Note from Author: Chapter VI is very figurative. There's a lot of purpose and meaning behind it but it is very cryptic. I shall be adding an analysis of it to the Note from Author. This is also where things begin to take a turn of the worse.

Warning: If you get upset easily or do not have a taste for darker themes, you may want to read this chapter with caution.

Another thing, this is the first chapter where a song can be listened to while reading to help give you a full feel of what I am trying to do. You will find a random link to the song at the part of the chapter that I feel it fits best. Feel free to listen while you read or listen later or just skip it.

The sun slowly arose from the horizon. The rays cut through the fog as if they were knives slashing away at the fog revealing the forest that was hidden within. Birds awoke fluffing their feathers and stretching their wings as they began to sing songs to welcome the morning sun. A few chipmunks chatted amongst themselves as they dashed around on the leafy ground searching for breakfast. The creek sparkled in the light as if it were a long, liquid diamond. The cool air faded away as it began to warm up.

The sun's rays slipped through the cracks in the cave's ceiling. As a ray landed on Castor's eyes, he opened them. Blinking to clear his vision, he sat up yawning. He stood to stretch just as he usually did before looking over at the sleeping spot Kumiko had chosen last night. Much to his surprise, she was not there. Castor stood and looked to his side to wake Serenity, but she had disappeared as well. Panic came to him as he looked around the cave.

"Kumiko?! Serenity!?" Castor called out as he dashed to the cave entrance. He stuck his head out and looked around. They were no where to be seen. His breathes turned short and sharp as his legs weakened below him. It was not like Serenity to leave without informing him, especially with how fearful she had been recently. He closed his eyes and tried to calm himself down. Maybe...he thought wildly. Maybe she finally took Kumiko to the meadow to play...

As fast as he could, he began running through the forest towards the field. With each step, the sky grew darker. Wind picked up, whirling viciously all around as thunder roared in the distance. He came to the meadow to discover that it was not the way he had remembered it to be.

Lightning lit up the sky. The bright flashes revealing the barren, black world around him. Castor stood alone in the meadow that had turned to a field of death. The once green, lush grass had now turned to ash at his feet. The once full creek now had dried up; the water was gone now only leaving dust and sand.

The forest that was his home had disappeared before his eyes, leaving nothing but jagged trunks reaching up towards the hellish sky. Thunder rolled; its violent voice shook the ground under him. The clouds twisted and turned above his head with lightning shooting every direction. Rain began to fall but instead of being cool and refreshing, it burned his skin as it fell upon him. The droplets as red as blood.

Castor's heart pounded madly in his chest. His eyes wide with fear and his family was missing. "Serenity! Kumiko!" he cried out but his voice was overpowered by the thunder.

A loud crack filled the air as a lightning bolt dashed from the sky and struck an old oak tree. Its leafs fell to the ground in flames; the tiny torches cast enough light as they fell to show a dark figure standing within the broken tree. As the leafs turned to ash, the figure stepped out.

It was a monstrous stag with blood red antlers that stretched out well past his body width. His coat was as black as night, with pieces of flesh missing exposing bone. His face was completely gone, only leaving his bleached white skull. Mist hung around the stags feet and a large raven sat high upon the stag's antlers; both staring blindly at Castor.

Out from behind the stag, two other deer appeared. One on his left and one on his right. Both the deer had long, tall antlers with lit candles set upon them. The wax slowly dripped off leaving puddles at their feet. Yet each one was a different color and had a different face. The deer on the left had solid black antlers that matched his black coat. His eyes were gone leaving nothing but blank holes; tears of blood stained his cheeks. The deer on the right had bright white antlers that matched her glowing white pelt. Unlike the others, she had had eyes that constantly changed color.

Castor stepped back, nearly tripping over a dead stump. The three deer stepped forward, with the older deer always standing slightly in front of the others.

The raven hopped about the stag's antlers as he began to speak, his voice echoing through the empty world, "Castor, Son of the Rebel, chosen stag of the Tranquil One and Father of Twilight's Child, we- the Divine- have come for the hourglass' sand grows thin."

"The Divine...?" Castor spoke with a shaky voice.

The old stag nodded, "We are the Watchers of Life."

The black stag stomped his hoof, "I am Tartarus- the Captor of Those Who Fall."

The white doe stood proudly, "And I am Nirvana- the Guardian of Those Who are Right."

The raven squawked, "And I am Hafsa- the Collector of Souls."

"I...I do not understand..." Castor shook his head. "Who are you? What do you want from me?"

The skull stag spoke, "The threads of life are made of string, not diamond. They weaken as time chews away, yet it chews slowly. Though the threads can be cut by rage."

Hafsa stretched her wings as she gazed down upon Castor, "I shall take to the skies soon. I smell blood in the near future."

"Heed our warnings, majestic stag," Nirvana softly spoke, "Anger burns hotter than fire."

Tartarus grinned, "The tools lay at his feet. The desire burns a hole in his cold heart. Madness festers in his mind- a true hellish demon. Can he be stopped?"

"Who is he?!" Castor stomped his hoof. "Where is Serenity and Kumiko?"

The old stag spoke once again, "He is the Taker...And thy wife lays beside you. Thy daughter follows her heart. Both shall fade by his hands."

He shook his head, "No...No they won't! What does this all mean!?"

Nirvana looked at him with pity her eyes, "It is not our place to piece the puzzle together. We simply give the pieces to you. If you cannot solve it, then fate shall finish it for you."

"And fate has no mercy," Tartarus added.

Mist arose surrounding the deer. As it thickened, the old stag called out, "The days grow darker and we have said all we can say. The rest lays within your hooves, stag. We shall return when the time comes." Then the three deer along with the raven all disappeared before him, leaving Castor alone once again. However, he was no longer in the meadow but back at his cave. He stood there with sweat dripping down his face and his eyes wide. He gazed outside to see that it was a beautiful day. Serenity was standing beside him.

"What is wrong, Castor?" she asked with concern in her eyes.

"Where...Where did they go?" He looked around.

"Where did who go?"

"That old stag...Tartarus...Nirvana...And the raven..."

Serenity shook her head and shrugged, "There is no one here and no one has been here."

"But they were here!" he exclaimed. "I saw them in the meadow but the meadow is black...And..."

Serenity nuzzled him, "Shhh...Calm down. It must have been a dream."

"A dream?" He gulped. "A dream...? Yes...Maybe it was." With his breath caught up, he looked over to where Kumiko had been sleeping. He needed to know that she was ok but when he glanced over, she was gone.