The poisonous mist of the Valley of Souls was now seeping deep into their hearts. A storm of memories raged inside Michael's mind—Allen's face, the glimmer in his eyes, and now that name… Eric. It wasn't just a name; it was a fragment of Michael's shattered past, slowly beginning to piece itself together.
Michael was overwhelmed by the realization that everything unfolding so far was connected in one way or another, and that Claire and he himself were somehow bound to these events. His throat had gone dry. He took a step toward Allen, his eyes filled with a mix of shock and an unfamiliar sense of belonging.
"Allen…" Michael's voice trembled. "The Eric you're talking about… did he ever mention his father? Did he ever tell you what his father's name was, or did he say that his father's name was Michael as well? And in that orphanage… was there a girl with him—someone he claimed as his relative?"
