Unlike before, Null had not entered the lucid state in a dreamlike state.
It had been roughly five years since the displacement of the souls of the Castello Crew and their new lives and all the while they were stuck with one disparaging truth: Null had killed them.
It was a harsh truth considering all that happened, but it was the truth, nonetheless.
When each of the Castello Crew members were born and recovered their fractured memories, they each felt conflicted amidst the new situation.
Taz, Ava, Gabbo, Cronir, and Kalim were each reborn to special planets based on their karmic values, but with the unique nature of Void interfering with their travels, they ended up in peculiar states much like the members of Null's crew.
---
As if by a twist of fate, the two siblings were born to the same mother as twins on Planet Fritch.
The people of the lands were rather simple in nature.
They worked together and built communities that were long-lasting and under proper rule.
Though, one thing stood out about their communities and brought about a particular grievance for those not fully willing to integrate with the system.
Yes, the one thing that united their community was religion and that led to those unwilling to be under it to not only ostracized but to be put under suspicion.
The one thing that they would not tolerate under any circumstances was the existence of a witch.
They were those that were wicked in nature and preyed on the innocence of others and performed heinous rituals and the like.
Under the diligent care of their single mother, Tino and Andie Marvelo— formerly known as Taz and Ava— lived a peaceful life in a house in the woods far from the others of the communities.
Since birth, the twins were inseparable.
They played together, cried together, slept together, and even bathed together.
Their memories of their past lives were simple as they just showed them the deep connection that they had with each other.
The only thing that loomed over them was the last sensation of their souls being stripped from their bodies.
Tino was elated to find that even though he lost his sister in his past life he could still protect her in his new one.
Their mother, Estoria, was always making sure they had everything they ever needed or wanted and the three lived happily.
When Estoria needed supplies, she had to head to the community nearest and wear a concealing hat with a veil and unassuming clothes.
It was frowned upon for an adult woman to be unwedded much less to have children by herself.
She made do by selling herbs that she both found and grew and tonics that she made at home.
She was not wealthy by any means but did well enough for herself and her children.
---
Unlike the loving and carefree life that the twins lived, one of the souls belonging to one Gabbo was sent to Planet Skulk.
The entire planet had barely any sunlight lighting up the day and the nights were lit by a blood red moon.
The people of Planet Skulk were limited in their ability to find and grow food, such was the same for their ability to find animals to raise and eat.
Nevertheless, life found a way and the people managed to stake their claim of the land and reproduce naturally.
That did not stop those nefarious crooks that sought to live above others and control those lower in status than them.
A group of those crooks took it upon themselves to be in charge and founded an oligarchy that controlled everything from food management to work assignments.
Most people went along with the established system, but there were some that went out of their way to fight against it.
For the rouge, Gabbo, he was born into this life destined to be another cog in the wheel.
Only, he was not lucky enough to be something as simple as a cog.
For him, his new life was full of tragedy.
The very day he was born, his mother died after delivering him inside of his family's home.
His father was killed during a robbery the same day and he was left there on his lonesome.
The only "lucky" thing about Gabbo's new predicament was the fact that he was taken in by one of the oligarchs.
The head of the house was impotent and unable to give birth to a child to be nurtured into a suitable heir, so when they found out that Gabbo was left without a family he grasped at the opportunity.
Gabbo was then named Gavin and took the last name of the head, Specter.
---
Life for a rock was supposed to be a simple thing.
Most rocks had not the opportunity to move around from place to place, but for some it was possible.
Whether it be from the wind or a moving current, rocks could move without the need for legs and feet.
They could be found all across the cosmos in many various forms from a simple granite to a dazzling diamond.
Even though these simple things were supposed to be just that, life finds a way into every facet of reality.
Cronir was once a simple cluster of minerals that found purpose in meandering about with little care for the life he was bestowed.
That was life for most Stonemen, but after being sent to a particular planet of this kind he was met with a life that was unlike that of his past.
The Stonemen were not known for their smarts nor their politics, but it just so happened that this particular breed had both more or less.
There was not much in terms of aging amongst Stonemen, but that did not mean that they had achieved immortality.
Overtime, the minerals that made up each Stoneman grew aged and, in the end, they became brittle enough to drift in the wind.
When Cronir was born, he was introduced to a whole other world of Stonemen.
From what he had seen, there were those made of every mineral from common quartz to enchanting gemstones.
The Stonemen were ranked based on the rarity and density of their composition respectively.
Cronir felt something within him stir at the sight of a boisterous array of his kind.
The very same feeling was what moved him to leave his previous planet and become a Wanderer.
He felt it here that the intense aura of the boy who plunged his pitch-black hands into his rock-hard chest would be unable to if he advanced enough in his makeup.
---
As for the final flame, Kalim's soul was sent to a place full of legendary beasts.
Dragons!
From an unassuming egg, a hatchling was born without wings.
This was a shameful thing to the prideful dragons that claimed the sky as their own.
And so, he was kicked from his clutch to fend for his own.
It was tough for the hatchling to find a way to survive with his own devices, but luckily, he still had the constitution of a strong dragon.
Dragons were known for their solitary nature and that suited Kalim perfectly.
In his past life, he was always pitted against those around him to strive to be the strongest of the bunch.
That strength meant nothing to his current self however as he now had the potential to become something his past self had no possibility of becoming.
His scales were already many times stronger than those of his past.
It was like comparing regular glass to tempered glass and even then, he was currently akin to bullet proof glass.
He was powerless against the kid who seemed shrouded in mystery, but now there was a chance for him to overpower the nightmarish figure with his new body.
---
Understandably, there was much more ire aimed at Null for the backhanded treatment he had shown unwillingly.
This anger was a powerful fuel for the original Castello Crew as they treaded down the path of their new lives.
What would become of this driven desire to become something even more fearsome than the one who sent them on the path in the first place only time would tell.
In the meantime, Null was stuck at another crossroad himself as he considered finding the new flames.
Would it be too selfish of him to ask his crew to join him in another round of find the flames?
He knew that they might not mind, but they still had their own matters to deal with in terms of strengthening and mastering their respective abilities.
It was certainly something he wanted to take into consideration, so he weighed his options— even the option of not chasing the flames at all.