One week has passed.

  Kevin opened his eyes to see that he had not returned to the normal life he left behind.

  I'm still here.

  He bolted upright as if what a corpse does not do on a coroner's table, frightening the attending nurse who threw up the metal plate she held containing syringes and medicine. It all came crashing with a clang, to include said attendant in response.

  Moving proved impossible. The legs did not want to respond to his will, yet his whole body screamed out in pain.

  Back in this hospital room.

  This is the second time this week. The surrounding walls, the clean smells in the air, and the pointed ears of the nurse told him all he needed.

  Rowen Commons. Yes, I am still here. Shit. Trapped in my own body.

  He felt the large pendant around his neck to control his emotions pulse a weak reddish hue.

  He wanted the damn thing off, but then the memories came back to him, going ballistic with a foreign power, Carl saving his life in ways he didn't know how to express gratitude for.

  It worked as intended, a bit too much, as he could feel his emotions but expressing them was another thing entirely. Like he was a separate person inside and out, with his 'outer' half emotionless and withdrawn.

  "I will get the doctor," the nurse replied rather than answering the question. She ran out hurriedly, not bothering to pick up the scattered equipment.

  "Whatever," he replied.

  That wasn't what I wanted to say. Gratitude goes right out the window.

  His head swam with memories. The school. His siblings. And Carl banded with others from this world. To him, it was all confusing as hell. How in the hell did they even get into his memories?

  And then, there was the anger. More powerful than any emotion that sulked in the back of his mind. Thinking about it made his left hand throb. At first, it was overwhelming. A seductive allure encompassed him completely.

  Yes, I like to be angry. No, no, you are not the Hulk. Sheesh.

  Sword Master

  This is the second time something or someone has spoken to him in regards to that name. At first, it was in his dream. Now it's like in the air as if someone around the room echoes it from wall to wall.

  He ignores it for now, but how can he ignore it he doesn’t know because each repetition grows in strength and volume. He thought it was funny, now, it changed its dialect, a Middle Eastern dialect perhaps? Whatever it was, it was another person entirely.

  The doctor burst through the door, only to slip on a fallen cup and topple backward. Kevin felt an immediate wave of relief when he spotted Carl. Behind him was Kiyo, catching the physician before she hit the floor.

  Now begs the biggest mystery of all. All he knew was the name, but she acted like she had known him for a long time. As with all the others from this realm. The thing is…

  He doesn't remember any of their history, let alone his own. At first, he felt like he thought he did, but now, he knows that life. Back on Earth. Not this place that was in front of him.

  He is living in two different worlds, and the one he is in now is fading fast from memory and replacing the ones he forgot at home.

  Home…

  He has a wife. And children? Yes, all of it, including the military, and everything in between. Like a reel of time, he felt a sudden sadness.

  "My word, this mess," the doctor said after giving her thanks.

  "Kevin, you are finally awake," Carl said.

  The doctor examined him in the usual fashion, complete with multiple breathing exercises. She nodded in acceptance of his health and told them that when he was ready, Kevin should be assisted out of bed to get his motor functions back up and going.

  "Carl, so I wasn't dreaming, you are here," Kevin said.

  "You have been out for about two weeks."

  Two weeks. Has it been that long? No, this dream felt way longer. "Why was I out for two weeks?"

  "That is a bit hard to explain," he replied. "I do not know the specifics. Paz said you overused your power with the memory fight. Do you recognize any of that?"

  He thought it was a dream. His friends clashed against him in the rain. The police car lights blaring on the other side of them. His siblings…

  "No, not truly," he said. "Last I recall was..."

  I was at Walmart shopping for dinner…

  Abruptly, a deluge of recollections washed over me. Encountering Bryson in a place named Port City, where both of us were enlisted together to become part of the Advent Guard.

  A chance meeting with Beast-kin, Midge, and Rydia while they were on their way to look for their families.

  Working with the Caravan escorts while trade was at its highest between the ATP and the Armagosians.

  Then the Anger. Everyone around him is fighting all the time. A madman whom he had no choice to follow… murdering people and scalping ears… pain… Anger intensifying.

  Kevin shook his head. "To be honest with you, I think I was angry at you for some stupid reason." He tugged at the pendant unconsciously and pulled back when it gave him a numbness like he stuck his finger in an electrical socket.

  "Yeah, Paz was insistent that it stays on. But I can explain it to you later. Do you think you can get up and go for a walk?"

  "Ok," Kevin said, "But first Doc, can I have a minute with Carl?"

  "Sure, sure," she said. "Just let the nurse know when you are ready."

  "Thanks," he replied and she left the room.

  Kevin motioned to Carl to lift him. Once he was able to stand and take a few numbing steps, Carl helped him get dressed.

  "Carl, what am I doing here?" Kevin asked.

  This stopped Carl as he looked unsure what that question meant. "You mean here in the hospital? You had collapsed…"

  "No," he replied. "Let me rephrase. What are we doing here in this place? This world? Is this like one of those Planes of Existence you keep referring to in your letters?"

  "Wait," Carl replied. "I never sent you any letters."

