Twilight

Twilight is the dimension that Kalin hails from, ok? Got it memorized? The realm acts as a parallel to the world that exists, specifically one in which fantasy and reality coexist peacefully with one another. Here, both magic and advanced technology are implemented in everything from transportation, to medicine, to military. Although this dimension shares many of the Earth's qualities, it (as it's name suggests) is constantly bathed in an unnatural mix of light and darkness.

Here, beings of opposite dimensions are unable to see one another's true forms under normal circumstances.The people only see their dimensional parallels as shadows.Only a small number of people can reach Twilight on their own, and even fewer can actually stay here, as the energy it is made from is often fatal to someone who is not from the place (and there are very few beings who are...). If one is exposed to twilight energy for an extended period of time, however, they can eventually grow resistant to the conditions of this dimension.

Return
Stepping through the portal, Kalin appeared standing atop a giant clock tower, as the light of the realm faded his color. Staring out at the sun as it began to rise.

Rose:Is this really necessary?

''Hmm,well lets think about that. Were you really about to kill Kado? because it seemed like you were about to kill him.''

''I...I don't know. It's happening again, isn't it?''

" I'm not sure if it's happening again. But I don't intend to take that chance.

If it is happening, You might be better of-

"No. We can fix this. No need to resort to that.

''We both know that the seal on your arm was only a temporary fix. Sooner or later, the real me is gonna get out and people are going to get hurt. I don't want that to be you.''

"If the time comes, and there are no other options, I will do what I have to. But as long as there is another way, we will find another way. Do you understand?

''Yeah. So what now? It won't be easy to find him, even in the same dimension...''

As Rose speaks, there is a flash on the horizon. A giant castle appears, floating above the  ocean.

With a reluctant grin upon his face, Kalin says," I believe he's expecting us..."

Do you think the others are there?

"More than likely." He said as he jumped off the clocktower, sprouting wings as he flew towards the structure." But what's a family reunion without the entire family?"

Castle in Twilight
As Kalin approached the castle gates, Color began to return to the world, as a red blur rushed past him. reaching out at the figure, Kalin managed to grab hold of some clothing, accidentally exposing a portion of the individual's rear.

"Hey let go of me! Letgoletgoletgo! You perv!

Rose: Why weren't you ever this forward with me, Kal?

Letting go of the girl with a small feeling of embarassment, Kalin says "Hey, Antoinette. I see you still like buzzing around the front gate."

Adjusting her clothing, Antoinette turned towards Kalin, flipping him off and sticking out her tongue as she did so. "And always the definition of maturity."

"(blows raspberry) What do you want? The last time, you said you couldnt stand it here."

"WITH YOU. Couldnt stand it here with you. Its no good if you dont get the quote right (laughs)."

"Yeah yeah, laugh it up. He's waiting for you upstairs." Antoinette says as she flies off once again.

Landing in front of the gate, Kalin awaited the doors opening. Suddenly there came a rumbling sound from the gate's other side as a giant deformed creature burst through it,  forcing Kalin to jump back. Just as it appeared that the creature was going to attack, it dissolved in a dark mist, revealing a figure standing behind it.

Nigrum: *points his sword at Kalin* Who are you and why has Antoinette left her post?

"Ah, Nigrum...how are you?...Nope, can't do it. Rose!" Kalin said as he changed forms, Rose now standing before the massive figure.

Rose:(to Kalin)''wimp. (To Nigrum)''"Hi Master Nigrum! You remember me, right?"

Nigrum *coldy* Yes...

Rose: You always were a little...distant with others. But it's nice to know you remember me. I thought I might have to knock on your head a bit to jog your memory. But as to why we're here, we just wanted to say hello to everyone.

Nigrum: I'm afraid they don't wish to see you. In a matter off fact they don't want you to live.

"Really? Not even slut 1 and whore 2? They always had a thing for Kalin."

Kalin: and I lost the jackpot and ended up with you.

"We were made for each other, remember? * To Nigrum* So what do you say? Want this reunion to be peaceful?"

Nigrum: There is no reunion, or at least not one with you two in it.

