Sebastian took a good look at the treehouse. There were no people nearby. It seemed easy to do and with Ayden and Ethan’s magic, it was even easier. 

It was the type of thing Noah and Charlie would do all the time, true it was to his bedroom but still how much different can it be? Plus they couldn't stay out in the open for long. Not with creatures who could kill them. Last night was lucky. 

“Okay let's do it,” Sebastian said confidently, Ethan's fist bumped into the air, and his bag’s contents almost fell out again causing Ethan to quickly grab his stuff. 

Ayden looked at the two with disgust “ that is someone else's house, what do you think they’ll do when they catch us?”

“What? Call your dad. It's either stay out here or die.” Ethan said

“He is right, it isn't the best thing but we will clean up their mess, plus I don't think anyone is home,'' Sebastian said, gesturing to how no lights were coming out from the windows.

“Okay, but if we get killed, it's both of our faults,”

“I'll accept it,” Ethan said.

The teenagers sneaked to the edge of the house, the ladder was tied up against some fencing. Ayden moved her hands around a plant and pointed to the ladder, the plant wrapped itself in the ladder and pulled it down. 

The teenagers ran to the ladder and Sebastian had the eerie feeling that this happened before, quickly he was taken back to the basement and heard gunfire, he looked behind him to see nothing. Only trees and Hachi

 “ Hey Sebastian, are you doing alright? We don't have to do this if you want.” Ethan said concerned Sebastian looked at Ethan’s face and saw he was being genuine

 “ I'm okay. Hey Ethan, why are you even doing this? Hanging out with me and Ayden. ” 

Ethan shrugged, “ You’re fun to hang around.” 

They climbed on the ladder they got on the top of the tree and Ayden looked down " man we are so high up. " 

"It won't keep that bunny monster out." Sebastian said, remembering how high the monster climbed.

Ayden gasped " What if this is the bunny monsters' home?" 

Sebastian shrugged "Better reason to be breaking in.''

Ethan tried to lock and pick the door with a tiny stick which was taking a bit too long, Ayden got impatient and kicked the door down. 

Ethan stared at his broken stick  “Animals.”

 They walked into the house and there were papers everywhere and unlit candles at every spot. Ethan lit all the candles with his magic and his hand glued a purple color with an eye mark. “ Whoever lives here is not a bunny monster... They do too much work. It looks more like my advisor's office.” Ethan said. 

Sebastian picked up a piece of paper off the ground, it was sort of a portal-type thing and the words 

“ impossible” were quickly spelled out in splotched black ink. The portal was drawn in red and blue ink. 

Ayden squicked out, Sebastian looked over at her and saw her pointing at a raven who sat at a post that looked remarkably like a hat stand, it was a dark brown almost black wood with a gold base.  “ It's just a raven, it won't hurt us. Ravens are very smart birds.” Sebastian said Ethan rolled his eyes `` when I thought you couldn't get even more of a nerd.”

Ayden let out a breath” oh okay good.'' She opened a trunk and the raven flew out and started to fly at Ayden’s head. Ayden ran off the group followed by her. The raven started to chase them into the deeper part of the house, Sebastian found a closed door and opened it, and ran in, Ayden and Ethan followed him. Sebastian closed the door and sighed “ okay now that crazy bird can't find us.” 

“Uh, Sebastian?” Ayden said nervously

“Yeah?” 

“Someone is in this room.” 

Sebastian turned behind him and saw a man sitting down next to a writing table. He had dark black hair and gray eyes with yellow at the bottom. He stared at them and took off his glasses. He stood up and wore dark clothes that looked like they belonged to a sickly Victorian child. “ Hello. This is the most unusual. Three children walked into my study as if they were being chased. May you be so kind and move slightly.” 

Sebastian held his breath and tugged slightly on Ethan who looked like he wanted to fight the man. Ayden and Ethan moved away from the door to a corner of the room while Sebastian walked to the study table. He glanced at what the man was working on and saw it was poetry and star maps. 

The man opened the door, and the raven flew out and on his shoulder “Ah now I see. You three have had a meeting with Biham. Lovely little raven.” 

Ethan stepped towards the man “ If you think you're going to fight us, we are more powerful than you think.” 

The man chuckled, “ Fight you?” No, no silly boy, I only wish you used the front door.” 

Ayden frowned “ How do we know you're not tricking us like that spider lady.”

The man raised his eyebrows `` you had a run-in with Arachne and lived? Perhaps your impetuous friend is correct, you are more powerful than I expected.” He walked back to the table and smiled at Sebastian “ I see you are interested in my poetry or is it my maps? Either way, you are interested regardless. Come on, speak your question. I can see it forming.” 

Sebastian glanced at his newly developed friends, Ayden held a thumbs up while Ethan gestured to him to speak. He took a deep breath “ Alright, um why do you have so many maps of  stars?” 

The man picked up the star maps “ Please stop uttering the words "Um". It is utterly illiterate and makes any story unreadable. Now for your answer, it is my job to record the stars. They tell the best stories, where the world is when you see a floating island,  and most importantly when a new prophecy comes true.” 

Sebastian looked up at the roof, it had a hole where a telescope would be. A floating Island seemed almost impossible to him, but he was in an impossible land. 

