In Part 8, the trio trekked deeper inland towards the Portal. Despite the morningside time of day, the journey grew darker, forcing Phrixus to light the way with his alchemy. While travelling, conjecture over the owner of the unexpected footprints led the group to entertain the possibility the prints may have belonged to Garret's uncle, Melchior. Much like Garret, Melchior undertook the family mission to keep the portal secure, but something occurred which caused Melchior to go supposedly mad. This incident caused mentions of him to be removed from discussion and the Westdown family history. This discussion led to the revelation that Garret's banishment occurred because of his dogged pursuit of the truth behind his uncle's own banishment.

The trio finally reaches Portal and is set to begin the ritual, when a pounding noise from the other side freezes them in their tracks. A muffled shout also from behind the sealed gates implies that it is Garret's uncle Melchior. Before they can even respond, a figure moves into the glow of the area around the Portal.

Living forever sounds like a gift, but have you ever thought about the down sides. The main character in this week's story knows them first hand. Join him on the first day of a new year as he prepares for a new life.

• New Year, New Me - Written and read by Wayne Cole

Intro and Outtro music is "Fantasy Motion" by Alexander Nakarada

This bonus chapter is a little writing nugget from Chris' past. It's the very first story he ever wrote when he was 10 years old. Growing up in the Star Wars age, Chris was heavily influenced by the original trilogy and all the associated sci-fi that was around at the time. This story was written in 1978. Below are the individual pages, complete with images! So maybe this makes it less of a book and more of a graphic novel?