Rose: That's...too bad, master. I guess we do this the hard way. (Tackles Nigrum through the castle gate, flips and tosses him further down the hall)

Nigrum: *stands up and summons his Black Knights to attack Rose*

Rose: grabs the lances of two of the knights, then crushes the lance of the third under her foot. She yanks the lances away from the knights, punching the third in the face and kicking the other two, sending them spiraling to the ground. Rose then fires a stream of fire at Nigrum.

Nigrum: *blocks the fire with his sword* Begone with you. *a dark aura comes from the ground under Rose dissolving her power*

"Oh boy. This is an unfortunate situation.Oh well. The old fashioned way, then. *Summons a large Greatsword and charges at Nigrum.*

Nigrum: *has his sword pointing at Rose's neck* I will not warn you again...Be off.

Rose: Yeah, no. *Knocks away Nigrum's sword, and hits him in the chest with the flat part of her blade knocking him away as Kalin turned back to normal and ran further into the castle*

Nigrum: *summons his sword and throws it at Kalin and it spears Kalin from behind pinning him to the ground*

Kalin: Aghh! That... was cruel and... unusual. Why are you stopping me? The king is expecting me, isn't he?

Nigrum: The only thing he's expecting is your death.

''Inside the throne room. A hooded figure walks up to King Jerosa.''

Figure: You understand what I am telling you?

Let's suppose, for just a moment, that anything that comes out of your mouth now is the truth. Why should I care?

Figure: If you don't heed my words Jerosa, your throne will be passed to another. You must get rid of The 2nd Son.

I'm sorry. I must be mistaken, because, as far as I knew, disposing of that...thing was your job! I knew nothing good would come of this experiment of yours. I should have killed the boy the moment he opened his first gate. Now look where we are.

Jerosa begins to cough, small flecks of blood splatter against the floor as he does so.

"That child is lined up to rule this entire kingdom and he doesn't even know it. I've only so long  to live, even as an immortal, and the people will never accept my sister's as their leaders. If he wanted, that pathetic imitation could take everything...

Figure: That is if you don't value your throne enough to try to keep it. Kalin isn't meant for kingship.

Jerosa: (Marches towards the figure at a speed that makes it appear as if he teleported) Never speak to me of my commitment to my kingdom! (backs away, and calms down) How exactly do you expect me to deal with the boy?

Figure: I already have your generals on the pursuit of Kalin. You can carry out from here. Do this and I will grant you many blessings.

The room shakes violently, as smoke rises from outside. Looking out of the throne room window, Jerosa watches as Rose carries a smoking, unconscious Nigrum out of the castle, as flames pour out of the entrance. "Ah, yes, my loyal generals..."

After tossing the massive soldier to the ground, Rose turned back towards the castle, her eyes locked on the throne room.

"...And there is the final player in this little game of ours."

Figure: If all else fails, I will handle this myself.

Jerosa: For now, I'll try to deal with the issue. No offense, but your work tends to take too much time to bear results. If you'll excuse me, my next appointment is on their way in.

Figure: Ofcourse. I'll let you continue on from here. *is consumed by a whirlwind and disappears*

Ghost in the Machine?
Within a market square - across the entirety of the square, in fact, the temperature suddenly, and without warning, dropped sharply - almost to freezing point - before returning to normal. In the wake of the temperature drop, some shadows were being cast by objects, seemingly with no source of light to cause them.

As Kalin and Scarlet arrived in the marketplace, they could immediately see the reason why the king had ordered them here. Using a highly advanced sensor, Scarlet begins to analyse various areas, hoping to find the source of the strange occurrences.

"Oh boy. I just love an exorcism at the end of my day," Kalin said, creating a small fireball in his left hand to keep warm. "Why couldn't this thing haunt the hot springs, or a cozy bed?"

Her discomfort in the cold overridden by her scientific curiosity, Scarlet continues to analyse the square."For all we know, this "ghost" is nothing more than a legend cooked up by the townsfolk. These occurrences can easily be attributed to disturbances in the flow of Ethernano in the area."

