Grace M.

It was nearly midnight as the man wound his way through the brush. "Where could it be?" he whispered to himself, the animals of the forest watching him attentively. He walked on, finally coming to a small grove with grass that appeared to be burned in the middle. Smirking, he began to unpack the bag he brought with him.

Meanwhile, in a small hamlet not too far away, a young woman stirred in her sleep. Awaking with a start and breathing heavily, she looked out her window toward the woods. Noticing a bright light in the middle, the woman gasped, running down the stairs and throwing her front doors open. She absentmindedly grabbed a sword from the wall and began to walk toward the forest.

Inside the grove, the man began to set up strange candles around the area of burnt grass, all the while chanting in an unknown language. Breaking the solemn atmosphere, he shouts into the sky, "I will see you soon!"

The woman quickly ran into the grove, brandishing her sword. "Not while I'm here!" she screamed, running toward the man.

Turning around, he screamed as the sword nearly made contact. Something stopped it inches away from his body, throwing the woman down to the ground. "You actually thought that would work?" he smirked, turning toward the burnt grass and plunging a large oak staff into the center of the burnt grass. "Nothing will stop me!" An even brighter light erupted from the grass, enveloping the man in dark flames. Slowly, the grass turned into purple glass, with a large crack down the middle. "It has already begun," the man whispered, and then ran away into the woods.

Getting up from her fall, the woman came over to the newly-created glass, seeing a malevolence deep inside the purple cover. She shivered, knowing what would come from the cracks in the glass. Slowly she began walking back to the village, determination written on her face.

In the morning, the woman went to the town square. Addressing the leader of the village privately, she whispered, "We have a slight problem."

"I know, Ellanda. I saw the light last night. Do not worry; there is plenty of time to prepare. We must gather the children, and find the one's brave enough to accomplish the task of so long ago again."

"Do we have time for children?" Ellanda asked, fear in her voice.

"Yes, my child. It is only a crack. The wall protecting us from the world of demons is still there, and that wizard will not return to finish his ritual for a long time."

"I hope you are right, Master." With that, Ellanda left the elder's tent, her sadness for the children they would pick prominent in her eyes.