Mica blinked and came to. The first thing he did was look at Sarah. Her eyes were locked on Rose. She looked furious but Mica thought he caught a hint of confusion beneath the anger.

"Don't look at me like that. We can just start over from before I picked up the crown," Rose said. "It's not like it's such a big deal that—"

"Get out." Sarah's words came through gritted teeth.

"All right, all right. Sorry. If you want an apology, there it is. It's really not that bi—"

"Get out."

The tension between the two girls became almost tangible. It lasted only a few seconds then Tomás broke the silence.

"What about Jacob? Did he go out?"

"I didn't see him come out," Dragoon answered. "But maybe he went to the bathroom."

The two of them began talking among themselves. Mica barely heard any of it, his attention remained fixed on Sarah and Rose.

"Fine. I'm leaving." Rose got to her feet and dusted off her hands in annoyance. "I know when I'm not wanted. Come on, Mica."

Mica hesitated. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sarah and Cat staring straight at him.

"I... I think I'll stay..."

"Whatever." Rose turned and hurried up the basement stairs.

"I'm sorry, Sarah... Cat," Mica began awkwardly. "But I invited her. I don't think I should let her leave like that. I think... I'd better go for now."

Cat simply turned her face away. Sarah's response was even shorter.

"Like she said... do whatever you want."

------------------------------------------------------------------

"I think Jacob got trapped in the other world," Cat said after Mica left.

"The other world?" Hugo and Tomás echoed at the same time.

"Don't tell me we're really going back to this whole missing people thing—" Hugo began.

"Sarah." Cat cut him off. "You have to tell us the truth. What is all this?"

Sarah looked at her in silence. The uncertainty in her eyes answered before her words ever could.

"You have to. You brought us into this telling us it was a game. And now Jacob... just like James Howard... What is this?"

"I never told you it was a game..."

"Omitting the truth doesn't keep it from being a lie, Sarah. What have you dragged us into?"

"I... It was never my intention... I never meant to put any of you in danger. In my world, I have absolute control. Nothing will ever..."

"...your world?" Tomás asked.

"Yes. The place you all go when we start playing. I don't really understand how it works myself, so I couldn't explain it even if I wanted to..."

As she spoke, her eyes drifted toward a yellow hedgehog plush besides a pile of books.

"So it's true?" Hugo asked. "We really are transported to another world? Everything that happens there is real? The injuries? The lost people? Cat was right?"

Sarah still couldn't bring herself to look at any of them. She remained staring off to one side, almost as though she were waiting for something to happen. Nothing did.

"Sarah, where's Jacob? And what do you have to do with James Howard's disappearance?" Cat pressed.

"James..." Sarah spoke at last, still avoiding their eyes. "...James was one of the first adventurers. Along with Jacob... He..."

"Sarah!" A short but broad-shouldered woman burst into the room, Mr. No standing firmly behind her. "How many times have I told you? These children can't stay here after dark. Out! All of you! Unless you want Rafael to drag you out himself!"

------------------------------------------------------------------

Mica wandered several blocks searching for Rose. He couldn't believe she'd disappeared so quickly. He had to admit she had an incredible talent for appearing and disappearing without warning.

About fifteen minutes into his search, his stomach began to twist painfully. The sensation reminded him of something. The poison...

What am I thinking? The poison? It was just a ga—

He couldn't finish the thought. He doubled over in the middle of the street and vomited a thick, black liquid. Viscous. Exactly as he remembered the substance inside the goblets.

What the hell...?

He staggered, struggling to steady himself.

Fortunately, the street was deserted at that hour. No one stopped to stare. No one came to help neither.

A sharp headache struck him without warning. His vision blurred. With no strength left in his legs, he slumped against the wall of a nearby house.

As he fought to calm himself with slow, steady breaths, another memory surfaced. When he'd climbed the basement stairs to leave Tavern, he'd had the unmistakable feeling that someone was watching him. He'd turned around, convinced he'd find Cat staring at him. She hadn't been. None of his friends had. The feeling had come from the plush. He'd dismissed the thought immediately, convinced he was imagining things. But now... Now that he'd seen the black liquid. Now that he felt like this...

Cat was right. Something very strange is happening.

------------------------------------------------------------------

The moment Cat got home, she said a quick goodbye to Hugo and hurried down the hallway before either of her parents could stop her to ask any questions. She raced upstairs, entered her room and closed the door. Only then did she finally allow herself to say what she'd been holding back for nearly two hours.

"Yes! I hear you! I hear you, and I wish I'd never heard you in the first place! What are you? Am I going crazy?"

"I am your Angelino," the voice inside her mind replied. "And as for whether you're going crazy... I don't know. How could either of us know?"

"Well... Hearing voices is usually a pretty good sign."

"Are you hearing voices? I don't hear anything."

"You're the voice."

"No. I'm your Angelino."

"Angelino? What do you mean? What's an Angelino?"

"Those are all good questions. I wish I had the answers. You see... You just created me. So I don't really know anything. I only know that you're amazing, Archer."

"My name isn't Archer. That's just my nickname in Sarah's stupid game."

"Sarah? The other Master, right?"

"Master is her nickname too," Cat replied. "Her real name is—"

"Sarah. Yes, I got that. But I mean she's a Master. Like you."

"A Master? What are you talking about?"

Little by little, as the conversation went on, Cat began lowering her guard. Whether the voice belonged to a real being or merely her imagination, it spoke gently, and its curiosity seemed completely genuine. With every answer she gave, it became harder and harder to believe she was losing her mind. She simply couldn't imagine her own thoughts creating a conversation like this.

