"Negi? What's wrong?" Yurine asked.

"You've gotta leave without me." Negi replied, panting. "I won't be able to go through that portal."

---

Again, Gabriel stepped smoothly to the side. "You've had your mind twisted." He said.

---

Michael nodded and left to make an alert.

"I'll be able to hold down here," Dartz said. "Go. Get Kamikaze and the others back here."

"But why? Kaimiri will make you one of his minions! We need you!" Aria spluttered.

---

A bunch of rocks floated up behind Gabriel.
"No, you are" Miku replied as she send them flying.

---

"They should be here any minute now" Laria replied, "If they stop gasbagging."

Negi winced and pulled his jacket off his one arm. It was cut by a nasty wound, which was festering blue-black. "This thing. I can't leave till it's healed, I'll be blocked.*

---

Gabriel turned to see the blocks, and barely stopped them. Barely.

"You've got good control, I'll give you that." He said.

"But what happens if they catch you?" Aria asked, "They will force you to go down a path you don't want!"

---

But unknown to him, another lot of stones rose, and this time successfully hit him.
"And I can hit hard too" Miku replied, "Now let me go from this place!"

"I have to take that risk if this thing's going to heal right." Negi replied. "Besides, I can mask my presence."

"Are you sure about this?" Jiyann asked.

Negi nodded. "Now go; that portal won't stay open forever."

---

Gabriel held a hand to his head, which had a minor cut from the stone. "I'm sorry, but I can't." Gabriel replied. "I could illustrate to you why."

Everyone nodded and went through. Aria turned to see Negi for one last time, then went through the portal, before it closed behind her.

---

"Welcome back" Laria said as Aria came through, "I heard your conversation and it's sad that Negi had to make that choice. Now, all of you can go and rest." Aria took the shook up girl to Dartz while the others left, leaving Sakura and Laria alone.

---

"But was it Lady Ashleigh's orders not to force her against her will?" said the angel monitoring the simulation, "As long as she stays in the rehab facility?"

"Fair enough." Gabriel said, and teleported out of the sim. "Shut down the simulation."

---

"So." Selena said, dropping her guard once they were alone. "That was fun. Not really."

The angel nodded and shut the simulation. As Miku was about to attack Gabriel, she collapsed. A humungous purple cloud came out of her and then teleported away.

---

"Well....it's about to become a lot worse. I recently found an old tale relating to that Eye. And I want you to sit down for this" Laria said.

---

Rose watched as the cloud entered her room. As she started to work on it, Negi stumbled into the room and collapsed.
"Brother!" she cried, "Come and have a look at this!!"

"You sent her back to her bedroom?" Gabriel asked. The angel nodded. "Good. Hopefully now she'll have time to cool off."

---

Selena paused for several long moments before speaking. "All right." She said. "Want to stay here, or head to my room?"

---

Kaimiri strode over and saw that it was a teenage boy, collapsed in a feverish heap with a festering wound. "Well, well, what have we here?" He asked. "It looks like one of our Signers got left behind."

Rose smirked.
"You thinking what I'm thinking?" she asked.

---

"Here" Laria said. Selena nodded as Dartz returned. Then Laria began to tell the tale.
Long ago, there was this royal couple who lived in Oblivion. They lived with one older daughter and a pair of twins, one boy and one girl. They lived happily, out of any trouble on the surface. One day, the boy, found a forbidden library. While exploring, he came across a book about The Shards, which were crystal hearts, which gave tremendous powers to the holder. However, there was a spell that was there to help detect these crystal hearts. Once it was read, he went insane, and so corrupted, the only way to make him sane was to kill him. Day by day he came back to the room, then found a way to get his parents out of the way, thus casted a strong spell on his twin so she can agree on what he says and follows his orders. Now, the eldest girl, aged 16, was set to be crowned heir to the throne, however, she had a crystal heart so pure that no darkness could ever touch it. The male pinned her to a wall. And before his father could stop him, he killed her, pulling her heart out of her body that was in front of him. When news broke across the land, the mother couldn’t bare it, which ended up her dying of her broken heart so to say. The two are buried side by side in the Oblivion graveyard. The mother made it across the River Sitix, but the heir ended up on the Angel Plane, with her memory locked away. She was greeted by an Arch Angel and took her under his wing. Back in Oblivion, the father was so pissed at the twins that he lost control of his powers, thus becoming The Destroyer. Out of anger, he created the infamous Demon Eye and cursed it, saying that who wields this eye will not only be alone, but also die at the age of 16 in a horrible manner, like his daughter did. He also added that whoever surpasses that age will be granted immunity when the owner loses sight in one eye, and when the time comes, has to defeat him. Then he ordered his son to go into the future and kidnap the keeper of the abyss power. Around this time, the Stones appeared, thus the War of Atlantis began. Years later, the now crowned prince found a dead female body. He took it in, replaced the vocal cords, and stuck his sister inside the body. At that time, the chosen one was picked to face the Creator of the Eye.