"Well, you are right about that, doc. Ethernano could do this if it's flow was disturbed. But that begs the question: Who, or what, caused the disturbance? If you ask me, something is here. I may not be able to see it, or feel it, but I know that it's here."

"If only your sense for things beyond sight could give us a definitive conclusion to our question. Nevertheless, it is my ongoing responsibility to ever remain the skeptic in matters such as these..."

Curiously enough, the "thing" causing the disturbance seemed to blanket the entire marketplace. Strange energy patterns could be detect across the entire market square, with higher energy spikes coinciding with more anomalies. There was, however, a pattern - it seemed to gravitate near certain individuals, often many simultanaeously, and eventually one such anomaly appeared around Kalin and Scarlet, in the form of a seemingly brighter area - with the highest energy spike so far.

"Amazing! The levels of ethernano being generated are nearly off the charts!" Scarlet said, her scanner picking up readings coming from all directions.

"Generating? You mean there is something giving off magical energy? Like a lodestone?"

"That appears to be accurate. Perhaps your ghost theory may not be far off... however, the creature we would be dealing with in that case would have a very low energy reading on their own, too low for my scanner to detect."

"I think I can handle that issue. Just let me know the moment another spike occurs." Deciding to take a chance, Kalin whispered, "Hello there. If there is anything out here that can understand me, I promise, we mean no harm to you. You have my word that we only wish to help."

A rather uncomfortable pause followed, with the fluctuations continuing, then suddenly stopping almost entirely without warning, now appearing as simply higher-than-usual levels of energy. There was a large energy spike - invisible to the naked eye, but not to the scanner - directly in front of Kalin. If any could see it, it would be as if a brilliant flame had appeared mid-air - though without heat.

"Umm, Kalin?" Scarlet said, a worried look on her face as she stares at this new anomaly, her scanner nearing the point of malfunction.

"Yeah, I see it." Kalin said, a smile on his face as he started at the flames. Turning to Scarlet, he says," Would you like to see it too?"

Suddenly, the market disappeared altogether, leaving Kalin, Scarlet, and the flame in what appeared to be a white room of some sort. Turning back to the creature, Kalin said, "If you want, you can take a solid form here. You can walk, talk, snarl, roar, or whatever you usually do."

The flames coalesced, a brilliant white "skeleton" forming within them, and in the span of a mere three seconds, a facsmile of a humanoid "skeleton" wreathed in blue flames appeared before the two - with the largest energy spike yet, and it seemed to remain that way, primarily concentrated in the glowing white "bones" - though it wasn't bright enough to cause injury or blindness, nor did the flames seem to burn - in fact, they seemed to be quite cool.

"Would you look at that. Nice to meet you...?

A voice seemed to echo throughout the area, not originating from a single point, but rather from all around at once, sounding almost like metal scraping against metal. The 'head' of the apparition flared up, as a single word rung out: "Exaron."

"Exaron. That's a nice name.(to Scarlet) Can you confirm it's species?"

"Umm...no, I can't. It seems that it's an energy being of some form, but any record of a creature such as this must have been lost long ago."

"Ok, then. (To Exaron) Can you tell us what you are, Exaron? We've never seen a being quite like you before."

The air seemed to thicken somewhat as Exaron 'spoke,' and indeed the scanner could detect the same fluctuations as ealier - though less pronounced - producing the sound. Once again, a single word was uttered. "Wraith."

Kalin: A wraith? That ring any bells, Scarlet?"

Scarlet: Hmm, I still can't remember any record of a creature such as this. At the very least, we have managed to discover the source of these strange occurrences."

Kalin: The only problem is that we still don't know how to get it to stop.

The 'creature,' if it could be called that, didn't seem to move an inch. "Stop?" Its' voice echoed throughout the area, once more as a single word - and without a trace of emotion.

Kalin: Uh, yeah. You see, it seems like you're existence is causing interference with the ethernano  in our world. Ethernano is magic, and most likely an energy source to you.

