Sapphira touched the World Core gently, her fingers tracing the intricate patterns on its surface.

"The Core is the heart of this world," she explained. "It connects to every other world, weaving them together in a complex network of infinite possibilities.”

The group listened intently, their eyes fixed on the pulsating glow of the Core. The energy it emitted was both thrilling and terrifying, a reminder of the power they were about to attempt to control. Just then, the soft sound of footsteps echoed through the chamber. The group turned to see none other than Kinsey.

Kinsey's appearance catches everyone off guard, their surprise evident.

"Kinsey!" Rachel exclaims, her eyes wide. "What are you doing here? And how did you even get here?”

Kinsey responds with a cold, almost malicious grin, a sneer on her face.

"Oh, well, isn't this a surprise," she replies sarcastically. "’How did I get here?", you said. Well, I have my ways," she continued, her voice now dripping with bitterness. "I've learned a few tricks, you see.”

Rachel's expression hardens as she glares at Kinsey.

"What score could you possibly have to settle with us? We haven't done anything to you," she retorts, her voice laced with both anger and confusion.

Kinsey lets out a scoff, her hands on her hips.

"Oh, please! You all pushed me aside whenever you had the chance. You replaced me with some new girl, and just completely ignored me. I felt utterly and completely alone and abandoned because of all of you. You never even checked on me or asked how I felt.”

Alice, who up until now has been silent, speaks up with a hint of regret in her voice.

"We...we never meant to hurt you, Kinsey. We didn't realize how you felt.”

Kinsey lets out a bitter laugh.

"Oh, is that so? Well, forgive me if I find it a little hard to believe that none of you realized how I felt."

She crosses her arms, her expression hardening.

"And besides, even if you didn't mean to hurt me, you still did. You abandoned me...like I meant nothing to any of you.”

Rachel chimes back in, her tone sharpening.

"Kinsey, where is all of this coming from?! We never meant for you to feel like you meant nothing to us. You were always an important part of our group. We just...we got caught up in other things, ‘kay? We should have checked on you more, and we should have made sure you knew you were valued.”

Kinsey's eyes flicker with a mix of surprise and disappointment.

"Oh, so you're realizing it now, huh? After it's too late? After I've already turned to the darkness? How convenient.”

Noelle steps forward, her voice stern yet concerned.

"Kinsey, just calm down and think about this, the path you're on is dangerous. You could be putting yourself in serious danger getting involved with the Dark forces.”

Kinsey rolls her eyes, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Oh, spare me the lecture. Of course I know it's dangerous, but it's a danger I'm willing to take. Besides, I'm not the one who turned their backs on me. I have nothing to lose at this point.”

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Noelle's voice is laced with frustration and disbelief as she responds.

"Kinsey, you have to snap out of this. You're making a huge mistake. The Dark forces don't care about you. They'll use you and discard you when they're done. Don't be so foolish and stubborn.”

Kinsey scoffs once more, unfazed by Noelle's words.

"Ha! You think I don't know that? Of course I know the Dark forces are using me. But hey, at least they're not pretending to care and then abandoning me at the first opportunity.”

Alice, still feeling guilty, takes a step closer.

"Kinsey, please, listen to us. We... we messed up by making you feel like you didn't matter. But you don't have to resort to this. You can still turn back, and we can fix things.”

Kinsey glances at Alice, her gaze hardening again.

"Fix things? How, exactly? By pretending everything is fine and dandy? By acting like what happened never mattered? Sorry, but I'm done being nice and accepting. I'm done being your backup plan.”

Noelle tries a different approach, her voice gentle yet firm.

"Kinsey, we understand why you're upset, and we're not asking you to forget what happened. But please, you can't continue down this path of Darkness. It won't lead to anything good, trust me.”

Kinsey lets out a humourless laugh.

"Oh, trust you? Like how I trusted THEM? Look how well that turned out. No, trust is something that I'm in short supply of these days.”

Rachel sighs, her eyes filled with a mixture of concern and determination.

"Damnit… Kinsey, please, we're sorry for what happened, seriously. If you woulda told us how you felt, we could’ve fixed that. We can't change the past, but we can do better moving forward. Just give us another shot, and let us make it up to you. We don't wanna lose you to the damn Darkness.”

Kinsey tilts her head, a smirk tugging at her lips.

"Make it up to me, huh? And how exactly do you plan on doing that? With empty promises and half-hearted apologies?”

Rachel's voice carries an air of defiance, refusing to back down.

"No, not with empty words. We're going to prove to you that we truly care ‘bout you and wanna make things right. We just need you to give us the chance.”

Kinsey looks at each of them, her expression unreadable as she focuses back on Rachel.