"Prepare a dungeon." Kaimiri said. "Put a magick lock on it as well; I want to see how this evolves."

---

Selena was quiet for several long moments. "So. That's where this eye came from." She said.

Dartz nodded, leaning up against the wall across from the two. "I've heard most of that myth, but this is the first time I've heard the entire thing." He said. "But the part about the Destroyer being the creator of the Demon Eye is very true."

"Sure thing" Rose said, then took Negi to the Dungeon. Kaimiri looked at the work so far before he left, and he was impressed with the craftsmanship on what his twin sister was doing.

---

"Well, there are records of when Ruby came in and when she started her training, and it fitted in the myth, which makes the whole thing true. Ruby was suppose to be the Heir to the Throne, but close when I found out, her memories was too much to bare anymore, and she begged the angel to lock her memory away, which he did, thus beginning her training over again. But what stumps me is who was the angel? And why would he took her under his wing?"

"Good question, one I don't know the answer to." Dartz shrugged. "I don't know much about the affairs of angels."

"And yet you're fifteen thousand years old." Selena said, standing. "Well, at least now I know who to punch in the face for coming up with this horrible curse of mine."

Dartz crossed his arms. "I wouldn't call your eye much of a curse, Kamikaze." He said.

Selena's brow furrowed. "What makes you say that?"

"Because you are the Chosen One" Laria said, which made the two freeze, "You surpassed and lived to see your 17th Birthday."

Selena let out a hollow laugh. "Well, and here I thought I'd never be the subject of a prophecy like Yugi and Melhana or Yusei." She shrugged. "You learn something new every day. But..." She turned serious again. "The way I heard it, there have been people who lived past 16, but had the promised violent deaths, all before they hit thirty." Hell, I almost had one myself.

Laria nodded.
"Sadly that is true, however, you are the last generation who has the Eye. If you successfully break the curse, the cycle will be broken, and the ones who was descant to have it, won't need to suffer anymore. I will be by your side when you face The Destroyer, since there is one more piece of the tale.....and I think you want to find that out for yourself." With that, she turned away, with a tear sliding down her right cheek.

"That piece is involving you, isn't it?" Selena asked, with all her usual tact.

Laria nodded.
"And I'm scared. Really scared. Why does it has to be us?" She said, "It's not FAIR!"

"I'd like to know when life ever was fair." Selena said, more sharply than she meant. "Ah, sorry, I didn't mean...."

"I know life isn't fair, but we both are pinned for everything. I mean, what happens if we never return? What if that when we face our fates, we aren't allowed to go back?" Laria asked, as Aki came out with the box.
"I had a close look at the ring, and it has the essence of The Destroyer in it" she said, "We need to get the essence out and Rei can return to normal."

Selena shrugged. "Then I guess we'll figure out if and when that happens." She said as Aki entered. She nodded to the woman. "Great, now we just need to figure out how to get that out."

"That I may be able to help with." Dartz said. "Being a bit of an expert on Atlantean lore and magicks and all that."

Selena gave him a droll look. "Smartass."

"So, how are we going to do it?" Laria asked, "and preventing it ever happening again?"

"The first step will be getting the Destroyer's essence out of the ring." Dartz replied. "Then we'll have to enchant it to guard against the Destroyer. We should probably do the same with the rest of the rings as well, and do so for all the Wizards."

Selena nodded. "Sounds like a plan." She said. She got up. "I know I probably shouldn't be leaving right now, but I really need some time alone." She added, heading to the sickbay doors. "I'll see you all later, I'll be in my room if you guys need anything."

"See ya" Laria said. Aki made sure that Selena was out of the room out of ear shot.
"I'm really worried about her" she said, "I don't want her to go completely mad about what is happening in the moment."

"None of us do." Dartz said. "And combine the state of evolution her eye is at with her age, it's surprising she has her sanity as intact as it is."

---

Once in her quarters, Selena turned off her implant and sighed. Too much stress, but I can't even break down. She thought, going to her desk. She sat down at it, reached into the bottom drawer and pulled out a pack. Damn, when was the last time I let myself feel like a...woman?

She turned on the air vent and shook a cigarette out of the pack and lit it up, inhaling the smoke. She didn't smoke often, most of the time going a month or more without a smoke. But now, though, the stress was getting to her. She let out a hollow, hoarse laugh. If Dartz could see me now he'd throw a catfit. She thought. I told him I quit decades ago.