The golden streaks of energy would complement August's arrival as he burst into the open space above the moon pool. A warm light would radiate from him as he reunited with his other half.

The scene it lit was not a bright one though. As, there she was, the love of his life, leant up against the cold metal walls, covered in blood, eyes empty, and no heartbeat.

They were hunched over in front of her, May and Bob, they weren't crying, but they were gone too, though not dead.

As the caricature of a man landed, he'd understand immediately. In fact, he already knew. He dropped the refugees, and approaching the woman, he didn't even check on his sister. The two did move out of his way still, far out of his way.

He'd pull her into his arms, and though she was already halfway past the gates, he knew that there must have been something he could do that time, or so he hoped at least.

"I can save her this time… right…?" His voice sounded within his head, to no response, for a while at least.

"We can't bring back the dead… you know this…" Perhaps she should have stayed quiet.

"But I—" August wouldn't be given the chance.

"No! No…" The voice echoing in his head, stood its ground.

"Useless…" His last thought.

The woman, as cold as she was, seemed to have a little bit of life left within her, and with that dieing spark, she reached out a hand and placed it against August's face.

"Its… you… I… I kept my promise…" Her voice was subtle, a whisper really, but he heard her.

"I'm sorry…!" His eyes would well up with blood, and he wanted to maintain his composure, he really did. "I'm so…so… sorry…!" He squeezed her, though that made her no warmer, that, that caused the 'tears' to flow.

He would have wiped his tears himself, but the woman seemed to get heavier in his arms. She'd wipe them for him, or she tried to at least.

"… I… I remember now… and I still… I still… love you…" Her hand fell from his face, and by the time it hit the ground, what was left of her, was gone.

Cali was one of the few, or rather, one of the two factors that kept August sane after his mind fractured under 'her' weight, and as such, he was halfway to true insanity.

The beautiful crimson that filled his eyes melted away as they became fountains of blood, and his eye color began to fade into a vibrant gold.

"This… this wasn't the deal we made…! And you knew this would happen… you need to get a grip… or she won't be the only one that dies…!" The illusive woman's voice returned to warn him within his mind, but maybe he wouldn't listen.

"I… I know…" He wiped his tears himself, closing his eyes, and when they next opened, they had returned to crimson form. He had listened.

August lowered Cali's body to the ground, and closing her eyes, he rested a hand on her chest. They couldn't bury her, there was nowhere they could, so he'd cremate her.

It being the only option didn't make it any better though, as his hand would begin to tremble, and even as he used the other to hold it steady, he couldn't bring himself to do it.

They'd all watch him, though they were all too afraid to approach, all except May. She was afraid to approach, but she wasn't afraid, no, there was another emotion, one worse. As for Bob, he was afraid, he was useless and it was his fault, so he thought.

August would build up his resolve, and after a few deep breaths, a golden flame let out from his hand. It wasn't a normal flame, and they could all see that. It burned through her as if she was paper, and by the end of it, there were no ashes.

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

A golden light would erupt from in front of August, but, it was from his front, and so, none of them could see. The next thing he did—that they did see— was put on a silver necklace.

As he turned around, they'd all look at it, it was a small cylinder with a yellow trim and Cali's full name on the side, even her picture engraved. He'd stand up, and the crazy in his eyes seemed to disappear along with his happiness and half his eyes' hue.

He'd walk towards them, and they'd all shudder, he'd stop.

"If I wanted to kill… any of you… you'd be dead…" He'd continue walking, and they'd all loosen their muscles, if even a little.

He'd stop at Bob first, looking down at him.

"I-I… I tried to save her… b-but… I couldn't… sh-she pretended as if I had r-restarted her heart… b-but my attempt at saving her failed…! she… sh-she was already dead… she w-was waiting for you… t-that's why she stayed conscious…!" He couldn't look August in the eyes.

"You did what you could… and for that… for that I am grateful…" He'd pat the small man on his shoulder.

He'd make his way over to May, and he'd lower himself to one knee. She looked at him, but she began to shake, just making eye contact, she saw him as the embodiment of all her failures, judgement.

He'd hug her, resting his forehead against hers.

"I'm glad you're okay… it must have been hard on you… I'm sorry I wasn't there for you…" He squeezed the girl as if he didn't want to let her go.

She'd reciprocate the gesture.

"I… I…!" Her tears would finally return as she felt the blanket of safety hug her, cold as he was.

"Its fine… it wasn't your fault… if its anyone's fault… its mine…" He'd finally let the girl go, and wiping her tears, he smiled.

He'd then walk over to the three that had prevented him from arriving sooner, and they knew that that was what they represented. He'd walk past them, and he'd stop just short of a foot behind them.

"We all know why I saved you, you'll get them to the river, why there? Because I know that past then, getting to you won't be easy…" His eyes regained their hue, in fact, they shone. "But make no mistake… if you hurt them before then… I'll be there… and I'll gut all of you and lynch you with your own entrails, am I understood?" He looked back at them, and they seemed to feel his gaze as they shuddered.

"Yes…" Brody's response.

"Yes…" Kim's response.

"No, what if we don't?" That was Zack's response. He was to the wall of the room, the furthest to his right and the furthest left for August.

The metallic floor did not dent or bend under August's weight, it shattered as he planted his left leg, and then, faster than anyone of them could see, he brought his hand back, crumpled to a fist.

"You choose poorly…" With a nigh, ear rupturing burst, and the blur of August's hand, Zack had been plastered to the wall like old paint, a three-meter-wide dent in the wall, his flayed corpse centering it.

As for Zack's dieing words, well, there were none, but his corpse did make a sound, that of cracking ice.

They were all concerned, and all for different reasons. It was strange still, May and Bob weren't worried about his actions, but why he had done it.

They knew they were having a conversation, but May couldn't hear, and Bob made an effort not to. They were worried they'd make the same mistake.

"I have a solution." The man would walk over to Bob, and he could hear his heartrate spike. "Boo!"

Bob fell flat on his ass, struggling to take hold of half breaths as he scurried back.

"Got you… haha…" He took the cube form the small man.

"Not! Funny!" Bob would calm himself down with deep and slow breaths.

As for why August wanted the cube, it glowed in his hand, shone until it was blinding, gyrating as if possessed, and when the light cleared, it was golden.

"I fixed it for you, and made it better, it has a geographically coded message inside, so don't lose it. When you get to where you need to be in 'that' place… it'll trigger… and you'll know what to do… hopefully…" August gave back the cube.

He would approach the pool, and stand at the edge, tipping forward.

"Wait!" He'd stop at Bob's behest. "T-that kind of message requires a location… y-you've been there before…? What's g-going on… you know! Don't you?! I-I had a theory… b-but you have the answers…? Right?!" He wanted a conversation, one that could not be had.

The place shook as if hit by an earthquake, they all fell, all except August.

"Let me ask you a question… no… a few…? Have you ever been to the 'Main Land'? Why did they build 'Olympus' all the way out here? Have you ever been this far down before today? Why is everything before 4000 'The Dark Ages'? Do you know what the 'Every Man Rule' actually is? What is the 'NET'? And finally… what is an anomaly… truly…? That's all, you'd say 'everything's in the public domain, even if a little obscure'… right…?" The place shook again, and August fell into the pool, disappearing into the depths.

They all froze for a few moments as they processed all that he had said, or rather, all that he had asked.

They thought back to all that they knew, and it wasn't much. The council, and their representatives, always said that everything was in the public domain, and when there was a scandal, the 'truth' would be out there.

As such, no one actually ever took the time to research things like that, and why would they. It was in the public domain after all, on the NET, was it not?