  "Yeah, I know, your father sends them out for you. In one of them, it says how you always wanted to keep your secrets and what you did away from me. To be honest, you never spoke, I never cared. They are still there, somewhere in the room back on Earth, as this is not that."

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  "Kevin, what do you remember?"

  "Not much. I know that there are a lot of elves here. Some humans, but they don't like each other. Oh, and talking.. beast-kin?"

  Carl noticed him fumbling with his ears. "Yeah, it took them a while to get used to the fact that we are not from this place, but they have learned to accept that we are different. You know you are one of those elves too, right?"

  "So I've noticed," Kevin replied. "I also recall other things as well. Like how you were chased by dogs and you hopped onto a car because they were going to bite your head off."

  "Huh?" Carl questioned. "That was you who did that, and you told me that story when we were in summer school. That was right before the incident."

  "Oh right," Kevin said, scratching his head. "Was that before or after we kicked those bullies' asses that month?"

  "Before," Carl replied with a half-smile. "And we were in Edison when that happened. Your head sure is jumbled, but you're remembering something, I'll take what I can get."

  Kevin shrugged. "Well, this is nice. So how do we get home?"

  "You can't, at least not yet anyways," Carl replied. "We have to cleanse your soul pieces first."

  The stare of silence took place as if he was supposed to know something. "What are you talking about?"

  He feigned ignorance. All of it rushed back to him in fragments of memories. All of it felt so surreal at first like he was indeed trapped in a dream. Now, with some semblance of control, trying to piece together two sets of memories was challenging enough. Similar to a coin's opposing faces, both demanding notice, his recollections flickered in and out; despite their transient quality, the latest fit of rage provoked such internal chaos that his awareness receded, needing to integrate the experience.

  That much he knew, but the truth of the matter is that he was between worlds, and while both of them were real to his head, he felt like only one of them truly existed.

  "Well, I can't explain it really," Carl continued. "What I do know is that this world is affecting you in ways no one can explain. And it is concerning. We need to find the rest of your soul fragments and find a way back through the portal. This place is nice and all, but it's not our world. The sooner we get home, the better."

  Indeed, his friend's words spoke true. This is not home. Yet… he felt like he did not want to go home. Home means going back to that… reality. Something needed him here. He wanted to find out what that was.

  "I guess, now that I am awake, she will come back ready to go."

  "Probably," Carl replied. "Come on, let's go to the tavern. I am sure that everyone would want to see that you are ok."

  Despite needing a bit of help, Kevin waved Carl away from needing assistance. They paused at the well in the center of town so Kevin could readjust the crutches.

  It wasn't immediate, but the thought of how many Rowen had perished had crossed his mind. He thought about that crazy gun-toting Gardros initially arriving looking for him. At first, he did not know what was happening but after some time to think, Carl was right. Everything revolved around him and this unknown power.

  This power attracted danger. A whole battle ensued because of him. And the deaths that were incurred were his fault. If this power was indeed his, could he have prevented the deaths?

  Who died because of him? Why did they give him up? He wasn't important enough to fight for.

  He gazed into the well while taking a breather. That identity held significance for somebody.

  "Kev," Carl said, looking into the hole alongside him. "You okay?"

  "What?" Kevin snapped out of his thoughts.

  Carl gently pulled him back from the well's edge. "Let's go."

  "Right," he muttered, struggling to his feet.

  The pendant itched against his skin.

  Sword Master

  Again, no one was around talking to him except Carl, but he heard it plain as day, as clearly, as he heard Carl a moment ago. Before he had a chance to focus, a pulse erupted from his mind. The pendant, with the stones embedded in it, turned from a reddish aura to a now dark blue.

  Confusion disoriented him and it took Carl to hold him steady.

  "Kevin, what's wrong?"

  The pulse faded and his vision cleared. "It's nothing I suppose."

  "Nothing my ass," Carl replied. "Look, your pendant is now blue."

  The town's central well erupted like a geyser, interrupting them. Dark, blue-tinged water shot skyward, making a localized rainstorm directly above them. Kevin stared upward as the unnatural deluge poured, drenching everything beneath it.

  Carl squinted at the bizarre water display. "Hey, so... that doesn't normally happen around here... does it?"

  "Reminds me of that one Japanese movie," Kevin said.

  Carl nodded, then paused. "Wait, you saw that movie too?"

  "I think the whole world saw it," Kevin replied with a shrug, "but that's neither here nor there."

  The nearby townsfolk who also witnessed the strange event backed away from the well. Some ran away back to their houses, while some stared in awe.

  "You do not see that every day." Matron Devine said walking up with Kiyo. "I do not know what is more interesting, the blueish water, or the fact that it’s a huge geyser."

  "At this point, I rather it not be either," Commander Johnson replied, approaching from the opposite direction. Johnson lit his pipe as he studied the phenomenon. "Not that if it’s any correlation, but as soon as the Captain wakes up, the weird factor kicks back in."

  It was then that a child-like voice crept into the back of his mind.

  Master, why did you leave me?

  This voice was different than before. Not a Middle Eastern accent but this one sounded very southern. It was a girl, but the echo was the same as before. Calling to him.

