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Deo opened his eyes and took a look around. He was at the place he felt the most at home. Sitting on the couch was his older brother and sister-in-law.

“Welcome home, Mitri,” Vlad said using his nickname for his younger brother.

“It’s good to be back.” Deo sat in a chair near the couch. “What’s the plan for today?”

“We’ve got a job to do. This is going to take everything we have.”

Deo smiled. “We can handle it, even without Liam.”

“Without me?” Liam came out of the kitchen with a mug in his hand. “You know I’m always on for this.”

Deo couldn’t speak. He sat in the chair with his mouth open. Liam was killed three years before. “What are you doing here?”

“I live here,” Liam said.

“I must be dreaming,” he said, sitting back. He looked back up at Liam. “You’re really here?”

“Why are you being so crazy?”

“Crazy…” Deo stood up. “I know what you’re doing, and it’s not funny!” He yelled as loud as he could. “Liam is dead! I’m not too stupid to know the difference between fantasy and reality!”

Vlad stood. “Dimitri…”

“Shadow, you better take me back to my friends right now!”

“What’s the matter with you?”

“This isn’t real. It’s all fantasy. My friends are in trouble and I’m trapped in this false world.”

Vlad shook his head. “We’re real.”

Deo shook his head. “You’re not.” He walked to the front door and threw it open. Beyond the front porch was nothing but darkness.

“Dimitri, aren’t we all you ever wanted?” Vlad asked. “Don’t you want a home with me, Dess, and Liam?”

“There’s one thing you missed about what I want,” Deo said. “I want my friends more than I want Liam back. That’s where you went wrong.” He took a step back and felt the edge of the porch under his feet.

“Don’t go!”

“I have to.” He let his body fall backwards, down into the darkness. All around him it shattered like glass. He had never left the castle ruins. His eyes opened and he saw his friends lying perfectly still on the ground. “Fight it,” he said quietly. “Don’t be afraid to hurt the illusions.” He put his hands on Tollim’s shoulders and watched her expression change. “Maybe…”