Rage mixed with a bit of disgust was boiling inside of her. The gravity of his admission that he had been the one all along who brought her to this godforsaken world made her sick to her stomach. He was the reason she was stuck here. He was the reason she might have lost everything she cared about in her previous life.

He was the reason she was surrounded by this reality that wanted to kill her. This morose, gray battleground of the World Between, a place stalked by rain men, a purgatory for mankind, and a middle ground for spirits.

He was the reason she was now imprinted with a key that was granted to her by the Vizier of the Silver Cathedral.

“Why?” She asked, her voice trembling with barely suppressed fury. She wasn’t sure if there could ever be an answer good enough to make up for how she was feeling right now.

There was a dangerous glint in Xerith’s eyes, an unsettling blend of possessiveness and longing. The intimate moment they had just shared was gone in an instant, replaced by a venomous stare. “Because I want you here, Vre. I don’t want to do this by myself.”

“How can you be so selfish?” She breathed painfully, her heart aching with betrayal. “How can you say you love me in one breath and then admit to ruining my entire life in the next?”

“Vre…” He reached for her, his fingers twitching with desperation, but it was too late. Picking up the long skirt so that she could run faster, she bolted away from him as fast as her feet would carry her.

This was a mistake. This was all such a huge mistake! Drake was right. He’s a monster. He’s a brutal, lying fucking monster. How could I have been so stupid!?

The walls of the Cathedral seemed to close in around her, the beautiful architecture now feeling like a cage. The ambient glow of the ethereal lights cast eerie shadows that danced and twisted, making the grandeur of the Cathedral seem sinister and foreboding.

She didn’t want anything to do with this place any longer, but she didn’t know where to go. She blew past the room where Drake and Margaretti waited, her eyes wild with panic, sprinting towards the main chamber where the spiritual entities were coming and going.

Vre’s footsteps echoed through the vast halls, mingling with the whispers of the spirits and the distant hum of the Cathedral. She could feel the weight of Xerith’s gaze on her back, a chilling reminder of his presence. The air around her seemed to thicken with his dark energy, pressing down on her, suffocating her with its intensity. He was watching her--she knew it.

As she burst into the main chamber, the sight of the myriad of beings—creatures with goat feet, winged spirits, and faceless angels—overwhelmed her senses. The crystalline formations glowed ominously, their light refracted through the shimmering air, creating a surreal, disorienting effect.

Her breath came in ragged gasps as she stumbled to a halt, her eyes darting around, seeking an escape. But the vastness of the chamber only served to amplify her sense of entrapment.

Suddenly, a cold hand gripped her shoulder, spinning her around. She looked up into Xerith’s eyes, now dark and brooding, his expression a mask of tortured resolve.

“You can’t run from this, Vre,” he said, his voice low and filled with a predatory intensity. “You can’t run from me. We are bound together by something far greater than you can comprehend.”

“Let go of me!” She struggled against his hold, her voice rising in pitch. “I don’t want any part of this! I want to go home!”

Xerith’s grip tightened, his eyes flashing with a mix of anger and something else—something deeper, more twisted. “Whether you like it or not, you are here now. Where will you go? Back to Demure, back to that mansion, hiding until you eventually die? Or back to your world, where you spent every day with a hole in your chest, wishing for a new life? Vre, please. Please listen to me, I did not bring you here to hurt you. I--”

Tears streamed down her face as she fought to free herself from his grasp. “You don’t own me! You can’t control me!”

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His expression softened for a moment, his eyes reflecting a flicker of regret. “I don’t want to control you, Vre. I want to protect you. To save you. Even if it means saving you from yourself.”

Her defiance wavered, the conflicting emotions tearing her apart. The intensity of his gaze, the certainty in his voice, it all pulled at her, making her question everything she thought she knew.

But deep down, she knew she couldn’t trust him. Not completely. Not after everything..

“Please,” she whispered, her voice breaking. “Just let me go.”

