It is completely pitch black inside, except for the ominous flickering red light. It is difficult to pinpoint where exactly the light is coming from, because it floods the entire space. Most of the space was cleared out and anything valuable has already been claimed. Glass is scattered all across the cracked tile floor. Vincent takes a step forward and hears an eerie cracking noise. He looks down and notices that he broke a picture frame.

Vincent bends down and picks up the photograph that resided in the broken frame. It consists of a handsome young man, a beautiful young woman, and a small toddler in a little sailor suit.

The young man in the photograph is light skinned and has Vincent's same very distinctive jaw line. He has short wiry hair and very thoughtful light eyes. The man is dressed very sharply in an inexpensive outfit consisting of khaki pants, a patterned dress shirt, a velvet coat, and a bow tie with an opposing pattern. He has one arm around the woman in the picture and the other facing out to catch the running little boy in the sailor suit.

The woman also has both arms outstretched towards the running boy. Her ivory skin makes her dark brown eyes and dark brown curly hair really stand out as her most beautiful features. She is very slender and petite, but being near her lanky husband makes her look even smaller than she actually is. Her rose colored sweater and light airy floral dress match the color of her lips. Vincent can hear her soft giggle just by looking at her.

A similar giggle can be heard from the small boy in the photograph. There is no mistaking the resemblance between himself and the toddler. Vincent's massive dark curls swallow up the tiny white sailor hat that is bobby pinned to his head. His chubby legs and arms are in complete motion as he tries to escape from his parents chasing him.

A tiny tear begins to form in Vincent's left eye. He clings to the photograph even more tightly for a moment, folds it up, and then carefully tucks it into his pocket for safe keeping. Vincent takes one last deep breath, and looks around for Hery.

Vincent finds Hery leaning against the wall in the corner of the tiny room. He crosses his arms and remains perfectly still for a short amount of time. His intimidating stature is only intensified by the tide of red light and its inconsistent nature. Vincent is taken back for a moment, but once Hery speaks, Vincent is comforted once again.

"Like I said, this is where your father and mother spent most of their lives, researching, discovering, and most incredibly, raising you."

Vincent swallows hard and clenches his fists slightly, bracing himself for the news that is yet to come.

"Unfortunately, when your parents left the neighborhood, the spirit of the environment left with them. No one wanted to be here if they weren't here. So they allowed nature to run its course. Bigger people with a lot more money, power, and influence decided that the neighborhood should be condemned and demolished soon in order to build a commercial plaza and create more revenue. That's why Lalaina and I were forced to barge into your life so abruptly. I am truly sorry Vincent. This is not how we had planned any of this, but you need to be here now. You must learn these things now before it is too late."

"But why did we have to leave? Where did they go? I don't understand."

"Well your father was on the brink of something, powerful, something connected to his roots"

Hery straightens up and takes a step toward Vincent.

"Something that I'd like to show you"

He turns around and gently knocks on several places on the wall adjacent to him. After a few missed guesses, both of them hear a drawn out creaking sound. They witness the previously conceived wall open up and become a doorway into another small secret room. The doorway is small, jagged, and uneven, but somehow Hery and Vincent both manage to walk through.

The low ceiling forces the two men to hunch over in a very unflattering fashion. With a stiff neck, Vincent looks around the room and notices that the entire tiny room is wallpapered with old oak bookcases and decorated papers poking out of every nook and cranny. The book cases are filled with varying spines arranged in various hues of gold, emerald, and burgundy. The only other pieces of furniture in the room are a grand desk and leather chair combination. Only one singular long scroll of parchment lies on top of the sturdy desk. Vincent takes a few steps toward the desk to get a better look. It is a hand drawn map of a large island with illegible notes covering most of the blank space available.

"Madagascar? But why?" Asks Vincent.

"Vincent, there are some forces in this world that most people are completely unaware. Your father was one of the few people belonging to a certain lineage who could sense these irregularities in the world and use them for his own needs, much like myself."

At this moment Hery takes out his odd golden lighter once more. He pops the top off and on his command a gigantic roaring flame bursts out of the tiny opening. It steals all of the oxygen in the room in order to power itself and nearly scorches Vincent and all of his father's books. However, even though extensions of this massive flame occasionally touch Vincent's skin he feels no pain. Likewise the books never catch fire even though they are being grazed by the flame in the very same manner. After this spectacle Hery recalls the flame and tucks his lighter back into his pocket.

"Your father had his own favorite tricks as well, but he was always far more hesitant to use his abilities. Instead he searched for answers. He wanted to know where all of this originated and why were these gifts given to a small few."

Hery pauses for a moment, lost in thought, but then he continues.

"That man was selfless until the day he disappeared. He had the most natural talent out of any one of us, but he chose to hide it away, especially from you. Your father wanted to research these things so that none of us would have to question who we truly are anymore. We could have a place in this world, but still belong to another."

"Hery I'm not quite following you..."

"No, that's why I need Lalaina for this part" Hery stops, looks about the room for a sign of his metaphysical companion, but then gives up. "But she is resting"

Irked, Vincent continues on,

"How does Madagascar tie into all of this? Is that where my father is?"

"That is where Lalaina and I last saw your father. You see, it was the key to your father's work. He believed that the lineage of our people began there, and he was correct. Once he found Lalaina and I, we confirmed his research and agreed to take him back to our homeland. However, your father was hilariously unprepared to face the darkest aspects of our nature. Lalaina and I tried to warn him, but our adversity only motivated him further."

Another slight breath,

"We pushed him too far. That's why Lalaina and I are forced to ask you for help. We need you to complete the task that your father couldn't. I agree to train you until you are properly prepared to handle the dangerous situations that lie ahead, if you do choose to join us."

Vincent responds immediately,

"But Hery, I can't leave yet. What about my mother? I need to find her and tell her everything! I need to make sure that she is alright!"

Vincent then notices an obvious emotional shift in the atmosphere. Instead of being inspired and excited about carrying on his father's legacy, Vincent feels extremely morose. It is as if a newly discovered part of himself had been taken away from him permanently.

Hery hesitates before giving some sort of response. This deeply troubles Vincent and he starts becoming anxious. His heart beat intensifies and his palms become sweaty.

"We need to protect her, Hery!" Vincent shouts, then begins to stammer, "There could be more people like... like Rosa! Oh god she probably didn't even know about Rosa! We need to find her office, quickly! You can keep her safe, can't you?"

Hery takes a huge sigh and turns away from Vincent and the conversation. He heads toward the exit of the room and stops in the doorway.

"I've been dreading this part." Hery whispers, "I need Lalaina."

"Hery?"

"Vincent, come with me. There is more information you need."