Max felt someone shake him. He opened his eyes to see Isabel standing over him, looking at him with concern. “Max, are you all right?”

It took him a minute to take in his surroundings. The room was dark, the only light coming through his bedroom door, which was open. He sat up in his bed and looked at the clock on the nightstand. It read 2:30. He must have been dreaming again. Max finally nodded, and looked at Isabel. “What are you doing here? Did I wake you?” Max asked.

Isabel sat down on Max’s bed and nodded. “Luckily, you didn’t wake Mom and Dad. What were dreaming about Max?”

“My death,” Max said simply.

“Max,” Isabel said softly.

“Isabel, I don’t know what to do. I can’t stop. I need to remember. And it’s not even about the Granolith anymore. There’s something more.”

“What?”

“I don’t even know. I feel like,” Max started, wanting to explain that he needed to know about Arya. It was irrational to feel connected to someone that he never knew, but he did. At first he dismissed her, convincing himself that the Granolith was what he wanted to find out about, but now that he knew her name and he remembered how he felt about her. He needed to know who she was. “I can’t even explain,” Max said finally.

Isabel sighed and reached over and turned on the light that was on the nightstand. “So what do you remember, exactly?”

Max looked at his sister. She had a determined look on her face and wasn’t about to let him go to sleep until he talked to her. “I remember running through a corridor,” Max started slowly looking for the words to explain what he felt. “Everything around me is on fire. I feel weak and I fall. I looked down and I see an open wound in my side. I remember thinking about you and our mother and…” Max hesitated and looked down then finally said, “and Arya.”

“Arya?”

“I don’t know who Arya is. Tess said her name was Avadia and that she didn’t remember an Arya.”

Isabel looked at Max intently. Then after a long pause she finally asked, “Have you ever tried stepping out of your dream?”

Max looked up, confused. “What?”

“Maybe it has something to do with my dream walking ability, but when I was little and I had nightmares, I used to step out of my dream and watch myself in the dream,” Isabel started to explain. “It was a way for me to control my dream, make it less scary.” She looked at Max waiting for him to say something. “Don’t you see? Maybe you can do that.”

“How will that help?” Max asked still confused.

“By stepping out, not only can you observe the dream, but you can direct it to go the way you want. Maybe you can find the answers you are looking for.”

“You can direct your dreams,” Max said getting excited at the possibility.

Isabel nodded. “I haven’t done it in years, but yeah.”

Max thought about his dream. He didn’t think he could step out of his dream. It didn’t seem possible. “I don’t know Isabel. I get so lost in the dream. I don’t think I could control it.”

Isabel looked thoughtful and finally said, “Maybe I could help you.”

Max looked at Isabel perplexed. “You mean?”

Isabel nodded and laughed slightly. “I don’t necessarily like the idea of getting inside my brother’s dreams, but you need answers Max. And maybe I can help you get those answers.”

Max stared at his sister. He couldn’t believe it. Was it possible that she could help him direct his dream? Help him find out about his previous life. Find out about Arya and the Granolith.

“So what do you think?” Isabel asked finally. “Do you want to try?”

Max stared at Isabel. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

Isabel nodded. “I want to help you Max. Please, let’s try this. You keep saying the memory regression isn’t helping you, but those memories are locked up inside of you. Maybe together we can find the answers you are looking for.”

Max smiled softly at Isabel. “Thanks for being here for me Isabel. I know I’ve been out of it lately.”

Isabel pulled away and smiled at her brother. “Yes you have, but you’re my brother and no matter what I will be here for you Max.” Isabel stood up and flipped off the light. “Now go to sleep. I’ll see you in a few minutes.”

Max watched Isabel as she walked to his bedroom door. She walked out the door and closed it quietly behind her, leaving him alone in the darkness of his bedroom. He wasn’t sure about this, but he saw no other way. He needed answers and he needed them now. Max laid back and closed his eyes. He was exhausted and he knew he would fall asleep quickly.

Stumbling down the corridor, he looked around him to see everything on fire; the smoke was beginning to suffocate him. He had to find her. “Arya,” he said aloud. He looked around hoping to see someone who could help him, but there was no one. He fell down hard. When he caught his breath, he looked down at the wound in his side. He could see the strength draining from him. Did his mother and sister get out? Oh God he hoped so. The attack was so sudden, so unexpected. Now he was dying and all he could think about was his beloved. He had to get to Arya.