Xerith’s grip loosened slightly, his expression pained. “I can’t. Not yet. We still have a mission to complete. And I need you, Vre. More than you can ever know.”

With a final, desperate push, she wrenched herself free from his hold, stumbling back a few steps. Her heart pounded in her chest, the adrenaline coursing through her veins.

“Then you’ll have to do it without me,” she said, her voice trembling but resolute.

She turned and ran again, the shadows of the Cathedral closing in around her, the path ahead shrouded in uncertainty and fear. But one thing was clear—she couldn’t stay here. Not with him. Not with the darkness that threatened to consume her.

As she ran towards the front gate of the Cathedral, the weight of Xerith’s gaze followed her. Her lungs burned as she ran, none of the spirits paying her any heed.

She would go find Jonah. She’d go find him, and figure out what to do from there. If she could make it back to Regnum, that was where they’d gotten separated. There was several hours before it would be getting dark, and she could make it. Surely she could make it.

Her eye burned with frustration and from the exertion of running. The heavy skirt weighed her down significantly until she had to slow, bent over and gasping for breath. Sobs came in waves, wracking her chest until the constrictions hurt.

Would Jonah even be able to help me? She wheezed. I’m so pathetic. I can’t do anything on my own. Running to Drake, to Jonah, to Xerith…what’s the point? I’m hopeless. Perhaps it would be better if I just died here.

Her thoughts spiraled into a dark abyss as she leaned against a cold stone pillar, the weight of despair pressing down on her. The grand architecture of the Cathedral, once awe-inspiring, now seemed like a grim prison. The towering spires and intricate carvings cast long, oppressive shadows that mirrored the turmoil in her heart.

She slid down to the floor, her back against the pillar, knees drawn up to her chest. Tears streamed down her face as she rocked slightly, the overwhelming sense of helplessness nearly suffocating her.

What am I doing? she thought. How can I possibly navigate this world? I don’t belong here. I just want to go home.

The Cathedral’s entrance loomed in the distance, a beacon of her attempted escape, but the journey back to Regnum seemed impossible now. She felt as if the entire world was closing in on her, the oppressive gloom of the World Between swallowing her whole.

Suddenly, a soft, ethereal glow illuminated the area around her. She looked up to see a familiar face--or rather, a familiar facelessness—Anka, the petite black-haired angel, her light gentle and comforting.

“Vre,” Anka said softly, hovering beside her. “You’re not alone. I know it feels like it, but you have allies here. People who care about you.”

Vre looked up at Anka, her vision blurred with tears. “I don’t know what to do, Anka. I feel so lost. So powerless.”

Anka reached out, her hand brushing against Vre’s cheek, the touch cool and soothing. “It’s okay to feel that way. This world is harsh and unforgiving, but you have a strength inside you. A strength you may not fully understand yet. Xerith sees it, and so do I. That’s why we’re here—to help you realize your potential.”

“But Xerith…” Vre’s voice broke. “He’s the reason I’m here. He brought me to this nightmare.”

Anka nodded. “Xerith’s actions may seem cruel, but his intentions come from a place of deep care. The path he’s leading you on is fraught with danger, but it’s also a path to understanding and power. He believes in you, Vre. And so should you.”

Vre’s sobs subsided slightly, the angel’s words a small comfort. “I just want to go home,” she whispered.

“I know,” Anka replied. “But first, you must face the challenges before you. The key you bear is a symbol of your journey—a journey that only you can complete. Trust in yourself, Vre. And trust in those who walk beside you.”

Taking a deep breath, Vre nodded, a flicker of resolve igniting within her. She couldn’t let despair consume her. She had to keep moving forward, no matter how daunting the path ahead seemed.

With Anka’s comforting presence beside her, she stood up, her legs shaky but determined. She would find a way through this. She had to. For her sake, and for the hope of finding her way back home.

“I’ll do my best,” Vre said, her voice steadying.

Anka patted her hand gently. “That’s all anyone can ask. Now, let’s go find your friends, Vre. So you can continue this journey and do as you wish...to go home.”