Scarlet: Put simply, your essence causes major disruptions in the general flow of ethernano, what amounts to a compression of magical energy, followed by a powerful release that results in various anomalies wherever you go. However, I may have a solution.

Sifting through a bag of various tools and gadgets, Scarlet comes across what she was looking for; a bracer like circlet of metal covered in arcane writing. Walking up to the strange being for the first time, Scarlet says,"I developed this device in the event that our issue was caused by  the presence of too much ethernano in the area. I've come to believe that this may yet have its uses."

Holding it up to the creature, Scarlet continued,  "If you put this on, I believe that when ethernano is drawn towards you, any excess amounts that will be absorbed into it. It was developed to only work on ethernano, so your general physiology should not have a reaction to the device. That is, should you decide to wear it."

Kalin: I'm almost positive the king would not allow that.

Scarlet: You are right.(To Exaron) If you choose not to use this device, I fear the next group to visit will be slightly more aggressive than me and my assistant."

Kalin:(to scarlet) Partner...

The bracelet seemed to lift up before seemingly disintegrating into the air, a 'bubble' of invisible energy forming where it vanished. However, it seemed to work somewhat, as the ethernano levels were returning at least partially to normal. Exaron's voice rang out again, "The Wraithwake is the cause." speaking a full sentence for once, in the almost grating, metallic 'voice' it seemed to possess.

Scarlet: The wraithwake? what is that?

The area seemed to shift and distort somewhat, before returning to normal. "My existence." is what was offered as an explanation, "The Wraith cause change."

Scarlet: "A temporal disturbance caused by the essence of a being? Quite interesting. I would like to study the effects of this wraithwake further, but for now, we have succeeded in preventing further anomalies such as those we've experienced so far."

"Temporal disturbance?" Exaron asked, emotionless as ever.

Kalin: speak simple.

Scarlet: Alright then... you alter spacetime around you just by existing, yes?

"I change the Aspects. The foundations of Oblivion." It responded, seemingly guessing at their intent.

Scarlet:"Then, perhaps, knowing the cause would also mean you know a permanent solution?"

"It is my existence. To stop it would to bring about my end." was the response.

Scarlet:I see... You are indeed a fascinating creature, Exaron.(to Kalin) You may return us to our dimension now.(to Exaron) If you require aid, I have a dwelling in Twilight that you could make use of freely. I am often traveling the dimensions myself, and therefore, it would be better put to use if someone else stayed there in my absence.

"A dwelling?" Exaron intoned. The area shifted somewhat briefly, presumably the creature was looking around, "It would stop things here from being changed by my presence?"

"I believe that with some adjustments, yes, it could be safe for both you and the denizens of this town." After being returned to twilight, Scarlet began to make her way out of the market." If you would follow me..."

The temperature around Scarlet seemed to be much lower than normal, indicating that Exaron was indeed following her.

Kalin: Oh, I'll just stay right here...by myself. He mumbles as he follows behind the scientist and her new pet project...

Arriving at Scarlet's home, The trio stopped outside as the woman said she had to adjust things inside.

Scarlet: I will just be a moment.

Exaron waited in place, a few odd shadows appearing in the area, none of them moving.

Kalin paid no mind to the shadows.

Kalin; umm, hey, Exaron right?

"That is correct." Exaron's metallic voice responded.

"Are there a lot of wraiths where you come from?"

"Limitless." was the response. "Oblivion is vast. Unending. Timeless. The Wraith are its' denizens."

Kalin: A yes would have been acceptable. But at least you're not alone. That's a good thing. And hey, even if you were...*points at self, smiles* you've got us now. Me and Scar(mostly Scarlet) will hep you out however we can.

"Indeed" Scarlet said, returning from the side of the building. "Are you prepared to see your new home?" said Scarlet to the wraith.

Rather than respond verbally, the temperature dropped around Scarlet again. Presumably that was a 'yes.'

In-between is the Line
All the figures come out from the portal and are infront of The Castle in Twilight

Alex exits the portal feeling a slight discomfort, but is otherwise amazed with the scenery.

Alex: That's...impressive. *Turns to the person closest to him* So, where are we exactly?