When we arrive at Hope's home, I find Seraphina is sitting with Dylan's body, laid out on the couch. I place the broken locket on his chest and then open it. We all step back as Dylan's soul, a white and gray mist, swirls around his body and then into his mouth, vanishing. Moments later, Dylan gasps and his eyes fly open.
"That wasn't fun," he says. Then he looks at us. He sits up, but wavers a little. "Sorry, lightheaded."
I run over and hug Dylan tight, and he hugs me back. Hope comes over and hugs us both. Then, we step back and I turn to Hope.
"Is Visage over now that Nina's dead?"
"Probably not." She sighs. "I'm afraid that it's like the case of a hydra, cut off one head, two replace it."
"Then you go for the body," Dylan says. "It seems like we should go for the body, instead of just trying to cut off all the heads."
"Makes sense," I say. "But what exactly is the body in this scenario?"
"Hmm," Hope mumbles, resting her hand on her face. "I don't know what would be considered the body in this instance, but I do know one thing. We have struck a blow against them today by killing Nina in the courtyard. And the effects of that action is going to be huge."
"Good huge or bad huge?" Sadie asks as she sits down.
Hope shrugs. "I honestly don't know. But if we can find out how to strike the heart or body of the whole Visage monster, then maybe Sadie, Seraphina, and I can handle it ourselves."
"I'm not leaving until I know you're safe from the Visage," I say.
"Same here," Dylan says.
Hope smiles. "I love you guys."
Suddenly, Sadie gasps and clutches her head in her hands. She's shaking all over and then she sits down, and her eyes turn white. Seraphina walks over to the kitchen sink, then returns with a wet washcloth, and when Sadie pulls herself out of the vision, Seraphina hands it to her.
I get the feeling that they've done this before. A lot.
"What did you see?" Hope asks.
"The end of the world," Sadie says, her voice shaking. She wipes her eyes and turns to look at Hope. "Hope, we failed. We didn't save anyone ... they killed them all ... "
"Sadie, it was just a vision, it hasn't happened yet," Seraphina says gently.
"No," Sadie says. "It's going to happen. I know it is." She turns around and looks at me then. "We lose."
"Okay, what exactly did you see?" Seraphina asks.
"In my vision, I was Hope. And I watched as this man who I've never seen before, yet at the same time, I'm sure I've seen him, carrying a huge sword, came after Anya Lee. But then Dylan jumped between them and cast illusions on the man, but he wasn't phased. He just stabbed Dylan through the chest, and then I saw Anya Lee run at him, but she was so scared and she wasn't thinking clearly. He killed her too ... "
She shudders hard, then continues. "Seraphina was already dead, in Hope's arms in the vision. I don't know where the real me was. I didn't see myself anywhere."
"So where did this take place?"
"I don't know," says Sadie. "I just know the place was outside and ... we all die."
"Well, how far ahead was it do you think? And what time of day?" I ask.
"I think it was dusk," she says.
"Okay, well, we should probably figure out who this guy is, huh?" Hope says, looking at the floor.
I rest my head against Dylan's chest as we stand in the room, and he wraps an arm around me. I can tell he's upset about something, perhaps the issues at hand. I don't know.
"Okay, well, I think we should have you sketch this guy," says Hope.
Sadie nods. "Will do." She then retrieves the sketch book and sits down, beginning to draw.
"Can we talk about something?" Dylan asks me softly.
"Uh, yeah. Of course," I say.
He smiles at me, takes me by the hand, and then the two of us head outside.
