Britt had a habit of putting his prisoners in strangely luxurious cells. A man of vanity, he never wanted to show that his living quarters had rooms that lacked a certain level of aesthetics, therefore he stationed the unconscious Marco and Star in a bedroom, the size of a manor living room, with two beds on opposite ends, both queen size, each having a pair of nightstand with the ancient equivalent of an alarm clock resting on top: a tiny cuckoo clock. The walls were painted in two different colors, creating the feeling of two halves being glued together. The right side was a mix between red and pink, a crayon rose, while the other side, although in the same pallet, was an extremely bright red, as if it was incandescent blood. A silk carpet covered the middle of the room, falling in the same category, the same nuances differentiating between its halves. Mounted above each bedframe there were two hunting trophies, a deer, staring purely into the eyes of a boar, who glared back with its vicious, raging black gaze. To illuminate the dark chamber (windowless as it was), a string of candles were placed at eye-level, around the ornaments, and they were all subordinated to an immense candelabra, sporting the same medieval light sources. The air was cool, but pleasantly so, but the temperature gave them no bearing on their location, whatsoever. However, the solid earth wall, with a few bricks scattered around, like moles on a plagued skin, told them that the underground was their home for the day. This was further confirmed by the echoes of footsteps growing closer and closer to them. It was as if a lady was tip-toeing in high heels only that it was Britt, who enjoyed visiting his prisoners and taunting them, but he couldn't do that right now…When he opened the little hatch he saw that the two were as he carefully placed them, spread out on their respective bed. Sad, he turned back and climbed the heap of stairs he descended on earlier. Exiting his deluxe dungeon, he headed down a wide hallway and stopped only when he reached a small side room. Inside, there was a lone armchair, right in the middle and on its left, a little table, whose one leg was decorated with corrupted spikes. A small glass filled with amber liquid was cooling off, small drops falling on the red cloth the table was upholstered with, flooding it. Dropping into his seat, Britt grabbed his cold drink and took a sip from it, spitting out immediately. Freezing his missing hand on the glass, he started fixating a point on the bland gray wall in front of him and started his wait. His train of thought was broken. His mind was empty, as the only thing he could ponder on, he refused to, with utmost obstinacy. Why would he bother himself with the fate of the two he had captured. They served their purpose pretty well, as bait for the one he needed to kill. Granted, the girl had to die soon after, but unless he was certain that she couldn't be converted to his cause, there was no reason to spill innocent blood, as she was an enormous addition to his army, and a victory condition in itself. The boy was disposable of, but putting the two together created the tension he needed in order to break the spirit of the girl. Now, the only thing left to do was wait… And long he had to wait indeed, because they weren't showing any signs of waking up anytime soon. Perhaps a slightly less powerful spell had to be used, but alas, what's done is done. But, as the respectable gentleman as he was, he couldn't just sit in the dark sipping liquor while doing nothing, but not a senseless nothing. With a bored gesture, he summoned a small little notebook and a bland plume, alongside an ink jar, that carefully glided onto the small table, which had to be enlarged. Opening it, seemingly at random, he flipped two pages then started gently caressing the worn out pages, writing in a paramount calligraphy.

"I've managed to finally find a way to lure my arch-nemesis into my castle, and force a head-on confrontation with him. It was more of an accident, rather than a carefully laid plan, but in every war serendipity had a word to tell, didn't it? Either way, this is what it'll all come down to, because I've got my army ready, the same as an apparent predecessor of mine had gathered. It's funny that I had come into existence exactly after one era of evil had ended, only so that I to bring forth another one. Somehow, this seems out of the do-gooders reach or will, but as my fellow opposite kindly put it, I had to exist, to balance things out. Poor soul, he doesn't realize how close he is to his own undoing. I've been studying his history for a while now, and I must say, it seems like a fairy tale, more than anything veridic and I can't swallow a lot of things, but they're canon enough, so I must make do. His revival seems the most peculiar to me, as its circumstances needed a lot of analysis in order for even me to fathom, but in the end I have singled out the culprit. The princess in question now lies unconscious in one of my holding cells, awaiting to face a shadow of her past, with whom she hadn't many interactions, due to what I can only interpret as romantic tension. Still, she is the only person, I've managed to get information on that knows such a useful technique, apart from a sort of deceased goat demon, which doesn't seem to be able to be rebirthed, unless he is like a mythological phoenix. Coming back to my enemy, I believe the relationship between the two is what had assured his revival, therefore I can conclude that the caster's psychological and moral state are clear influences on their spellcasting. They surely have the advantage here, because I am incapable of having such emotions. I have no hatred, no lust, no love, no envy, no greed, no gluttony, no wrath, I just have an end goal, that now seems to be more distant than I initially thought it'd be. When I had kidnapped Scott, he had no powers, not any that I could detect, his only arsenal were a couple of runes he had created prior to our confrontation, but he didn't seem much of a fighter. Even in a bibliography I stole from some Magic High Commission archives, he seemed to be a magic-heavy being. Take his powers away and he is nothing but a mere mortal. Now, he seems much more than that. I had underestimated him, and I did it at my own peril. When I tracked him back on Earth, I thought I could strike fast and be done with it, but that was not the case. I wasn't hindered by the princess' spells, as she had used only a fraction of her true power, but by Scott's insidious runes and tactical awareness, let alone his inhuman reflexes and battlefield vision. Even without powers, he seems to grip tight to attributes that do not pertain to him at all, given his species…For the first time I foresee an imminent defeat, for me, but that is only if I don't play my cards right, which obviously I won't. I reckon that Scott will not come alone, probably he'll be accompanied by a team, or by that white-haired girl, who seemed to have a connection to my other prisoner, but however he'll come, he will be my focus. Nobody apart from the princess is as powerful as him, and is allowed to intervene, therefore if I get rid of him, I have won. The reason behind my statement, is exactly the relationship between the two powerhouses…Should one be gone, the other will falter, will remain weakened and easy to lure into a painless voyage towards my victory. I can't strike down the princess, because she is immune to many of my spells, due to an inherent condition, bestowed upon them by an ancient force, the origin of which remains unknown for me, but once Scott is gone, she is malleable and easy to manipulate. Her lover gone, she will accept my ideas, my views, my ideals and my goals, and will view them as her own, in a pointless attempt to alleviate the pain she knows she can't be ridden of otherwise. It's imperative that I remove any means of revival, though. As I take it, there needs to be a vessel, for that to be able to happen. Should there be none, no such act will be possible, and…I win. As simple as that."

