The one Dawn and Nathan found in front of them was a seventeen-year-old girl, but she seemed rather smart. She sat on the sofa, playing with her golden curls. In fact, they weren't exactly blond, they were much more red when compared to Jeyson's, and Kihan's other descendants.

«Welcome.» Dawn told her.

The girl didn't even look at her. «I've already told your friends that I don't plan on staying here long.» she said. «I only helped them because I happened to be there.»

«This is Tess. I talked to her about what we do and about convergence, but she doesn't want to stay.» Chelsea said.

«I don't want to get in trouble.» Tess said, standing up. «Those guys in suits almost killed my mother. I'm not going to take any chances. And you should be careful too.»

«The Nemlyth is for this very reason, to keep us safe. Until the day we return to our true home.» Dawn said. «My father founded it to protect me and all those like us. But, of course, you don't have to stay here if you don't want to.»

«Dawn!», Sam looked at her in disbelief. «We need her, she is the descendant we were missing, we can't let her go. You know how hard it is to track down people like her.»

«We can't even force her.» Dawn insisted, then she turned to the girl. «If you change your mind, you and your mother are welcome here.»

«Dawn is right. It's her choice.» Ellen agreed. «At least we know they survived, we'll find more sooner or later.»

On the faces of the remaining members of the Council, happiness gave way to disappointment.

«But we must ask you to keep this place a secret, please.» Dawn told her. «No one should know where we are.»

«Don't worry, I would never put you in danger.»

«Jeb.», Dawn motioned for the boy to come forward.

Tess couldn't help but notice Nathan, standing behind Dawn. He hadn't said a single word, he had remained looking down the entire time with a totally expressionless face. Suddenly, Tess approached him. She grabbed his chin and forced him to look up, leaving everyone stunned. The young girl carefully examined his eyes, standing just a few centimeters from her face. Nathan, taken by surprise, had obviously opened them wide. He was petrified and didn't have the time to react to push her away. Looking closely at his eyes, Tess noticed that they weren't just brown, there were small blue specks in the iris, near his pupil. She released him, but only for a few seconds. Soon after, she placed a hand on his cheek, making Nathan wince again. «Why do you want to convince me, when there is already a descendant of Hyram among you?» she asked, letting him go once and for all.

Dawn looked at Nathan. It was almost paradoxical that, of all the abilities, he possessed those of Hyram. He who – since they had known him – had never been much of a dreamer, was able to create and control them, both in awake and unconscious people. «I would never have bet on it.» Dawn said letting out a giggle.

Tess gave her a confused look. «Why? You didn't know?»

«His powers haven't manifested yet.» said Richard.

«But he will be at least twenty years old! I discovered them when I was just a little girl.», she was pretty indelicate and yet Nathan didn't seem hurt by the tone of her voice, he was grateful to her, because he finally knew who he was.

That news, however, didn't change things, he still wasn't capable of using them.

Dawn approached the girl. «Can you help him?» she asked. «Then you can leave if you want. We haven't tracked down anyone like you two, so there's not much we can do.»

«Me neither.» Tess said. «You should know that we are immune to the abilities of our kind. I can't read his mind.»

«You can guide him, tell him what to do to control them.» Dawn insisted, begging her with her eyes. «Perhaps with your help, he will be able to bring out his powers.»

Tess took a quick look at Nathan. Her eyes almost seemed to beg her. «Fine.» she said finally.

«Good.», Dawn smiled. «We can send someone for your mother too, if necessary.»

Chelsea approached the girl. «Come with me, I'll find you accommodation close to ours.»

«I'm just staying to help him, I don't want to go out there to fight.», Tess was keen to set the record straight.

«Of course, you don't have to.» Dawn told her. «Go ahead with Chelsea.»

Jeyson and Richard turned on the console, before Tess even left the room. Oswald joined them and they sat, as usual, on the carpet on the floor, with the best view of the television. Ellen sighed as she looked at her boyfriend totally absorbed in video games.

«Stay strong.» Megan told her before sitting down on the couch with Sam to read some comics.

«You two should be at the gym.», Sam reminded Nathan and Dawn, while she leafed through the little book with the comics.

«Right!», Dawn had completely forgotten.

Nathan next to her, however, did not lose his composure. He was still thinking about Tess's words.

«What's in the gym?», it was the second time Jeb had heard her mentioned.

«They broke into the principal's office without permission.» Jeyson said. «Mr. Evans punished them.»

«That's why they didn't come with us this morning.» Sam explained. «But they keep stalling, at this rate, they'll never finish cleaning all the equipment.»

Dawn ignored her and addressed Nathan directly. «Let's go.»

He was still lost in thought so Dawn grabbed his arm and dragged him out into the corridor. «I know all you're thinking about right now is your powers, but I want you focused. I don't intend to be the only one working. Let me remind you that it's all your fault.»

Nathan finally came back to his senses and nodded. «Yes you're right. The sooner we finish, the sooner I can go to Tess.»

There was a slight dip in the power, practically imperceptible to Nathan's eyes, because Dawn quickly regained control. Those words had bothered her more than she wanted to admit. She started walking and Nathan did the same.

Wasting no time, they headed towards the gym. To reach it they first had to pass through the courtyard. The building in fact flanked the main Nemlyth building, but was in fact separate.

Nathan and Dawn had to hurry up and clean the equipment before lunch. In the afternoon the Nerys would rush there to play some games of basketball or volleyball. It was a way like any other to pass the time and have fun, they didn't have to train to participate in competitions or championships.

As they rubbed the basketballs, Dawn tried to make conversation with Nathan. She hated silence and it seemed like he needed it. «How do you feel?» she asked.

«I do not know.» he admitted. «Knowing who my ancestor is doesn't change things much after all. I still can't use my abilities.»

«Maybe you haven't found a reason to use them yet.» Dawn surmised, still scrubbing.

«I could have used them to help you, but it never happened.»

Dawn shook her head. «I'm not talking about this, it's something related to your emotions. The first time my powers manifested themselves, I was only seven years old. I was so angry that I made the earth shake until my house almost collapsed.» she began to tell. «But it didn't happen by chance. I had seen some kids beating up my best friend, who lived next door. It may be that this emotional discharge in you has not yet manifested itself.»

«I hope so.»

«It will happen, you'll see.» Dawn reassured him. «You were alone for a long time, now things have changed.»