The man placed the maps on a shelf that was embedded in the wall. “ Now I want to tell you, we are no longer in the forbidden forest, I know it is strange for we are still in a forest. The forbidden forest lies on the edge of these woods. I marked it with a rock. For if you look back at the way you came You’d see nothing but a purple mist. A sign of cursed madding magic. “ 

Ayden gasped “ No longer in the cursed forest! I have to go back there.” She panicked; she was about to run straight out of the door if Ethan didn't stop her.

The man frowned confused at the little redhead girl. “ Why do you need to go back into that cursed place? If you lost something I could just send Biham to grab it for you.” 

Ayden looked as if she was about to cry, “ My dad needs a mushroom, a blue one that has pearls on it and he needs it for his job! He is counting on me. oh please, won't you let me go, sir?” 

“ Ah the Paraforni Azural fungi. Who is your father dear?” 

Ayden responded “ Lorenzo Pierce .” 

The man had a more somber look on his face, “ Ah I knew your father and his friend. He was a good man, who helped me when no one else did.” 

Ayden tilted her head “ You knew my father?” 

“Why yes of course. I take commissions from him all the time.” 

The man looked at the three of them curiously. “ You three must be hungry. Come on, let's go eat. I have made a lovely meal.” 

The strange man led our strange teenagers down some old stairs and into a small dining room. It smelled strongly of wood. There was a small table that would fit at least three people. “Tut tut tut.” The man said he grabbed a chair from the cozy little hallway and placed it at the small table so they could sit all together. He left the room and the raven followed him. 

“So, do you think we can trust him?” Ethan asked 

“ Oh yes, I put all my trust into this man.” 

“But we don't even know his name, how do we know he isn't a crazy murder or something?” 

Sebastian shrugged “ Not sure but I am hungry.” He sat at the table and Ethan and Ayden followed Ethan more forcefully.

The man came back with a bowl of soup, in his hands and four bowls piled up on top of the soup bowl. He placed the soup bowl down and put the bowls in front of everyone, the bowls were white with blue designs. 

He took off the lid of the soup bowl and poured the soup into everyone's bowls. It was an average-looking soup with some meat and vegetables in beef broth. He sat down on a chair and smiled. The teenagers just looked at the soup and him and didn't say a word. 

“Well go on, eat, unless you want to say a prayer first. Don’t worry it isn't old, I made it only this afternoon.” 

Everyone still just sat there, Ayden at least was stirring her soup. 

“Ah I think I've cracked your anxious minds, I  haven't told you my name haven't I? How humous I told you the name of my friend and not for myself, Julian is my name, Julian Darlington.”

 Julian  clapped his hands together in prayer “ Thank you to the creator for blessing me with these kind children  and I ask of you to make sure their journey goes well and they stay safe."

Sebastian took a bite of the soup, he felt kinda bad that he made the whole scene awkward but how was he supposed to know that Julian wasn’t like their spider friend?

Soon everyone was eating the soup and talking. “ So Mr, Darlington, why do you live alone in the woods?” Ayden asked politely.

Julian chuckled “ Alone? Oh no, I am far off from being alone, I have friends with me wherever they may be, like Biham over here.” The Raven squawked as he heard his name and dipped his beak in his bowl of bird seeds. 

Ethan nudged Sebastian “ I think this guy is kinda crazy.”

Ayden smiled “ That's lovely, I just love having friends, my friend Sebastian and Ethan are my only friends, unfortunately. I’m Ayden if you didn't know.”

“I do know of your name, young one, your father told me through letters,” Julian replied

Soon everyone finished their meal and Julian picked up their bowls, “ Sebastian and Ethan you two can sleep in the room to the left, it's past the living room while Ayden you sleep upstairs.” 

Ayden got up from her chair, “ Oh I can help wash the dishes, Mr. Darlington.”

Julian groaned “ Please call me Julian, calling me Darlington makes me sound like an old man.”

Ayden followed him to the kitchen. 

Ethan and Sebastian walked off to their rooms, which were small rooms with two beds. It looked rather neat and unused with the smell of new wood. Ethan jumped on the left bed with two more pillows on the right. 

“ Well, I’m ready to sleep, unless you want to stay up and watch the Julian guy. Strange isn't  he?” Ethan said

Sebastian shook his head and sat on his bed, “ No I don’t think that would work out that well. I could sleep this very second.” He plopped his head onto the pillow and stared out at the roof. 

Ethan grinned, “ I think Ayden likes Julian.” Sebastian laughed “ Really? Why.” It was a strange thought that Ayden would like some dark and brooding-looking person who was twice her age. Hachi flew out of the bag and sat on Sebastian’s forehead.

“Look how she acts around him.” Ethan started “ Oh Mr.Darlington yes I'll help you wash the dishes, Mr.Darlington I’ll clean your shoes.” Ethan said in a high-pitched voice, trying to mimic Ayden 

Sebastian threw a pillow at Ethan “ Dude you're cruel, I think she's just trying to be nice.” 

“Yeah, so she can be his wife.” Ethan did fake kissing noises. Sebastian threw another pillow at Ethan. 

Soon they were having a pillow fight, that pillow fight turned into a wrestling match after fighting Ethan flopped over on the bed and fell to sleep. The little creature landed on Ethan and slept on him. 

Sebastian walked over back to his bed and lay down. He closed his eyes and tried to sleep. But after a while, he was still awake.