He tried to get up, but couldn’t. His strength was gone and so was his love. Suddenly he felt someone nearby. He turned and saw Vilandra. No she wasn’t supposed to be here. Rath was supposed to get her out.

“Max,” she said quietly. “Can you hear? It’s a dream Max. You have to separate yourself from the dream.”

“Max?” he asked confused.

“Do you remember me?”

“Vilandra?”

“No, it’s me Isabel. Do you remember? Roswell, our parents, Michael? I can’t help you unless you remember Max. Try.”

“Isabel,” he said hesitantly. “This is a dream?”

“Yes, now step out of the dream. Become an observer. You have to do this on your own. I can’t help you.”

He looked down at the wound and tried to remember that it wasn’t his wound. This wasn’t his body. It’s a dream, only a dream. He closed his eyes and focused on his name. He was Max and this was his dream. He was an observer of the dream not a participant. When he opened his eyes, he saw a person, which he assumed to be his former self, laying on the floor in front of him, dying. He looked to his right and saw Isabel looking at him and smiling. “You did it.”

Max nodded and looked around. Despite the fire, he could tell the palace was at one time very beautiful. Wait, how did he know this was a palace? He looked around and realized, he knew, he remembered. He was on his way to find his love, Arya, but she was already dead. She had died helping him. Max looked at Isabel. “I can remember things Isabel.”

“Like what?”

“This is the palace we grew up in. Down there,” Max pointed down the corridor and stopped. “is the chapel where Arya should be. Do you recognize it?”

Isabel shook her head no. “It looks familiar somehow, but it’s a distant memory,” Isabel said slowly. She then grabbed Max’s arm and continued, “Don’t let yourself get lost in the dream, Max. You’ve got focus on what’s happening and direct the dream.”

Max turned to Isabel and nodded. “I need to learn about Arya. I need to know what she was to me.”

Isabel put her hand in his. “Close your eyes. Focus on Arya. Take yourself to the time and place where you can learn.”

Max did as Isabel instructed. He closed his eyes and concentrated on Arya, on the love he remembered feeling for her and willed himself to the time and place where he last saw her. When Max opened his eyes, he and Isabel were in a small room. He saw his former self. He was kneeling next to a narrow bed, which contained his beloved. She was so beautiful, but she was dying and Max remembered why. She had sacrificed herself for him. She had given up her entire life so he could do his duty for his family and people.

Max took a step forward so he could look at Arya closely. He was standing directly behind his former self. He watched as she was struggling with each breath and each word, but still she continued. As she looked at the man kneeling above her, her eyes contained so much love, so much devotion. She would do anything for him. Those eyes were so familiar, so beautiful.

"I will never forget about you Arya. I couldn't. You are the other half of my soul, without you, I am not complete," Max heard his former self whisper.

"We were split apart in the house of souls," Arya whispered, closing her eyes. "We will find one another again, my love. You must have faith for we do belong together and in the next life maybe we can find a way to be together."

Max felt his breath catch in his throat. She was gone. She had given up so much for him. It wasn’t fair. Max watched his former self as he struggled with her death.

"Arya," he gasped. "Arya, please don't leave me." He reached up and brushed her soft hair away from her forehead and then placed his head on her chest, hoping to hear her heart beat. After a few minutes, he raised his head and looked at her beautiful face.

“Max,” Isabel whispered. “Are you okay?”

Max turned to his sister and nodded. He remembered what it felt like to lose her. He felt that pain again. It was so familiar. “We should go,” Max said quietly. He couldn’t watch anymore. He couldn’t take the pain and sorrow again.

“Where?” Isabel asked.

“The Granolith,” Max said and took Isabel’s hand. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the Granolith. When he opened his eyes again, he and Isabel were within the Granolith. Max let go of Isabel’s hand and stepped toward it.

“What is it, Max?”

“It’s the source of our people’s power Isabel,” Max turned toward Isabel. “I don’t know if I can explain it, but it’s the hope and life of our people. They sent it with us to earth so we could protect it and someday use it to defeat our enemies.”

Isabel shook her head, confused. “You’re not making any sense Max.”

“I know,” Max said and then turned back to Granolith. Suddenly he fell and grabbed his head. “Isabel,” Max whispered. “Help me.”

Again Max felt someone shake him. He opened his eyes to see Isabel standing over him, looking worried. “Are you okay?”

Max nodded and tried to sit up, but Isabel pushed him back down. “We tried to do too much. You rest. We can talk tomorrow.”