They never left. They are, as they've always been, all around us. I... I am the Shadows."

Beside me, Ianite let out the shrillest shriek I had heard in my life, and the man fell to the ground. His eyes seemed to roll back into his head. Terror raced through me, but I didn't know what to do or what to say.

"What... what did that mean?" I asked, my voice shaking. "The Shadows? Wasn't that the test from Dianite a few years ago?"

Tears leaked out of my goddess's eyes. "There are... things we didn't tell you. We kept a few things from you. We thought it would be better not to."

That makes two of us. "What did you keep from us?" I meant to sound frustrated, even angry, but I was too shocked for the words to come out properly.

She opened and closed her mouth, saying nothing. "Maybe we should have this talk at another time. We need to make sure Jeriah's alive. If he is, we'll need more information."

"This can't be happening..." the priest muttered, looking absolutely horrified. Snapping out of his trance, he took the unconscious man into his home.

"It won't be like before," Mianite tried to reassure us, but his voice was shaking almost as badly as Ianite's. "Just relax and we'll decide what to do."

Meanwhile, Redbeard was huddled in a corner, saying nothing. When he noticed that I was watching him, all he said was, "I remember when it happened. We were all lied to. I don't want to be lied to again."

"When what happened?" Now the anger was forming in my voice. "Is there really something you haven't told us?"

The pirate looked away. I didn't think that questioning him would do any of us any good, so I followed Champwan into the priest's house. Jeriah was laying on a small bed, and the priest was feeling for his heartbeat.

"He's alive." We all breathed a small sigh of relief, but that was far from the end of our problems.

"Now, I want the full story," I demanded firmly. "What have you been keeping from us?"

Redbeard entered, and stood beside me. "Let's hear your excuses for this one."

Mianite shot him a furious glance. "As Ianite said, we haven't told you the full story. The Shadows... aren't a test. They're actually, well, a person. My father, in fact, and the father of Ianite and Dianite."

"You're father is literal darkness," I said in a flat tone. "That's... interesting."

"He was a terrible ruler. Manipulative and selfish. He wanted us children to become his slaves, and spread his teachings. Dianite, for some reason, looked up to him, but Ianite and I saw how truly terrible he was. Our father saw that we weren't loyal, and attacked us. He wanted to kill us off for having our own opin...."

"Liar." Redbeard's voice was cold. "I knew it would get to this."

Mianite whirled around, fury on his face. "Tell me, pirate, how I am telling lies? You weren't there."

His unforgiving gaze didn't waver. "Doesn't matter. I know what happened. Ianite felt the need to attack the shadows when she wasn't prepared, and then hid from his revenge."

"Excuse me?" Ianite snapped, her purple eyes growing wide. Redbeard said nothing in response.

"Anyway," Mianite snarled, turning away, "Ianarea was attacked. Three brave men volunteered to fight alongside Ianite, and together they fought against the shadows."

Redbeard laughed. "This is getting ridiculous. Ianite transferred her powers and fled. It wasn't a heroic battle in the slightest. Two men died instantly, standing no chance against forces that strong."

"That's not important!" Mianite clenched his fists. "What's important is that one man survived. He transferred his knowledge and powers on to his daughter, and died. Bella, the girl who was in Alyssa's dreams, survived."

"What a hero! Tell them what happened to this outstanding little girl next!" Redbeard was almost yelling at this point.

"The shadows attacked Ianarea, and she was unfortunately one of the first to die. Then, he went and hid with Dianite. He wasn't supposed to return, at least for another few centuries. This shouldn't be happening," Mianite said in a low voice. "And I don't know what his point is."

"Does nobody care that Alyssa dead?" I cried, shocked at Mianite's tone.

"You see, Spark," Redbeard said before the god could reply, "deaths at the hands of the shadows don't matter to them. Oh well, you know! It'll happen to all mortals eventually, so it might as well happen now."

"You know we don't think that at all," Ianite tried to use a soothing voice, but this was not the time.

"OH, REALLY?" His voice shook the building. "Always forcing us mortals to fight your battles. Not caring when we die. You always complain that the shadows never cared about his citizens. You're the same!"

"We," Mianite growled, "are NOTHING like our father. Understand?"

"I'm not going to give into your lies!" The pirate looked at me, slight desperation in his gaze. "Spark, you shouldn't either. The last thing I want is to see you suffer what I had to suffer. Because of both of them."

I was silent for a moment. "Redbeard, what do you think I should do?"

Before he could respond, Jeriah woke up. He was panting again, and it seemed like it was difficult for him to breathe. Everyone except for Mianite and Redbeard rushed to his side.

"Alyssa... she..." the man gasped. He turned to look at me, and tears began to fill his eyes once more. "Spark, we have a choice. Neither option is good. But we have a choice."