[center][h2][b][color=00746b]Caleb [/color]and [color=black]???[/color][/b][/h2][/center][hr]
	Whatever was happening around and outside of the palace seemed to be having a direct effect on the inside as the walls were starting to crumble away. The ceilings were starting to come down on the massive structure as one passageway at a time started to be blocked by the beige-colored stone that made up the Palace’s interior. Each corner Caleb took a turn on seemed to show the effects of the explosion. 

	[color=00746b][b]“No doubt that this is [I]his[/I] doing,” [/b][/color]Caleb was sure his Uncle Nomis was behind this, but why did he do it? Was he [I]that[/I] desperate to secure some type of victory or was there some other reason why he resorted to destroying the Empire’s own factory? Caleb could ask himself so many questions, but at the end of the day, the walls were falling apart around him and the ceiling slowly caved in the lower levels. That meant less time for Caleb to even have a chance for him to find his parents.

	As he turned corner after corner, Caleb had to find alternative routes through the palace. It would only be until he found himself near one of the basement entrances that he came to a view of his parents. There, he saw a tall mocha-skinned male with white hair and red eyes, holding two twin swords. The other was a purple-haired female built modestly who had twin daggers in her hands while her body was encased in a redwood shell-like armor. Caleb had found them. He found his parents.

	[color=00746b][b]“I fou--” [/b][/color]

	Before Caleb could even finish that sentence, he found his mouth being covered by a black glove while his waist was being gripped by a similar glove. He tried to look behind him, but the grip on him was so tight that he couldn’t move. It only took one second, but Caleb was gone from any sight as he and some stranger disappeared in a Portal of Darkness to parts unknown.

[hr]
[center][h2][color=sienna][b]Cerden [/b][/color]and [color=darkorchid][b]Flora[/b][/color][/h2][/center][hr]
	As the respective fights continued on, the quakes got louder and louder and more frequent. Both Cerden and Flora felt it as their respective opponents soon became distracted from it. That was their chance to made a hasty retreat. If the two of them kept at their fight, who knew what would happen? Flora was nearing her limit as her Redwood Armor was starting to fade. Even if she had the two daggers of her in her hand, there was still the fact that the Tattered Figures were stronger than she had originally thought.

	Cerden and Flora, using the quakes and eventual crashing down of chunks of stone on the tattered figures, they made their retreat. Both of them ran in the opposite direction of the basement entrance. Whatever was happening, they did not want to stay around to be caved in by the crumbling palace. 

	It only took a few minutes for them to finally make their way out of the palace and just outside the main gate. They had arrived outside just in time see the T.R.I.D.E.N.T. Warship bringing in some odd cube that strangely resembled the Factory Core. 

	[color=sienna][b]“That isn’t..”[/b][/color]
	[color=darkorchid][b]“It seems so.”[/b][/color]
	[color=sienna][b]“Shit.”[/b][/color]

	They were right. Nomis seemed to be taking the Core with him. Figure if he couldn’t protect it, then take it and fuck what would become of the Factory. It made sense when one thought about it. The factories could just be rebuilt, but the Cores -- the very sole reason for the Empire building the factories in the first place -- are the most important asset that they have. That must be preserved at all costs, even that of their own creation.

	As their eyes were glued to what was happening with the core, developments took place. Whatever kind of pulling force was bringing the core to the ship seemed to be either combed with or replaced with something, but on the instant that it did, Flora recognized it instantly. It was hard for her not to. The appearance of it, the way its sparks shot out to the ground and the sky. It was no mistaking it.

	[color=darkorchid][b]“That’s Dominic’s Lightning..”[/b][/color] Flora’s heart began to sink deep down.
	[color=sienna][b]“Are you sure?” [/b][/color]Cerden knew she was right about it, but he didn’t want to fully believe it until he got confirmation.
	[color=darkorchid][b]“I know my brother and his unique powers.”[/b][/color] Flora said sternly as she looked to Cerden,[color=darkorchid][b] “That’s his power. That’s his lightning.”[/b][/color] Her worst fears were confirmed, [color=darkorchid][b]“they didn’t get out.”[/b][/color] Her tone went low.

	Cerden didn’t know what to say. He wanted to offer up some words of comfort, but what good would that do?  With the slight of that vile darkness mixed with Dominic’s Crimson Lightning, words wouldn’t do nothing for her right now. Nothing would. All Cerden could do was stay silent as they saw Dominic’s powers being used for evil and watch the ship slowly ascend to the sky as it prepared to depart from Agrabah.