A/N: Skipping forward a few centuries this chapter! Today's song is Missing Persons 1 & 2. It goes by the song a *little* more than the last chapter did, so you may want to look up and listen to Missing Persons 1 & 2 before reading.

Disclaimer: No, I do not own The Sorcerer's Apprentice or any of OneRepublic's songs. But then again, neither do you.

(Britain, 1393 A.D.)

Balthazar stared up at the castle that used to be his home. He shouldn't have come here, but with a potential Prime Merlinean in the area, he couldn't not. All his willpower had become useless.

He stood near the main entrance, not entering the building, just gazing into the foyer and remembering times past. There was the tapestry that concealed a stretch of wall that he and Maxim had accidentally scorched. That corridor lead to the training room. And there was the spot where they had lost Maxim for good, although they hadn't known it at the time. Balthazar sighed and attempted to banish the memories, or at least get his legs to carry him away from the castle. It was no use: his mind would not stop dwelling, and his feet refused to move.

The sorcerer felt the Grimhold resting in the inside of his jacket. What was it like in there? Where was Veronica, really? It was possible that she was in some sort of unconscious state, unaware of the time that passed or the horrifying being with whom she was imprisoned. Balthazar certainly hoped she was. On the other hand, perhaps she had been awake for every painful second, constantly taunted by Morgana, the light of the hope and joy that had always shown up in her features slowly dying away and being replaced with fear, and despair, and loneliness, and—

Balthazar didn't continue that thought. He couldn't keep thinking of the love of his life being stuck in an even worse situation than he was. Hopelessness, which had already begun to consume him, would eat him away entirely. He'd die before Merlin's quest was fulfilled. Instead, he pulled the Grimhold out of his pocket and looked at the painting of Veronica that graced its surface. The portrait was so realistic, it was almost as though he were looking through a window at his beloved. He stared at the picture for a moment more, then put the vessel away and started down the path to the main city.

He'd never let go. Maybe it would be better for him if he did, but it was impossible. This nesting doll was the only piece of his heart he had left.

Did she wonder where he was?

A/N: I know, this was a very short chapter, but I hope you enjoyed it anyway. Thank you to the one person who reviewed, as for everyone else: the review button is right there, please use it. Anonymous reviews are enabled. Anyway, next chapter's song will be Marchin' On. Balthazar has returned to his normal stoic self, traveling to city after city, each offering less hope of finding the Prime Merlinean than the last. Even so, he never ceases his quest.