"Yeah, apologizing to them, it's not going to happen." I shook my head.

"That's the best way to get them back on your side." My Ghost said, sounding slightly annoyed. "You have to show them that you are sorry."

"But for what?" I asked. "Sure I was violent at sometimes and mean, but I'm not the reason we're in here. Praedyth is!"

"Praedyth has already apologized to you."

"When?!" My face scrunched up in anger. "I never heard him say anything like that."

"He has, you just don't listen to what he says. That or you don't let him speak."

"That doesn't make what he did right."

My Ghost sounded frustrated. "No, it doesn't make it right but it at least makes it not so bad. "He paused. "You need to forgive him or apologize yourself."

"For what?" I snapped.

"For treating him like he's less than dirt for three years, leading him into the Vault in the first place and pretending it's his fault!" My Ghost snapped back.

I stopped. I hadn't expected my Ghost to snap back at me. Was he this angry at how I've been treating the Warlock? He can't be this bothered, he really can't be.

I spoke softer this time. "I just want you to know that it's not my fault. It's all..." I paused. "Commander Osiris' fault."

"This is your flaw," his Ghost let out a small laugh, an angry one. "You blame others when you should really be blaming yourself."

"It isn't my fault though! I first heard rumor of the Vault of Glass from Osiris so I had to check it out! If I never heard it then we wouldn't be here!"

"Kabr, if he forced you three to start a Fireteam and come here then it would be his fault. But he didn't so it's your own fault we came here!"

"You know what?" I clenched my fists and the edge of my mouth twitched. "This is why I hate you!"

"Oh really, you hate me?" My Ghost asked sarcastically. "Well surprise surprise, I'm starting to hate you too. And you're my own Guardian."

"I never asked to be your Guardian!" I was on my feet now, yelling at my Ghost like he was... like he was Praedyth or Pahanin.

"Do you think I asked to be a Ghost? No! I was created out of nowhere one day to bring you back. So we both have that in common, except I'm not complaining about it."

"Ugh! I hate arguing with you!" I snarled. "You always know what to say to counter me!

"Because I know you more than you know yourself. I knew so much about you before I even revived you..." My Ghost's voice quieted down. "I'm sincerely sorry that I yelled at you."

I couldn't look at him. I looked at the ceiling, the floor, the vegetation growing on the walls, anywhere to avoid his blue eye.

"Are you going to forgive me?" My Ghost asked after a second.

I didn't answer, which was probably a mistake.

With a sigh my Ghost disappeared.

"Ok, ok, it's alright. I forgive you." I said to the air.

I was patient enough to wait and see if he'd reappear. He didn't.

"Did you hear me!" I snapped, angry now. "I forgive you!"

Still no answer.

"You're my Ghost, ok? I can't be mad forever, not at you."

Silence.

"Fine! Be that way!" I sat back down "I don't care what you think. I'm going to sit here and wait for you to reappear!"

Still no answer.

"Why aren't you talking to me?" I asked.

"Ok." My Ghost said without sparking into view. "You can sit there until I reappear but just note that I won't reappear until you do something that is long overdue."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

No answer.

I let out a breath. "You are such a jerk sometimes. I don't even know what you're talking about."

In the main room I heard something echo as it hit the floor then I heard Praedyth curse under his breath followed by one distinct thud as he jumped down from the rock. Then I heard him gasp and what sounded like him falling to his knees. I wanted to laugh out loud so he could hear me, but I didn't.

"You want me to forgive Praedyth, don't you?" I asked. "Well too bad, he doesn't deserve an apology. Not yet."

No response.

"Did you hear me? I'm not going to apologize to Praedyth or forgive him or whatever you want me to do. So you might as well come out now instead of staying hidden forever."

"You will eventually..."

"Nope, never!" I snapped and leaned back against the wall, crossing my legs.

I had absolutely nothing to feel sorry about. I'm Fireteam leader but Praedyth and Pahanin must have come willingly, I couldn't have forced them to come with me. And all my decisions were made for the good of all of us. It's Praedyth who did this, all with his stupid... Grrr!

It was two Warlocks who ruined everything, Praedyth and Commander Osiris. Osiris discovered the Vault, or at least brought forth the rumors of it. Then Praedyth used his tricks to push us deeper, trapping us. They both used their brains, Pahanin and I couldn't have seen it coming. If I ever get out of here I'm never working with another Warlock again no matter who they are, that's for sure. Warlocks can't be trusted, all they do is use you for their own benefits. They're too smart, way too smart.

With a bright spark in front of my eyes my Ghost reappeared. "Don't be like this!"

"Don't be like what?" I asked.

"Like..." He hesitated. "How you're being. I remember when you were kinder, more concerned with how your Fireteam's feeling. Now you barely speak with them. Why is that?"

"Maybe because we're stuck at the bottom of a hole. Everything interesting that could be shared between the three of us has already been shared." I answered. "Oh, and I hate both of them."

"Don't say—"

"Just leave me in peace!" I screamed and rolled onto my side. My eyes closed and I tried to drown out the sound of my Ghost. It wasn't working.

"Kabr?"

"WHAT IS IT YOU—" I rolled over but stopped when I saw who had spoke.

Praedyth was standing in the hallway separating the main room from my room. His knees were slightly bent and he looked exhausted, like he envied seeing me laying down. Same as usual.

"What is it you want?" I repeated, putting a disgusted tone in my voice.

Praedyth stuttered. "I-I heard what... you said about me."