  An apparition appeared and he was correct. Next to the well was a little crying girl. Couldn't have been no more than 8 or 9. She stared at Kevin and reached out with her hand. Water gathered around her fingers and suddenly she vanished.

  "Hey, did anyone see that girl?" Kevin asked.

  Before he could continue to figure that out, a couple of the townsfolk hauntingly went closer. Once the blue-ish rain touched them, they stopped moving.

  No, he thought. That is not accurate. Time slowed down for them. So slow in fact that the rainfall soaked their clothes, and they have only been wet for a few seconds.

  "Hey!" Carl yelled, seeing what Kevin saw. "Get out of there!" With no acknowledgment, Carl grabbed Kiyo's hand. "Kiyo, hold on to Kevin, I am going to get those townsfolk away from that well."

  Carl moved forward without hesitating. He approached the edge of the rainstorm when a force of wind blew him back. Pizer caught him as he flew back towards the group.

  "Do not be an idiot," Paz said, appearing at the other side of the well. Her staff glowed as she twirled it in place.

  "Hey, you ok?" Kevin asked.

  "What the hell was that?" Carl demanded.

  "You are a lightning user," Paz stated flatly. "You have no control of your powers either, and all we need is for you to develop a guilty conscience because you unintentionally fried these people."

  She twirled her staff again and stepped into the rain cloud. The water ignored her as it fell like it subconsciously avoided touching her. When she got close, she let loose a sharp wind tunnel that pushed the villagers out of the rain.

  Kiyo ran to the villagers. "They are alright, I think."

  The geyser collapsed back into the well as suddenly as it had appeared. Kevin watched in disbelief as the blue-tinged water on the ground began flowing backward, streaming toward the opening. Within seconds, every drop had returned to its source, leaving the town square no wetter than it had been before the strange eruption. It was as if the water had never existed at all.

  "Yes," Johnson said, "We are back to the weird stuff." He ordered his men to secure the well.

  Carl brushed himself off and approached Paz. "You know, you can be a tad bit nicer about your actions."

  Paz walked past him heading to Kevin. "Why are you still talking to me? Do you not have babysitting duties to attend to?"

  "Woah," he replied. "Hey, yo, you got something you want to say?"

  Not looking interested, she peered closer at Kevin's pendant. Tapping on the crystal with her pointing claw, she turned her owl head clockwise then counterclockwise. "This is another corruption that is seeking out the Sword Master. I cannot afford any more distractions. The Sword Master is awake, and we must depart for Red Mount where the Primal Champion is waiting for us."

  "No," Matron said. "Captain Kevin needs more rest, and with this mysterious well, we have to spend time to figure out why it happened."

  Paz stormed off. "You, Rowen Elf have no real authority. I tolerated enough of this petty delay." She sounded like she was talking to herself, keeping her voice low when her staff repeatedly tapped the ground.

  Though Kevin did not have much interaction with the Spore Beast, he could tell the emergency in her voice as she spoke. Was it fear of something else happening? Or is it connected to the sudden blue geyser?

  Kiyo nodded to the villagers and sent them off. Her timing is impeccable cause it looked like Matron was going to body slam Paz into the ground. "I spoke to Delita and Ryan before they left. She was crying buckets of blue tears. When I finally got an answer as to why, she said that she never got to say goodbye to her children."

  Matron broke her eye contact with Paz, "Delita doesn't have any children."

  "I asked if she was sure, and she named off her children, but stopped and acted like she did not remember."

  Paz walked off. "Much like the corruption of the Red Sword of Power, this one will also have immediate effects on those in its range. For the sake of the refugees and the Rowen around here, have the Chosen One ready to leave in an hour. Failure to do so and I will attach a rope to that pendant and drag him there myself."

  "Ya know, you would think that the corruption of the first Sword would be still affecting her," Matron said.

  Carl helped Kevin to his feet. "No, she has always been like this since her Primal left. Like she is on some mission from her Retsam or something."

  Kevin, however, wanted to curse her out. His left palm burned in his hand, and he resisted the urge to scratch it. As quickly as the emotion came, it went away. "Hey, this may have something to do with me. I think we need to leave town and do what she says."

  "Yeah, as much as I want to object," he said looking at her disappearing. "She may have a point. Between that pendant and the geyser, the two might be related. Commander, do you still want to have Bryson and Pizer escort us?"

  Johnson inspected the well's exterior. "The plan has not changed. However, they are on patrol until mid-morning. Speaking of which, Captain Kevin, I battlefield Lieutenant Bryson to Captain and he will lead your team. I trust you will have no objections."

  "No sir I was going to ask for a demotion for my behavior recently."

  "With that said, to serve a demotion for your conduct is saying your nature cannot be helped. Regardless of what may have happened, you did save a lot of lives recently, and for that, you are keeping your rank." He turned and stared back at the well. "Regardless of how hurried the beast-kin may insist, I will not release the Caravan until the Doctor clears you. That beast-kin child forgets who is in charge around here."

  "I agree," Matron added. "I will have Mia bring the Caravan around and start loading up supplies. You boys go in and grab something to eat."