text: The metal bars slammed shut and the keys turned as Kalam stood from the corner he was just shoved into, he lunged at the bars with a seething rage, "You can't keep me here forever! You hear that! You're all gonna pay! You can't keep Kalam here forever!" In the cell opposite him emerged a face from the shadows chuckling, "Of course they can't keep you here forever, you're going to die someday" the man said He kicked the skull laying on the floor to the stone wall of his cell then paused, "Or maybe they could... My apologies Cassian" he said to the skull Kalam diverted his burning scowl to the old man, breathing heavily Bemused, the man stepped back startled, then he took a step forward and squinted as they held eye contact, "What was that?" "What?" Kalam snapped "That glint... in your eye... I've only seen it when... Ahhhh" “When what? What glint?” "I see you've met the Wizard...", he stepped forward, illuminating the wrinkles on his face "You met the one" He pressed his face against the bars "Ohhh but you didn't just meet him, you really really met him" he said, stroking his long grey beard Now worried, Kalam relaxed his scowl "What? What do you know?" "Don't waste my time young man, I know you met him, the one they call the Time Walker" he said now gripping the bars till his knuckles went white Kalam staggered backwards "How... How do you..." "He leaves an imprint on the souls of those he connects with, and you, you have his signature in bold" "That's... " "Conceited on his part, I know, but then again, I suppose we all have our quirks." he stepped back from the light, leaning his back to the wall He looked up at the ceiling with half a smile, shook his head, "So what prophecy did he tell you?" he scoffed "Wizards... Oh wizards and their prophecies, that's all they're good for anyway..." he smiled "They are the only ones with the power to single-handedly stop this madness, but all they do is push poor young saps like you to battle in the shadows." With folded arms, he stared into the darkness shaking his head, "So, spill it young fellow, What did he tell you?" Kalam dropped his head and began to speak *He said just a couple dozen particles drew the line* *Between the King's chains and mine* *But iron is more stable than gold* *That's why Kings surround themselves with walls of stone,* *Reinforced with steel columns, gates and doors* *And men with iron armour and steel swords* *Eventually, the weight of all of that takes its toll* *The weight of the screams of pain and hunger and sorrow* *And when those screams are sharpened by the pressure of souls,* *Then heads, oh heads will begin to roll* "Ominous..." "Ya..." Kalam sat, still staring blankly "Wait, he said iron is more stable than gold?" Kalam nodded slowly, "What does that mean?" The old man held a vapid stare like he was in a trance, rapidly tapping his right foot... Pensive... Then he stopped He turned his blank stare to Kalam "So?" Kalam shrugged, "What does it mean?" "It means we'd better get to work" he replied as he receded to the shadows at the back of his cell "What work? And who are you by the way?" The man knocked on a sequence of stone tiles on the floor, four knocks, then seven, then one and finally, two slow gentle knocks.