Synan and Zoe leave the dungeon and go

upstairs. They soon get back to the main lobby.

They continue walking. They pass many rooms

that’s purpose is unknown. The stairway comes to

an end.

“What happened?” Zoe asks.

“I don’t know. The staircase just ended.”

“Hey, look!”

In the darkness, a small green glowing

object shows in one of the shadows. Synan

touches the green light. It presses into the wall.

The entire wall opens into the ceiling

quickly. Synan and Zoe run through and it

slams behind them.

Synan and Zoe look forward into the

room. It seems to go on forever. All the terrain

is red and black, like a checkerboard.

There are millions of steep pointy hills

everywhere. A pitch black street navigates through

the unknown land. They black pathway soon

fades into the ungodly ground around it.

“What is with this place?” Synan says.

“Really. I didn’t think the castle tower

was wide enough to hold such a landscape.”

“Hey, what’s that?” Synan points toward

one of the hills ahead of them.

This hill is unlike the rest of them. This

hill has a less pointy top, like a plateau. Atop the

hill is a golden chair, like the throne of a king.

Three floating objects circle the chair.

They are like golden pots, but are filled with

fire. Blue fire.

“Uhh, hello!!” Synan yells.

No answer from the mountain.

“I don’t think they’re up there...” Zoe

says.

An evil jester-like laugh echoes through

the area. Zoe and Synan glance back and forth,

fully alert.

“Synan! Up in the air!” Zoe yells.

Synan looks up. In the sky above the

throne is a head above a cape. The head has

a purple face, and a red jester hat with four

spikes. Three black stripes stretch down each

spike. Golden bells dangle at the ends.

The monster drops his cape, but it still

hovers around his body. He doesn’t have a

body. Purple hands and feet also float around.

“Who are you?!?!” Synan yells.

“I... am Jackal!” The monster responds.

“So, you’re Jackal.” Zoe says.

“But, what are you?” Synan asks.

“The Evil Trickster from Beyond!”

“What the hell?” Synan says.

“Oh, I’m sorry. What part of that don’t

you understand?”

“Uhh...” Synan pauses.

“Now, I assume you want a demonstration

of my power. I have as much power over this world

as a human has over their dreams. If they’re lucky

to control it that well, anyway.”

Synan is silent.

“You’re bluffing!” Zoe yells.

“Bluffing, am I? I am the creature that

disrupts your games, exposes your schemes, and

spoils your dream pleasure.”

“Liar!” A voice says, “You just described

The Shadow! Not The Trickster!”

Synan and Zoe cannot identify where it

came from.

Jackal holds his hand flat. A clearish rectangle

appears in front of it. The translucent object becomes

solid and looks like a card. The Ace of Hearts. The

card leaves Jackal’s hand and flies over the landscape.

Synan and Zoe soon see who it was.

He looks like a ten-year-old boy. He is

standing on a hilltop. A Dark Stone is around his

neck on a leather necklace. A golden flickering

flame soon appears around the strange kid. He

holds out his hand and catches the razor-sharp card

with ease.

“Who do you think you are?” Jackal asks.

“My name is Kail. I have come from the

future.”

“Why? Have I really taken that much power

over the world?”

“No. Sage’s current condition here is fatal.”

Zoe whispers to Synan.

“Fatal? Jackal must have alot of power after

all.”

Synan nods.

“Sage is also from the future. Forced to

the past, he was enslaved by Wizeman. Passed

by as a ‘science experiment’.”

“There is nothing you can do here,

Kail.”

Veronica appears in human form next

to Kail.

“Jackal. This intruder has entered our

world from the future. I am sorry I could not

terminate him immediately, but his power level

surpases mine by twenty-five fold.”

“Ahh, so this kid has spunk, eh?”

“A little too much if you ask me.” Veronica

says.

“Let’s take care of him then.”

Synan notices something about Kail.

Through a rip in Kail’s shirt from a battle before,

there is a mark under Kail’s shoulder.

“That mark...” Synan says.

“What about it?” Zoe asks. Jackal flings

four cards at Kail. He deflects each one.

Synan lifts up his right sleeve. Zoe sees

an identical mark on Synan as the one on Kail.

“What’s with the marks?” Zoe asks.

“Everyone in my family has the mark.

It’s something in the DNA.”

“So, what are you suggesting?”

“I’m not sure...”

Kail finally gets slit with a card. Right

across the cheek.

“Kail.....” Synan says quietly.
