The smell of blood was ever-present.

Was it because of the Demons' peculiar eyes or the way their lips curled when they smiled, Diane wasn't sure. All she knew was that the memory that crept back into her mind and the feeling of helplessness in her heart created an atmosphere all too familiar. She stepped back from the wooden cage, suddenly unable to breathe. Pictures and colors swarmed her, vivid and true. Isaac's hand stopped her from falling, his question impossible to hear. Thousands of different sounds filled her ears. She saw her mother telling her a story about a golden hair girl determined to save the world. At all cost. There was no time for doubt, no place for fear. Diane was the future locked in the past; all she had to do was find a way out. She could feel it, the whisper of the past that made her nauseous. Her heart was beating and her hands shaking. It was that same rush of adrenalin, that familiarity in space and time.

“What is your name?” Diane asked the Demon girl.

The masked girl’s head turned quickly, words barely coming out. “Rose.”

"She will take us to The Grave," Diane announced suddenly, breathless.

Somehow, none of them looked surprised. They were all too used to the rash decisions and plans that never made sense yet had a pleasing outcome.

Rose laughed, somehow maniacally. "You know, Your Majesty, that letting me out of this cage is the worst decision you could make?"

Diane glanced at Isaac quickly, searching for the approval she desperately needed. "You’re not going anywhere, Rose."

The Demon shivered at the sound of her name. Something in the princess's voice pulled the strings attached to whatever was beating inside her body.

"You will stay here with George," Diane announced.

"Hold on!" Jeremy spoke for the first time in a while. The man in his late fifties crossed his arms and shook his head in disapproval. "I'm sorry, George, but I don't trust you enough to leave you with her alone."

"I could stay with him," Thomas voiced out from behind Diane's back.

She quickly turned around. "No."

"There is no need," George said, a lot calmer than before. "I assure you that I will do nothing but guard her. Besides, if I decided to betray you, no one but Diane would be able to stop me. Everyone else would end up as collateral damage."

"I agree with Jeremy," Diane said. Turning to George, she gave him half a smile. "I’m sory. I know it must be difficult for you."

Rose laughed. "Poor George."

For reasons to the team unknown, she agreed to help them. It was as if the princess had cast a spell on her too. Or maybe it was the clock. Or the Judge. But she had nothing to gain from it.

Right?

"If you keep going south," Rose explained, "you will reach a canyon. There is no bridge to cross, so you will have to find your way to get to the other side."

"How do you do it?" Isaac interrupted.

"Telling you wouldn't be fun, would it?" Rose mocked. "Keep walking further and you should be able to see a crossroads with a big tree in the middle. Turn left, and after two kilometers you will find a temple. That much I can tell you."

Still filled with doubt, Diane thanked the Demon, and together with Isaac and Thomas marched in the pointed direction.

"Do you think she tricked us?" Isaac asked after they were far enough from the trapped Demon and her guards.

"Yes," the princess answered. "There will probably be an army waiting for us. Stay focused."

"Why are they guarding her anyway?" Thomas asked. "We could've just killed her."

Diane's eyes widened. "When did you become so merciless?" She then frowned. "I can’t have her dead."

“Why?” Isaac asked, his eyebrows narrowed and his heart beating fast.

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“Just because.”

Since walking through the forest proved to be more difficult than before due to the exhaustion the three felt after the sudden shifts of gravitation, they decided to accept the help of Isaac's new beastly friend offered in a series of grunts only the Florian understood. They hopped on its hairless back and moved upwards with its every breath. Though it was a very uncomfortable ride (the unpleasant smell and sudden attacks of the beast's tail were reinforced by the rays of the stubborn afternoon sun) it was short-lived. The grand canyon soon spread before them. The sound of the river that rushed beneath filled their ears, and the freshness of the water cooled the air enough to make it breathable again. It was the first sight of alive nature since their arrival. It made them more at ease, the scenery reminding them of their homes.

"What do we do now?" Thomas asked. "The beast might be strong and fast, but I'm certain it wouldn't be able to cross such a distance with three of us on its back."

Diane meaningfully looked at Isaac. "Is there anything you can do? Any sort of bridge could work."

The Florian prince shook his head. "Despite the water, there are fewer plants than in the forest. They are weaker as well. I can’t strengthen them that much. A bridge would collapse under your weight, let alone the two of us."

