It was hard to tell what actually set Lewis on edge, before they were actually presented with the obvious reason, Jens thinks to himself now, running his eyes over Lewis' unconscious form and wincing whenever his new black eye gives him hell.

At first he thought it might have been the snow, which seemed to fall in sheets, waking himself and Layla up, and making the fire die to a pathetic pile of ash. Castor, Nina, Rosie and Robin were nowhere to be seen, and Lewis did not stir at all; he only tossed and turned, his body curled up and his limbs bent awkwardly.

An image of discomfort.

Jens knelt down beside him and Layla immediately did the same. She, too, could sense that something wasn't right. Jens placed the back of his hand on Lewis' forehead and almost bit his tongue in surprise.

Despite the chilly conditions they seemed to have found themselves in, Lewis had a fever, and he was burning up dramatically.

He pulled back, alarmed, and instinctively reached for his staff. When his hand just groped at the empty air, he remembered where it was, and called for one of the elves- shivering, but already approaching them- to go and get it.

The elf nodded and made for the hollow, clutching his arms tightly, as if he were trying to pull his skin further into himself. This gave Jens a faint smile, as he recalled a memory from so long ago about fey attitudes to harsh weather.

He shook himself out of it and requested of Layla that she go and find the werewolves, else Castor would have eaten him alive if he found out that Jens had made no haste to alert him, especially when it was to do with his brother.

Layla agreed and, throwing one quick and worried glance at Lewis- who had begun to spasm on the floor- she jogged towards the trees, her dagger glued to her hand.

Jens watched her go and then turned back to Lewis Burwell, who's eyes had snapped open and were rolling into the back of his head.

And Jens realised at once.

Lewis was undertaking the process before his Halony that opens Wielders up to having magic in their veins.

Through excruciating pain.

Lewis began to scream and Jens grabbed the back of his neck and pulled his hand down his face, panicking. He'd have done anything to stop Lewis from screaming; anything to just get him to give Jens his shy smiles and show him his blush-tinged cheeks, and tripping over his own feet.

Because, sometimes, Wielders don't survive this process.

And Jens had no means of sedating him, and no way of contacting the MDMR.

Come on, Castor, Jens prayed, willing for the boy and his posse to come hurtling through the trees, Layla at their side. He also willed for the elf to come back with his staff, so he could fix it. But, of course, nobody came.

Jens pulled Lewis onto his lap and gently shushed his screams, stroking his hair. This seemed to have some effect on Lewis, as the screams lessened and his eyes rolled back, but his quieter screams scrambled in his throat, making them scratchy and dry, if that could ever be possible.

Dismayed, Jens tried to stop tears trailing down his cheeks. This was why he stopped helping people. This was why he didn't force the MDMR to let him back into the fold.

This was what made saving people seem like an impossible task.

He really believed Lewis wasn't going to make it.

"Lewis," Jens whispered, "Stay with me. Your brother will be here soon."

Lewis only gurgled in return, his face turning purple.

Jens remembered his own process of preparation for the Halony. Layla's father had held him like he was holding Lewis, trying to keep him at bay, and calm the storm that raged inside of him. His sister, Layla's mother, had been the one to call the MDMR. She admitted- before she died and after her own Halony preparation process- that she was traumatised from seeing Jens, who was a year older, the way he was when he went through it.

She didn't have to deal with the trauma for much longer, of course. She only ever got to study apothecaries for a year.

And then she, along with Layla's father, was brutally murdered.

Somehow, Lewis' hand and his own managed to interlink, and he laughed through his tears at the memory of himself and Lewis, bonded in order to find the writer of the note that started this all.

How Lewis was prepared to die, as long as it meant finding his best friend.

This boy, so frail, yet so strong and inspirational, gave him hope for the future of the Magiworld.

If people like Lewis were around in the future, then they had nothing to worry about.

If.

He started screaming again, and just as Jens was about to completely lose himself to a memory he wasn't ready to relive, of a beautiful boy, dead in his arms, Castor came running through the trees, sweat smeared on his forehead.

Jens didn't stop to think about Layla or Nina or Rosie or Robin, or where they were. He didn't stop to think about what could have happened to the elf to make him take so long with his staff. He could only think of Lewis, and of the grief that threatened to take over Jens once again, like so many years ago, if he didn't make it.

Castor stopped in front of Jens, clearly seething at him being so close to Lewis. At his glare, Jens sighed and lay Lewis down gently, stepping aside so Castor could see to his brother.

