"Here I am... Home."

I halted to a stop when I felt I was far away from that place that almost put me in multiple dangers.

Suddenly, a hand tapped my shoulder. "Aaaah!" I shrieked and turned around to Ryan staring at me.

"Even as a non-human, you girls still get scared so easily." He teased and ran his hand through his curly, brown hair.

"Don't do that!" I snapped and he rolled his eyes. "Girls." He muttered and I frowned. "Why are you here?" I asked and Ryan placed a folded piece of paper in my palm. "What's this?" I asked. "My number. Call me. When you do, I'll tell you why." He said and ran off.

I picked up the pace and eventually ended up at Crystal's house.

I rang the doorbell, but no one answered. I rang it again, only to get the same response.

[Where's Crystal when you need her?] I thought , and before I could ring the doorbell a third time, someone opened the door and in ten seconds, Crystal appeared in front of me. She wore a yellow crop top, grey jeans, and her red hair was neatly packed in a ponytail.

"Oh my goodness! What happened to you, Sam?" Crystal asked, pulling me inside her house. "My mom's not home, and you need a makeover. I mean, look at you!" She lamented and I looked at myself in the mirror. My hair was rough, tangled and leaves peeked out, my white crop hoodie was blackened and according to Crystal, 'ruined for life'.

"Cute." I mumbled with a satisfied smirk and Crystal heaved a sigh and placed her hands on my shoulders. "We are demigoddesses, Sam. We're meant to be graceful, and elegant, yet, bold and courageous. Just like my mom." She said and placed her hand in mine. She took the paper Ryan gave me almost immediately and stared at it.

"What's this?"

"It's nothing. Just Ryan's number."

"Ryan?"

"He's just a guy."

"Ooh!... You're gonna have a second boyfriend." Crystal teased, and in total perfunctory, I screamed,"Quit it, Crystal! He knows!".

Her gracious smile turned to a stern frown. "I'm calling Jake." She said and disappeared into the halls.

Now, THAT was an issue...Jake is a Cyptar; a half bird, half human, with telekinetic abilities. His adopted sister, Luna is also a Cyptar. Anyways, Jake happened to be my boyfriend, so telling him that I let a human know who I was, a male human to be precise, would totally tick him off.

Crystal came out five minutes later. "We're going to the Transcendent Realm. Jake sent a cab." She said and walked to the front porch. The cab arrived in five minutes and we got in.

"Crystal, look...it was Ryan...he could..."

"Save it for when we get home." She snapped and my heart skipped a beat.

.... HOME...

That word seemed strange to me considering the fact that I lived two lives, so, it was as good as I had no home.

We got to the Transcendent Realm in about twenty minutes and I suddenly felt nostalgic. "Here I am...home" I said to myself. I stood atop a hill staring at my second world when I heard Crystal's footsteps. I followed her hurriedly until we got to a massive oak tree.

She placed her palm on the bark and in a split second, a line ran down the tree and the tree split in half, making way to an elevator. We stepped in and we went down.... really fast.

When it stopped, the door opened and we stepped into the coliseum. It would've been completely empty if Jake wasn't standing in front of the large glass wall which served as a window.

"Jake, listen...." I started nervously.

"Crystal told me everything." He said and turned to face me.

"Not everything...They were Protean demons, and..."

"Protean demons?" He asked, worry replacing the authoritative look in his eyes.

"Well, yeah." I said and Jake grabbed my waist, and pulled me close to him. "Are you okay? Did they hurt you?" He asked and leaned in to kiss me, but I pushed him away gently.

To be honest, throughout our two year relationship, I and Jake have never shared a kiss, not even a peck, but I don't seem to mind, and he doesn't either.

"No... except from the bruise on my cheek." I said and Jake looked at me lovingly. "But, they also left a message." I said.

"A message?" Crystal asked and I nodded.

"He said Lord Kakò sent his greetings." I said and Crystal gasped.

"Lord Kakó?" Jake asked.

"Didn't your father banish him to the Mephistophelian Realm after their battle?" Crystal asked and I folded my arms and heaved a sigh.

"The point is; How did he get out? And what is he up to?" Jake inquired.

"I don't think he got out though." I said and they both stared at me.

"What do you mean?" Jake asked.