"You want another chance? It's a little late for that, don't you think? You had your chance to show me I mattered, and you all blew it. I'm tired of being the forgettable one, the one you all just brush aside when someone shiny and new comes along. It was just Alice, you, me, and Kairy, Rachel. Then came Sharline. Then Blair. And now her,” she said as she gestured to Zalgo before continuing.

“You got your new friend right here with you, meanwhile I was left behind. So, it's high time I take off on my own journey.”

Alice and Rachel take one anxious step forward, with Rachel saying, “You don't–”

Kinsey cut her off. “It's time for me to leave, you got that? While Kairy is goddess-knows-where right now, you're all going across the universe playing hero with your new friend. So yeah, you all go your way, and I'll go mine, let's cut it off. I'm going to join the Dark side, I'm going to save Kairy without your help, all with powerful individuals who will train me in the way of the Darkness. As for you and Alice, I hope you both continue to find new friends who will be as good as—or even better—than me. As a matter of fact, WAY better than me. Then you won't forget them like y'all did with yours truly.”

Sapphira's eyes narrow as she listens to Kinsey's bitter words, her expression turning colder and her hold on the World Core tightening. The chamber is filled with tension as everyone watches the exchange between the two girls.

Alice speaks up, her voice firm but shaky. "Kinsey, you can't seriously be saying this. We never wanted to forget you or make you feel like you didn't matter. You're our friend, and you always will be. We didn't bring Zalgo into the group to replace you.”

Kinsey scoffs, her eyes narrowing. "Oh, please. Spare me the sympathy. You guys made it clear that I wasn't important to you anymore once you found someone new. You don't get to act all wounded now. You made your choice, and now I'm making mine. Anyways, as for the World Core…”

Sapphira, sensing the unease in the room, pipes up, her voice carrying a hint of authority. "Enough!" she commands. "Now is not the time for petty grievances.”

She fixes Kinsey with a cold, stern look, her eyes narrowing. "You. What are your intentions with the World Core, mortal?”

Kinsey’s eyes flick to Sapphira, her demeanor cool and composed. The group waits tensely, the weight of Sapphira’s question hanging heavy around them.

Kinsey responds, her voice calm and measured, but there’s a hint of anger underneath. "My intentions are simple. I’m going to corrupt the World Core with Darkness.”

“You heard me,” Kinsey retorts, her eyes narrowing. “I’m going to corrupt it. I’m tired of feeling insignificant, of being cast aside. And when the Core becomes corrupted, every Gateway connecting the other worlds with this one will be closed. Darkness will reign supreme.”

Sapphira bristles at Kinsey's words, her eyes widening in alarm.

"You can’t corrupt the World Core!" she exclaims, her voice firm. "It’s the heart of this world and of all worlds connected to it. Corrupting it would have unfathomable consequences.”

Kinsey scoffs, rolling her eyes with a sharp huff.

"Unfathomable consequences? I couldn't care less," she sneers. "The very universe did nothing but turn its back on me. I have no reason to care about this world's fate. And as for the other worlds connected to it, well, that's their problem, not mine.”

Sapphira scowls deeply at Kinsey's disregard.

"You’re being irrational, you foolish mortal,” she chastises, her voice firm. “You’re talking about erasing an entire world, and who knows what else. You can’t make that decision based on your own personal grudges.”

Kinsey laughs bitterly, her voice dripping with contempt.

"Oh, I'm being irrational, am I? Well, I think it's pretty damn rational to want to destroy something that has caused you nothing but pain and suffering. This World Core is mine to corrupt. Don't like it? Bring it on.”

Sapphira moved in front of the World Core, her eyes narrowed in determination.

“I won’t let you corrupt the world core, Kinsey,” Sapphira said firmly. “Its power holds together all the worlds connected to this one. Corrupting it would be catastrophic.”

Kinsey laughed dryly, her hands on her hips.

“I don’t care about the consequences,” she said sharply. “All I care about is taking out my revenge on those who hurt me.”

Sapphira glowered at Kinsey.

“Your need for revenge blinded your judgment,” she said in a steely tone. “This is not the right way to handle your grievances. The World’s corruption will not bring you the satisfaction you crave.”

Kinsey sneered at Sapphira, her eyes hard and cold.

“You don’t understand anything,” she retorted. “You don’t know how it feels to be betrayed and abandoned by the people you thought were your friends.”

“You’re thinking like a naïve child!” Sapphira snapped. “You can’t just seek revenge whenever you feel like it! We are talking about the universe, not just your petty feelings. You need to think about the bigger picture here.”

Kinsey rolled her eyes, crossing her arms with a sneer on her face.

“The bigger picture? You mean the picture where no one cares about me, where I don’t matter at all?” she snapped back. “Please spare me the lecture, oh wise mermaid who knows everything about everything. You're gonna get outta my way or die.”

Sapphira didn't budge an inch, a deadly fire in the gaze as she threatened Kinsey, “Your call, mortal.”