Like he did with his sister.

Don't let your past catch up to you, old man.

Jens almost laughed at that thought. While he was over one hundred, he'd always look like a nineteen year old boy. He'd stay alive for a very long time, until someone killed him or the magic in his veins just... Stopped flowing.

All the years he has ahead of him, that his sister and brother-in-law should have had, and that Lewis wouldn't have if he didn't get through the process.

Castor touched his forehead to Lewis' own, tears forming in his own eyes. "Lew," he croaks. "Lew, please."

Lewis just continued to scream, not stopping even when his voice turned raw.

And then something inside of Jens... Something... Ignited, almost. He suddenly felt a power so overwhelming and strong, that he couldn't not use it.

He twisted his wrist, moving his hand around in a circle. Purple matter formed in his hand, whispering at him to let himself go.

All of the memories he made since meeting Lewis transferred to the ball.

Lewis, shy but certain at his door, knowing exactly what he wanted.

Lewis, giving him the strength to find the writer of the note, so he wouldn't drain himself.

Lewis, always there whenever Jens shut his eyes. His smiles constantly bombarding Jens' mind.

The purple matter flew towards Lewis, causing Castor to yelp and jump back. Castor started to protest, yelling at Jens.

"Don't you dare-" the boy began, punching Jens square in the face.

Jens cried out, but it didn't matter, because the matter had already hit Lewis, and straight away his screaming started to die and his breathing started to calm, and he regained his colour.

Castor looked from Jens to the silent Lewis, dumbfounded. He stepped away from Jens, his fist still clenched, looking quite unsure of himself.

Smiling slightly, Jens then collapsed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So that was that. Jens regained consciousness and Lewis didn't.

But he survived. He survived, and Jens has no idea how he managed to make that happen.

Never, in his one hundred years of being a mage, has he performed magic without his staff.

Never.

He went looking for the elf, after he woke up, storming towards the hollow, Hell in his midst.

But no elves were there. And no staff was there, either.

He went to the female's hollow and peeked in, just to see if he could find out what happened.

No nymphs were there. And, as he had expected, no staff.

He yelled. He cried. He kicked a few trees.

Nobody came to see if he was okay.

He had no idea where Layla and Castor's werewolf posse was, and he had no doubt that Castor was with Lewis.

Now, though, Jens is by Lewis' side, because it's been a couple of hours, and Layla still hasn't returned. Jens insisted that Castor stay with Lewis so he could go and look for his niece, but Castor just snapped at him, saying that he'd find then quicker, and that Layla was probably fine. She stayed to help Nina collect some wood when Castor found out about Lewis and had to go.

He also said, "I blame you for this." Then he fled, running towards the trees.

Jens doesn't know what's gotten into him, ever since he came back. It's like him being a werewolf has changed him for the better.

It'd only be fair for Jens to take full responsibility, because he stifled the process of Castor Changing, by giving him the serum. And if he's learnt anything from watching Lewis go through that, he's learnt that you shouldn't try to alter or slow down a process that is futile and inevitable, because it might alter the outcome of said process.

"I am sorry," Jens says to Lewis, tears streaming from his eyes. "I am sorry that I haven't been strong enough to protect you from all of this going on. I am sorry that I didn't know you before all of this, and I curse the person who decided that the Umah tragedy should be the thing that allowed us all to be brought together," Jens cries. "Oh, Lewis," he continues. "Had I known you before now, I would never have let any of this happen."

Lewis doesn't move.

Jens is about to speak again, when Layla and Castor come sprinting towards himself and Lewis.

"Uncle Jens," Layla says, her syllables cut as she gasps for breath. Castor doesn't even have to gather his breath at all.

Jens wipes his eyes before turning around to face them. "Lay, what's wrong?"

"It's Rosie," Layla replies, and from looking at her clearly now, Jens can see that she looks exhausted and she has been crying.

He stands up, grabbing his niece's hand. "Lay, what's happened?"

Layla stays quiet, and Jens can see that she is trying to pull herself together, as she has pulled out her dagger without realising, rubbing her thumb over the sharp, cold metal.

Maybe hoping it will bring her back to reality.

Castor clears his throat, and for the first time since he returned, he looks at Jens without hatred.

"Jens," Castor says. "We just found Rosie in the woods."

Jens raises an eyebrow and Layla finishes for Castor.

"She's dying. I don't think she's going to make it."