"A Master" the Angelino continued. "The ones who have Angelinos. That's what they're called. I'm not entirely sure how I know that."

"And you're saying Sarah is one of them too? So... she has an Angelino?"

"Of course. She's Gabrielle's Master. There were three others as well. I'm just not sure who they were. They were hiding themselves. I think one of them didn't even know yet. He was like me."

"Newborn?"

"Exactly."

"And what's your name?"

"I don't know. I think you're supposed to decide that."

"Me? But... Did Sarah choose her Angelino's name too?"

"Oh, no. Gabrielle is very, very, very old."

"What are you trying to tell me? I don't understand any of this."

"The truth is... neither do I."

"Catherine? Is everything all right?" Her mother's voice came from the other side of the door, followed by two gentle knocks.

"Yes, Mom. Everything's fine."

"Are you with someone? We heard you talking, and... Honey, we'd hate for you to feel like you have to hide those kinds of things from us."

Cat hurried to open the door so her mother could see for herself. Her father stood behind her, wearing an unmistakably worried expression.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," her father said after Cat's mother looked around the empty room and relaxed. "It's not that we don't trust you. You know we do. It's just that... You're getting to an age where..."

"Yeah, Dad. I know. You don't have to give me

that

talk. When...

that

… happens. I'll tell you."

"It's not that you

have

to tell us. I mean... We... I..."

"Brandon," Cat's mother said with an amused sigh, rescuing him from any further embarrassment. "Go downstairs and turn off the TV and the lights. I'll meet you in the bedroom."

Once he'd left, she turned back to Cat.

"And you, sweetheart... You look exhausted. Exams?"

"Yeah. I think that's all it is."

The lie made Cat feel guilty the moment she said it. Her mother studied her for a few seconds before nodding.

"You know you can tell us anything, right?"

"I know, Mom."

"Good. Sleep well. I love you."

"I love you too, Mom."

Cat closed the door.

"You know you don't have to speak out loud for me to hear you," her Angelino said inside her mind.

"Well, no. I didn't know that. You probably should've started with that." She still found herself whispering the words. "Although... I think it's actually harder this way. It makes me feel even crazier."

"Question, what is

that

thing that you will tell when happens?"

"Nothing! Nevermind." Cat blushed "Um... Rini. Do you like Rini?"

"Rini is fine. I suppose."

"Then Rini it is. At least until I think of something better. Rini... I need to know. What exactly is happening?"

"I already told you. I only know that you're my Master... and I'm your Angelino. And that you're amazing."

"Of course. And if I talk to Sarah... Do you think she'd let us speak with her Angelino? Maybe you can talk to Gabrielle even without her permission."

"I don't know. We can try."

With a mission finally in mind, Cat lay down and fell asleep almost immediately.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Hugo wandered the streets around his neighborhood, circling the block again and again. He didn't want to go home. He knew that the moment he walked through the door, his mother would scold him and then she'd cry.

He didn't want to see her cry.

Everything about Jacob, James and Sarah's admission had left him deeply unsettled. Now that he knew someone's life might truly be at stake he felt an overwhelming responsibility. A need to help. The feeling reminded him of his older brother. Of the countless times they'd played at being superheroes. Of the speeches he'd give about always being there for others whenever he protected Hugo from the hardships in his life. Of the way he'd left... and how Hugo had been powerless to prevent it.

A tear escaped before he could stop it. He wiped it away immediately.

I promised you I wouldn't cry. Not for you. Not out of helplessness. And I've kept that promise... haven't I?

He looked up at the night sky.

You told me I should always wear a smile... And I have. But what good has it done? Brother... I need to be like you now. But the truth is... I'm scared.

------------------------------------------------------------------

"I don't know how to explain it, Andros." Sarah sat on the edge of her bed, her hedgehog plush resting in front of her. "I felt helpless. Useless."

"I cannot affirm with certainty that such a thing was brought about by her," Andros' deep voice echoed through the depths of her mind. "Yet of one matter I am certain. Other Masters dwelt within thy Dimension. Whether they concealed themselves from my sight, or had not yet awakened to what they truly were, I could not discern. Any one of thy squires might have been among them. The maiden, her companion... or even Jacob himself, who hath lingered in doubt for far too long."

"But it was never like this with them. I'd never lost control inside my own world. That is another matter entirely."

"A Master is, by nature, sovereign over their own Dimension. The union of two domains may indeed come to pass. Yet it seldom reaches fruition. For when such a thing occurs... both Masters become nigh unstoppable. Though..."

"Though?"

"I deem it all but impossible that an Angelino should infiltrate another's Dimension and alter the very laws by which it is governed. And yet… never have I heard tell of such a marvel. As I was saying..."

"Masters don't fight inside their own worlds. Yes. You've told me that a hundred times already."

Silence settled between them. Andros disliked being interrupted. Sarah disliked being lectured.

"What I do deem intolerable," Andros finally said, "is that thy squires remain in ignorance."

"I know. Especially now that Catherine's convinced something's wrong. I was about to tell them today. But I needed your help to explain everything and you wouldn't answer."

"Do not presume to use me to settle thy quarrels with thy subjects."

"But... Can't you at least help me with something like that?"

Silence.

"Fine. I'll handle it myself. You insufferable plush."

She kicked the yellow hedgehog off the bed. Then she lay down and tried to sleep.