"Yeah? Good." I closed my eyes again, visually dismissing him.

The Warlock didn't leave. "I want to try and apologize again, if you'll listen. I know what I did was wrong, you just have to understand that I did it for a good reason."

"Ha! Did it for a good reason? Was that reason to get us stuck down here? Cause that definitely worked for us!"

"I did it to benefit the Tower."

"You lied!"

"It was only to get a better understanding of the Vault."

"You lied!"

"...I know..."

I pushed off the floor and strode over to the Warlock. I stretched my neck and rose to my full height which was more than a head taller than Praedyth.

"So why did you lie?" I asked. "How could you do that to us? How could you give us hope?"

Praedyth shuddered as he took in a breath. His face was twisted and grief-stricken. If Praedyth didn't suffer from malnutrition I think he would have been tearful.

"Titans won't ever understand what Warlocks go through. The thirst for knowledge." He said. "I wanted to know more and I let that get in the way of everything else... I faked a vision because no other Warlocks were around to realize it was fake... And I pushed you and I pushed Pahanin to keep going because we would make it to the center of the Vault with our strength and hope." He looked down at the ground. "If it makes me a horrible person then... I don't know what will happen when I die, where will I go? I'm not going to any heaven, that's for sure."

I sighed, a long and heavy sigh that lasted several seconds. "None of us are going to die. One day we'll escape."

"Not with me."

"No, with you." I hated saying it. "We're a Fireteam." Even though you lied and are the only reason I'm stuck in this huge mess that will never ever be fixed.

Praedyth glanced up at me, slightly smiling. I let out a silent sigh. I don't know why he's happy, I never apologized. Well, I guess it might have been implied, but still.

"Speaking of Fireteam, have you seen Pahanin? We should get him if we are going to discuss more on my... you know."

"We don't need to, we're done with talking about 'The Vision', I don't want to hear another word even describing it or how sorry you are about it, ok? What happened is what happened, that's that, we don't have to go on and on about it."

"Ok," Praedyth spoke quieter this time. "But where is the Hunter?"

"I don't know, he was with you!" I snapped and saw Praedyth flinch. "He's probably roaming around, going closer to the Gorgon's Labyrinth like I tell him not to do."

"Ok, I'm just worried. It's been nearly four hours since I've last seen him."

"Pahanin's fine, he's a Hunter. He's used to being by himself, that's what they like." I waved my hand at the hallway to the main room. "You can go now."

Pahanin frowned. He looked like he didn't want to leave and for a moment I thought I was going to have to force him out. Praedyth glanced at the ground as if afraid to meet my eyes and he whispered something before turning back for the main room. He was gone before I could say anything.

"There, Ghost, I 'forgave' him. You happy now?" I rested my hands on my hips.
"... For now." My Ghost didn't reappear, he remained hidden.

"That's good."

I laid back down on found a comfortable position. Before I could close my eyes all the way I heard a loud voice in the main room. Why can't I ever get any rest around here? I kicked out my legs and rolled to my feet. In an instant I was standing and stomping towards the main room, my fists clenched.

My Ghost finally reappeared. "Don't do anything you might regret," he warned.

"I don't regret anything!" I marched all the way down the hallway and turned the corner into the main room. I opened my mouth to yell but ended up closing it when I looked closer.

Praedyth was sitting on his usual boulder but there were two Ghosts in front of him. Two Ghosts? How?

The second Ghost was the first to speak. "Kabr, Pahanin is in a dire situation. He needs your help."

"Wait—why are you here?" I could barely speak evenly with all the confusion in my mind. "What's happened to Pahanin?"

"He fell down the side of a cliff but he didn't fall to the bottom, he was caught by an overhang." The Ghost explained while Praedyth and his Ghost silently listened. "The overhang is not stable, he could fall at any moment, he could already have fallen!"

"Where?" I asked, not too exited about having to rescue Pahanin.

"A two hour's walk from here."

"No way."

"You have to!"

I laughed. "A two hour walk? I'm not walking that far to rescue him, tell him he can learn to jump out himself."

Pahanin's Ghost looked hopeless and I almost felt sorry for him. "It's too high of a jump, he can't physically make it."

I paused a moment, rethinking my decision. "Fine. Do you remember the way?"

"Of course. Thank you, thank you!"

I headed back into my room and came back with my scout rifle, just in case. Ahead of me Praedyth was off his rock and walking carefully across the floor to grab his weapons, stashed on the opposite wall.

I lowered my rifle. "What are you doing?"
"I'm coming with you," Praedyth's knees shook as he leaned against the wall and lowered himself to grab the weapon.

I rolled my eyes. Praedyth didn't see it but both his Ghost and Pahanin's Ghost saw it and glanced at each other. "No, you're going to stay here. Think for a second. Pahanin's life is on the line and you're just going to slow me down."

Praedyth heaved his weapon upwards, a pulse rifle. "If I slow you down just leave me behind, I'll catch up eventually." He swayed on his feet a little.

"Just stay here!" I snapped. "This is where you'll be the safest!"

Praedyth looked at me, he looked sure with himself. "We're a Fireteam, just like you said. If Pahanin is in trouble I don't want to be the one who doesn't help. So please let me come."

I inhaled and exhaled over five times before I answered. "Ok, you can come as long as you can keep up with me."

Praedyth smiled and took a step backwards, lost his balance, and swung his arms through the air to stop himself from falling.

This is going to be a long day...