The princess let out a mystical sigh. "There must be a way around."

"It would take too long to find," the Flamer commented. "If there really is an army waiting, I doubt they would allow us to explore their land and find shortcuts. How about we just go back?"

A picture occupied Diane's mind. It was a thought more reckless and stupid than any she had ever had. But that was what She wanted, for Diane to act reckless for Her.

"I'm going to try something," she said.

Diane moved a couple of meters backwards. Pressing her toes to the ground, she crouched slightly. Closing her eyes, she accumulated energy in her lower body. The fight she had had about an hour ago drained her power almost dry. She knew there could be only two ways the journey would end, and with her sudden decision, the unfortunate one was as good as decided.

Isaac's eyes widened. "Don't even think about it!"

“I’ve already come this far. What is another jump?” Diane smiled. Smashing the dry ground beneath her, she pushed her body forward. Upon reaching the edge, the rush of adrenalin encouraged her to push herself upwards, leaving her mind back with her teammates. Forgetting her ancestry, her power, and destiny, she jumped. Freedom filled her heart as she reached her peak. It felt as if time had stopped for a moment, allowing her to observe the world of the ruined. There was nothing as beautiful and peaceful as the sky surrounding her, nothing as tragic as the world beneath. She wished to stay frozen in her spot, never to touch the ground filled with guilt and misery again. But the Dove was not meant to fly again.

Everything in the world must come to an end. The sooner the vision and reality part, the lesser the misery and disappointment. Dangerous heights bring about abrupt crumbing, freedom masks the harsh reality. Once all the colors are washed away, and we are face to face with the monotone world, to escape is the only way to survive. But what about the obstinate? How do they avoid clashing with the ugly truth?

Though short, the moment filled with motion and fear allowed Diane to reconquer her consciousness. Every drop of doubt evaporated out of her brain, and she was her old self again: fearless in her recklessness, strong in her obstinacy. She had reached her peak. As her body started to slowly sink towards the emptiness beneath, she realized that there was still a considerable gap between herself and the other side of the canyon. She would only continue to sink; there was no way of her reaching the other side alive if she didn’t rely on something other than her crazy courage. She saw two ways to survive. But she couldn't feel them anymore. It wasn't her, regardless of how much she tried. There was only one option left.

Thomas was lost in space and time, the scene before him baffling every single sense in his body. The gray sky, the black uniform, and a princess. A gentle wind suffocating in ash. A world that stood still and waited for her to try life. He too had a destiny, one that suddenly didn’t feel so black. If that small step, the smallest step in the whole world, meant being able to be this careless, this high, and this free, he was ready to take it. At that moment, standing in a pile of ash, staring at a painting in motion, the Fool made his first choice.

"Thomas," Diane yelled at the dazed Flamer, "shoot!"

Despite the chaos in his brain, he understood her plea. Flames wrapped around his hand as he aimed towards her.

"You'll miss!" Isaac's yelled, too late.

Caught up in the moment, the Flamer freed his nature towards the princess. Perfectly aimed, as if by divine chance, the flames flew not a millimeter to the side or above. Diane gathered all the energy she could on her feet and pushed herself against Thomas's flames right as they were passing beneath her. The flame burnt through the mass of energy, and she realized that more than that split-second contact would have been fatal. With the help of this new boost, she flew towards the other side of the canyon with more speed. She strongly gripped the sharp and fortunately very tough rocks as she collided with them, and successfully climbed up to face the two.

Isaac fell to the ground, his mouth parting in shock. "You are insane. Both of you."

"Isaac," Thomas let out quietly, still looking at the side of the canyon.

Isaac shook his head. "What now?." He was staring at Diane, his mouth slightly opened.

Diane watched them from the other side. Whatever her resolve had been, it was crushed by the weight of realization. Whatever it was she thought she remembered, it was still locked in the past. It was not her, at least not anymore. But there was still hope. She saw Thomas standing, motionless. And though she could not see his eyes, she could picture very well what they had inscribed in them. She had seen that thirst for knowledge many times before.

"I think it's best that I go ahead!" she yelled at her friends.

"Alone?" Isaac yelled back.

“I’ll see you later! Be careful!” With that, Diane turned around and set off by herself.

As he watched her disappear Thomas looked down at Isaac. Once the prince looked up and their eyes met, Thomas said, “I want to know. Everything.”