It had been such a long time since Philip had seen her. He knew it was silly to call it a her. Even worse, to be so enamoured with her that he could hardly focus on the conversation they were having with the jumper named Kai. Maybe they should have held the meeting somewhere other than Nicholas' study. Where the gaping double doors were still allowing her light to be a distraction to all of them. 

He and his brother weren't the only two fascinated with the web-like structure just on the other side of the wall. The five young men not only asked a continuous barrage of questions they answered only half-assedly, but their glances were more often then not directed toward mama.

"Well," Nicholas finally started definitively. "This has to happen quickly. Arthur is probably already on his way. We've broken communication with him for too long so he will know something is up. I just don't know if Kenneth can get you to the other house on time. Maybe he doesn't even want to."

"No I.. I think he understands." Kai didn't look so sure. But he was continuing so they all listened up. "I came to get Zitao but also to make sure your side would activate the... Mama, on this side. I need to go back with that assurance. And yes, we have to finish up here quickly. So we can get things going over there."

"Kenneth doesn't approve does he?" Nicolas interjected.

"Well, it's either this or possibly get killed by Arthur."

"Wait, what happens to Yifan if he's still on this side?" Zitao's eyes flashed and he gripped the handle of the sword he still had on his lap. "I'm not leaving without him."

"You still have Chanyeol." Dominic's son touched Zitao on the arm. Philip knew it would work to calm the other boy down. Lay had the same power of healing that his father had.

"It's true. That can be worked out after the alignment. It's better to get you back to your world." Philip replied.

"The alignment comes from opening the doors? I thought there was some magical date or something." Baekhyun grumbled. "We could have started this all along."

"We didn't know eachother this whole time." Lay reminded him.

"Right." Joonmyun added. "All of the points leading up until now is the alignment. Right?" He turned toward his father then Philip.

"Yes..."

"And no. Joonmyun, boys." His brother spoke. "The time called you like it did to us. Every world we came to and left aligned with our internal clocks and we always knew when to gather."

"Except for the last one. We left it early." Philip added. He'd already told them this.

"Because of the red force." Joonmyun agreed. "So, you're saying that everything we've done has all be predestined by our own internal beings. Our... souls?"

Philip looked at Nicolas. Hadn't it been this way for them too? Didn't they also feel like their bodies and entire beings were never theirs. That they had always been puppets to Mama. He felt sick for even thinking it. "You are your own selves." He half-lied. "It works together."

"You know what?" Kai suddenly spoke. " I don't care. As long as it works and we save our planets and align and do... whatever the hell we're supposed to, it doesn't matter how we got here. I'm taking these guys home and if Arthur comes here, you need to stay alive and defend this side."

Baekhyun got up suddenly and stood in front of Kai. "Come back safely." He ordered as Kai disappeared with Lay and Zitao.