"I mean, I know Kakó. I've never met him, but as far as I'm concerned, he's the god of darkness and evil, isn't he?" I asked and they nodded. "If the god of darkness and evil got out, shouldn't he be wreaking havoc on both realms?"

"You've got a point." Jake said.

"We should tell The Council." Crystal said and Jake smirked.

" I have a better idea." Jake said and I eyes him suspiciously.

"How about we solve this mystery ourselves?" Jake asked and I had the irresistible urge to punch him in the gut. "No offence, but are you nuts?! " I snapped and Jake's smirk grew longer. "Just hear me out. For years we've been training to be warriors and protectors, risking our lives to defend both realms. This is our only chance to prove to The Council that we're worthy enough to become warriors and maybe...one of them." He said and I shook my head disapprovingly .

"If The Council finds out...." Crystal started.

"They won't....trust me." Jake said and held Crystal's hands.

Now, to be honest, Crystal has secretly been crushing on Jake from the day we met( which she told me days after I'd accepted Jake's proposal ) but he seemed more into me than Crystal, which was kinda weird, because Crystal is beautiful, graceful and elegant, while I'm savage , dark and anti-hero like.

But, till today, she still admires him as more than a friend.

"Okay." Crystal said and the two looked over at me. "Fine." I groaned and Crystal hugged me.

"Thanks. Now let's go get you changed." She said and pulled me out of the coliseum.

We went to the little tree house we played in as kids, and Crystal walked into a room. I walked to a window, and took a deep breath, slowly taking everything in. The dragons happily soaring the skies with dryads and drus sitting on their backs, young gods of water mastering the art of their powers by the lake. Everything was peaceful. If only it could remain that way forever. I had to find out what must've caused the crack in the seal and stop whatever Lord Kakó was planning in order to maintain this peace.

"Here. Try this on." Crystal said, handing over a black crop top(kinda my thing),jeans and a leather jacket. I took the clothes from her, went in and changed.

"Come on, Sam. Let's go get some boba." Crystal said as we climbed down. As we got to the floor, I looked up only to see a blotch resembling a huge bird in the sky and it seemed to be getting closer. It landed with a thud and a cloud of dust enveloped us all.

"Sorry, still working on how to land softly." Luna said, as her wings curled back in. "It's cool." Crystal said, still coughing.

"Sam, are you okay?" Luna asked, placing her hands on my shoulder and staring deep into my eyes.

"Yeah, I'm....."

"Jake told me you fought Protean demons at human school today. Is it true you told a human boy?" She asked and I nodded. Right before I could start answering her questions, she started again.

"Cool. Is he cute? What's his hair colour? Did you find out his age? Does he have a girlfriend? Did he freak out when you told him or did he act cool? Did he tell others? Did you kill him?...."

"Luna!" Crystal snapped and she shut up.

Luna is a great friend and all, but her only issue is that her mouth is like a cursed boombox(no offence). Once you press play, you can't pause or stop.

"Look, I didn't tell him. He could see it." I said and Luna gaped at me in shock. I could tell by the look in her eyes that she was about say something. "Just one question." I said in surrender.

"Does this mean there are still humans like that? Humans with the ability to see what we see?" She asked, fighting the urge to ask another question. Well that was the shortest statement she'd ever made since we knew her.

"I guess so." Crystal said with a slight shrug.

"So, where're you guys going?The Lake? The gym? I think Jake's still there if you're going." Luna asked, changing the subject.

"We're going to get some boba at the bistro." Crystal replied and before Luna could say another word, I sharply said," Yes, you can come with."

Luna flashed a smile, unfurled her massive wings, and took off.

I, Crystal and Luna sat by the window, drinking Boba when the little bell hanging above the door of the bistro chimed. Xavier, the werewolf, who turned good and escaped the Mephistophelian Realm and Nathan, the centaur walked in, Nathan's hooves stomping on the tiled floor.

"Hey guys." Nathan said and sat next to Luna. "Hey." I replied, sipping my mango flavoured boba. "Jake told us about the plan to solve the quest." He replied.

"Cool....I think it's best if we start tomorrow. Don't you think ?" I said and the gang looked at each other.

"Sure thing, Sam. Tomorrow it is." Nathan said with a smile.