Jacob enters the infirmary and slowly sets Banishment on a nearby bed.

Jacob: "The hell was all that about? you just fainted like you just saw a ghost..."

Jacob looks at Banishment in awe and starts to contemplate as he brings out a chair and sits next to Banishment's bed.

Jacob: "Haha, as if I'm not talking to one right now...I've known the whole time bud, I just didn't wanna believe it..."

Jacob leans back on the chair and stares at the ceiling.

Jacob: "How much longer do I have left?"

Jacob's eyes start to burn blue as he sees a tiny blue flame light in front of his face.

Jacob: "Two years, huh? haha...and here I thought I would last longer...haha...ha"

Tears run down Jacob's face as he leans forward and tears drop onto the floor.

Jacob: "Fuck...I have one job...and I'm still fucking it up?!"

Ashlyn slowly opens the door to the school roof.

Ashlyn: "Huh...usually it would be a lot harder to open, then again, we are drifting along a void...huh?"

Ashlyn looks over to see N sitting on the edge with the little girl hugging his neck and lying on his back.

Ashlyn: "What are you doing here?"

N slowly turns around to look at Ashlyn.

N: "Just thinking, what are you doing?"

Ashlyn turns around and slowly walks back to the stairs.

N looks at the ground at first then lets out a long sigh as he turns to look up at the void again.

The little girl tries to comfort him but N takes her off of his shoulders.

??: "Actually..."

N turns around to see Ashlyn slowly approaching him nervously.

Ashlyn: "I...wouldn't mind a talk...there's been something on my mind..."

Ashlyn sits beside N on the school roof as she looks at the blue void.

Ashlyn: "It really is something, huh..."

N: "Yup..."

It goes silent at first then Ashyln attempts to start a conversation.

Ashlyn: "So?"

N: "So?"

Ashlyn: "What's got you sitting up here...?"

N: "I don't know, just wanted to think for a bit..."

It goes silent once again as Ashlyn twiddles her thumbs.

Ashlyn: "This may sound out of nowhere but...would you mind if I asked a question?"

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

N: "Sure, got nothing else to do."

Ashlyn continues to twiddle her thumbs then stops and slowly turns her head to look at Ashlyn.

Ashlyn: "Why did you save me?"

N: "When?"

Ashlyn: "When we were fighting that weird slimy thing, you jumped in like you had nothing else in mind, I just thought it felt weird for someone who was so monotone and uncaring to do something like that..."

N: "Hmm..."

N gets a flashback of hearing a voice before jumping in front of Ashlyn.

N: "It was kind of a natural feeling..."

Ashlyn: "What's that supposed to mean?"

N: "I don't know, it almost felt wrong to let something like that happen..."

Ashlyn: "But you ran in there so out of nowhere...what if you died instead of me?"

N: "Honestly? I think you could live a better life than mine."

Ashlyn raises a brow in confusion.

Ashlyn: "Wait...are you fucking with me?"

N: "How so?"

Ashlyn: "You're not usually this out and bold...since the first day, you've always been so monotone and uncaring but now you're suddenly like this, why is that?"

N: "I don't know..."

N gets a flashback of the blonde woman as he looks at the blue void.

N: "It feels like something's coming back, but I don't know what it is. All this time I've felt empty and kind of...one dimensional? if that makes sense, but now, I have this feeling that..."

N looks at his right hand and it begins to shake as he attempts to clench his fist.

N: "There's someone out there...or something that's waiting for me..."

Ashlyn suddenly feels her heart sink in guilt but then giggles it off.

N: "What's so funny?"

Ashlyn: "Nothing it's just...what you just said sounds a lot like what we're doing right now...we're all fighting to get back to our lives, and maybe change how we live that old life. I should stop asking all these sudden questions...I think if anything I should be apologizing to you."

N: "Why?"

Ashlyn: "I've been nothing but an absolute asshole to you...and I never really gave you a chance."

N: "No need, if anything I deserve it. If someone doesn't treat you the way you should be treated, that doesn't mean you should treat them how you would."

Ashlyn grins at N's remark.

Ashlyn: "You know what, N? You're not all that bad...I'm sorry again for not giving you the chance."

N: "I appreciate it."

Ashlyn looks over to see the Little girl hugging N's arm.

Ashlyn: "She really likes you, huh?

N: "Tell me about it, she hasn't left me alone since we got back...I don't know what's her deal."

N holds the little girl up by her neck but she immediately wraps herself around N's arm in response.

N: "Could you maybe try to tour her around or something? Anything to get her off me."

Ashlyn: "Hehe, I'll try."

Ashlyn grabs the little girl and struggles at first but has her let go of N's arm and starts to piggyback her.

Little girl: "Ahh...Ahh!!"

Ashlyn raises a brow in confusion.

Ashlyn: "Fiesty one, aren't you? I bet you'll love some chicken noodle soup, come on, let's get you some food."

Ashlyn turns and walks away back to the entrance of the roof.

Ashlyn: "Oh, and N?"

N turns around to see Ashlyn at the entrance of the roof with a grin on her face.

Ashlyn: "Thanks for hearing me out!"

N: "No worries."

Ashlyn heads back down the stairs.

N lies down on his and lays his hands behind his head as he keeps getting flashbacks of the blonde girl. This time, she's becoming slightly more clear, she's wearing blue overalls and a pink T-shirt underneath and wearing a ring with a green ring around her left ring finger. But her face is completely scratched and blurred out.

N: "Who are you...and what do you have to do with me?"

Deezle appears and crouches down as his head hovers over N.

Deezle: "Well, aren't you one with the ladies?"

N darts his eyes to look at Deezle but something looks different. Deezle has white spiky hair pointing upward with sharp and triangular teeth and eyes with bright red pupils and black all around his iris.

N: "Is all you do just talk shit?"

Deezle: "No, I could talk...but none of you are worth my time."

N: "You still haven't taken over my body by the way."

Deezle: "Oh, don't you worry, I'm taking my time and choosing the best time to do it. Trust me when I say the next time you let yourself down or on the brink of death..."

Deezle grins as his sharp and triangular teeth form into a zig zag-like smile.

Deezle: "I'll take over your body in an instant."

N goes silent at first.

N: "Whatever you say I guess..."

Deezle sighs in response.

Deezle: "You're no fun...I liked the old you better."

Deezle disappears once again and appears in the sword's mind-space. WIth its bloody water floor and red walls. Deezle starts to float around in boredom and thinks to himself.

Deezle: "That girl..."

Deezle gets a flashback of the little girl hugging N's side in the cage.

Deezle: "Something was off about her...but I can't put my claw on it. AHH, whatever, It ain't my business."

Deezle starts to put the puzzle pieces together and comes to a realization.

Deezle: "Something coming back, huh?"

Deezle slowly turns around to see a giant dragon skeleton lying on its stomach.

Deezle: "That would explain that then."

.

.

.

.

Jacob is in the infirmary continuing to read the book as he sits next to Banishment.

Jacob: "There's really nothing left, huh? the poor bastard went out right then and there"

Jacob continues to skip through the pages but finds text on the last page of the book.

Jacob: "What the?"

The text is placed in the bottom right corner of the page. The text reads: "I leave this book with you, Charmy...I'm sorry but, I have to do all of this on my own...I'll miss you, I'll miss everyone"

Jacob scratches his head in confusion.

Jacob: "Who's Charmy?"

(Char-mee)

Ep 34-End