Wow! I updated! 0

For your information, I'm going to transfer this story over to my SilverEchoes username account when I update next, and delete this version. See you all there!

Will politely thanked the waitress as she went away with their orders.

"Oh." Jane groaned as she enviously eyed the dishes on another table. "I feel ravenous. It's been so long since I had some good food."

"This wind does pick up your appetite doesn't it?" Bran commented, looking completely at ease with the startled looks people sent his way. He didn't blame then, for how often does one see an albino boy? At least they tolerated his presence. He was grateful to find no evil eyes, or hostile looks directed at him, merely curious ones.

The group was out on a small courtyard warmed by torches that gave off light and warmth as they were securely grasped in twisted metal structures nailed into the ground. The stars twinkled overhead, bright pinpricks of light against a velvet midnight blue sky.

"What are you studying, Will?" Jane said, attempting to start a conversation.

The Old One twisted an inquisitive eyebrow at the question, and shrugged. "All sorts of things. Engineering, Medical Sciences, Earth Science, Arts, History…"

"Oh." Jane nodded understandingly. "Can't decide, can you? Which one's your favorite then?"

"History." Another voice answered for Will, and Bran looked embarrassed as eyes focused on him, with varying degrees of surprise, except for Will, who had a calm neutral look on his handsome face.

"It's just that," Bran searched for an explanation, "well, to put it simply, Will has this way of wandering around to some ancient and historic place whenever we go out for a little vacation."

"You go to the same university that he's in?" Jane blurted out, surprise evident in her features.

"Our dorms are right next door to each other." Will said, placidly. "And he's in my Ancient Western History class."

"So where is Barney at again?" Mary said.

"The Royal Academy of Art. " Simon said, proud of his brother. "He got a scholarship there. They aren't too eager for their students to have long breaks, so he's spending the holidays with his friends on campus."

He suddenly paused, head tilting up as he seemed to regard the air above Will's head.

Will became of the sounds issuing from a TV behind him. Turning slightly around, he caught a brief image of a large plume of smoke in the background before a harried looking blond reporter stepped into view.

"…Near seven o' clock this evening, a previously undetected meteor shot through the atmosphere and has apparently-" The reporter broke off with a small cough, her eyes somewhat red around the rims, before continuing, "landed an acre away from the famous Stonehenge structure. The structure is now declared unstable due to the impact shock and is now off limits to visitors…"

The camera zoomed in on the smoking impact site once more, and Will suddenly found himself drawn to the center of the crater, in, in…

Old One!

Will gasped at the sudden familiar voice, the menacing tone of the thought, and something…darker, more primal and savage. His mind flared with sharp agony as something tried to break into his mental defenses. Dimly, he felt his body collapse, and faintly heard worried, panicked cries as he desperately focused all of his powers to stop this vicious, incredibly powerful mental attack. A Dark attack.

"How…?" He whispered, before the attack overcame him in his unprepared mind and he fell into a black void.