M A G N U S
MAGNUS felt powerless. He had wanted to look out for Pilar and get her back to her old self. He still wanted that. He didn't want her to be alone, scared and confused but his presence had given her no comfort. She looked at him as if she didn't even know him. He wasn't sure what felt worse, the way she'd looked when she walked away or the fact that he'd let her. There was nothing else he could have done that wound not have made things worse but that didn't stop him feeling guilty about it.

THE spotted boy stood at the base of the cliff face, blue eyes trailing over every line and swirl etched into the rock. His brow furrowed as he tried to understand the meaning, to figure out if the markings could possibly be linked to Pilar's problems. Had they gotten to close to the truth or were the two things entirely unrelated? Pilar had derailed after they had examined similar markings in the ridge, was that a coincidence or a link? The whole exchange with Pilar had seemed surreal, and for a brief moment he had questioned the reality of it. He still wondered if perhaps it was just a sickeningly real dream and Pilar was still safe and well in the ridge. Perhaps he would go and visit and then laugh about it when he informed her of his nightmare. It surely must have been nightmare because that was not the Pilar he knew and markings on a wall did not have the power to change her.

SIGHING, he turned from the wall to look out across the water. His thoughts churned endlessly.

ONLY THE STRONG WILL SURVIVE