I crouch down, scanning the creature's body. There is no definite shape, but it lacks the usual intensity of a normal Shifter. Instead of the glare of a monster, its eyes contain the darkness of an inner turmoil. We continue to stare into each other's eyes, I can't seem to pull away.I try to call upon my past knowledge. Back at headquarters, when we met with the Shifters, I had a somewhat similar feeling. There was no hatred or resentment, as I would expect in other situations. What should I do? I wish there was some kind of manual that explained everything to me, because then everything would be so much easier.A small body of light leaves my body, surprising me with its sudden appearance. Without knowing what I am doing, my hand closes around it, trapping it in my grip. As I hold it, I can feel the compassion I had just felt.This light looks a lot like the other light Griffin and I saw at the well. I can only guess, but it seems that these...things are essences of our emotions, so

I can see them, a multitude of Shifters in physical or spiritual form converging on the shoreline, and these are unlike any others I have seen. Red eyes glisten in dark, throbbing bodies. Each of them looks thirsty, tinged with the madness that accompanies emotions such as hatred or envy. Some have burrowed into the surrounding foliage, with glowing tree trunks for torsos and blood-red veins running down from heads to roots. They're human-shaped in that they don't look as sturdy or as thick as a normal tree, and the arms are made of gathered branches, yet possess an intimidating elasticity.Jake pulls out a small dagger, his face twisted by some of the same insanity the Shifters possessed. "Brace yourselves," he growls as the first Shifter in physical form tears out of the undergrowth and runs faster than any normal human being should.Without hesitation, I raise my arm and throw the spear with all my might. The joy of life fills my chest as it hits a Shifter square in the face, embed

What a cruel way to continue the story.Sometimes I feel like I can understand it. These events and circumstances are necessary, though sometimes inexplicable. Sometimes harsh. Sometimes painful.Why?No, no... I take it back. Duty. It's not for me to know. I would like to... but I can't. I can't ask, I can't question, I can't know.I won't have an answer anyway.The goal is cruel. A beast that robs you of your natural identity and aspirations and puts you on a different path that continues in a straight line, always moving never stopping running stop breathing no don't do it standing keep running running otherwise you will know.Sometimes I feel like I'm about to crack. Hit the ground so hard that my face breaks and my fingers crumble and my chest explodes and then I realize it's already happened. And so it can happen, again and again and again, without any relief, because why? Because I am dead! Dead then, dead now, dead forever and ever.And there is no difference anyway because -

"Were they... Shifters? Yi asks him slowly, her face drained of color. "The same ones we saw earlier?"Yeah, pretty much." Jake nods solemnly. "It almost felt like they were waiting for us, with the way they immediately started chasing us. Originally, they were completely surrounding us, but we managed to get through them and run into the forest. By the time we were near the coast, several of them were gaining on us. One of them grabbed Wes and tore into his back before he could react, and for some reason the wound weakened him, almost as if there was poison in the Shifter's attack. . I sent him ahead of me as I finished, or so I thought, the Shifters, and he finally landed at the beach, where you were. And then tons of others appeared and I had to run too."Wow..." said Xavier, his hand gently brushing Wes' shoulder once to snap him out of his moment of shock. Wes literally shakes at the sudden contact, then abruptly turns his head to Xavier while staring at him.

The crackling of a fire is the first thing I notice when my eyes open. The faint aroma of cinnamon wafts through the room, though tainted by a heavy premonition that I can't quite shake, though I can't quite remember why this mysterious feeling exists.I blink once, twice, trying to consolidate the swirl of colors into something more closely resembling solid objects. Just to convince myself that I'm not crazy, I bang my head against the floor, then roll awkwardly onto my back."Ouch, that must have hurt," a small, muffled laugh erupts as my vision fixes on long strands of brown hair hanging around my face. Still a little dazed, I let my hand brush the hair, then finally a firm chin, tracing her jaw and neck. As if just realizing my actions, I dropped my arm and my mouth opened as I finally registered who the person was that was leaning precariously over me."Ray?" I asked, my hand reflexively moving up to touch his cheek."After passing out when I saw mys