With this end conclusion, Britt slammed his little journal shut and opened a portal to the ceiling of his holding room, a small one, so that it won't be noticed and gazed deeply into it. His prisoners had awoken, and he could only stay in silence and enjoy the show that was about to unveil. The two were still in the same positions as they were left in, and both of them seemed out of energy and were rubbing their eyes, driving away the last effects of the spell. It took a short while for them to notice that they were locked in the same room, together, and their first reflex was to head to the door, in tandem. Marco tried opening it, then to bust through it, but to no avail, then Star tried blasting it, yet again, the door was as immovable as the mountain their cell was dug in. Escape still being the only thought in their heads, their next focus was on the walls, but seeing no progress was made, they tried the ceiling, as the floor was the last place they'd think of bursting through. Needless to say that everything failed. They were trapped in a veritable fort that was flimsy just in appearance, not in essence. Star had stopped trying when she saw that not even her fiercest spells could penetrate the impenetrable defense of the cell, but Marco, obstinate as he was, didn't give up. He found a small hatch on the bottom of the door, and was now aimlessly trying to force his hand through and open the door from the outside. He didn't notice that the handle wasn't the type he was accustomed to, so his attempts were essentially fruitless, but this didn't stop him from admonishing Star, for not helping and surrendering so fast.

"You know, you could help, right? We're in this mess together, and it's your fault more than it is mine…"

Star didn't answer, but noticed what he was trying to do. Not wanting to start a fight, she got up, used a conjuring spell to create a hand that she carefully and masterfully guided on the path to the handle, which she tried turning, just for the sake of it, but the door stubbornly remained shut, as it was locked. Having finished her job, Star returned to her side of the room and laid her head on the deceivingly soft pillow, telling Marco to give it a rest.

"So, we were captured by this omnipotent guy and you decide to just quit?"

"No, Marco. We can't escape, only Scott barely made it out, and I think you know how he ended up."

"Ugh…So, what are we going to do, just wait for someone to rescue us like the damsels in distress we are?"

"Pretty much. I'm guessing that someone's already plotting our rescue, but I am not quite sure who. I mean, Scott is clearly on it, but I have no idea about the others, like Janna and the crew, my mom, Glossaryck. It's quite the blank space, really." Star sounded as carefree as she always was, which completely disconcerted Marco, who was baffled to see how calm and collected she was, whereas he was freaking out.

"How can you be so chill? Don't you fear for anything? I mean, for all we know this guy is like a second Toffee, just with no motivation and a lot more overpowered, and he's already been more active than Toffee…"

"Well, I don't know. I guess after all that's happened, all those dramas and traumas, I kind of got used to it all. After I've seen my boyfriend die, get his hand cut, go insane, after I revived him, saw him get plastered through two walls and be a-okay, after I've been kidnapped, forbidden to help, left alone in a castle, fought some crazy demons, found you, assisted to a couple more dramas, tried to figure out ways to get you and Jackie to like us only for this guy to demolish our plans…I guess I'm pretty hardened."

"I don't know half of these…"

"Well, you couldn't have. We weren't on the friendliest of terms after our…separation. We both tried reaching out to you, but you didn't respond to any of our letters, nor any invitations, and you rejected any attempt of ours to communicate with you."

"Hold on…Ours?"

"Well, yeah, both me and Scott have tried vividly to maintain contact with you, and make amends to you…"

"Argh, he told me it was only you."

"You know how he is, I mean, he wouldn't admit that he needs someone in his life for nothing, except for, sometimes, me. But yes, he was, in fact, the one who started our attempts. I think that proud as the peacock he once was, he omitted this detail."

"Yeah…but…why did you try, though? You're both independent, self-sufficient, amazing people (Marco lowered his voice saying that), and after the way you dropped me like a lead turd, I figured you didn't want anything to do with me…"

"Why, would you think that?"

"Well, it's my turn to make the list. You had a crush on me for a long time, we've had that strange Blood Moon thingy, we've been through so many things together, over the course of the year we've spent, I've risked my life to come to you when you were left alone and threatened, we've been together for about two months, I've had to do a lot of questionable things for you, and the same goes for you, in return, I've gotten into a war that wasn't mine to fight in the first place, and you…you just left me for Scott. You have no idea how hard it was for me to get back on track after that, because I've been dumped by Jackie as well, so that bridge was pretty much burnt down, fallen in the abyss, kaput. I've been lucky enough to earn back compassion, and over time, I managed to let everything that you represented in the past. Every single magic item was gone anyway, as you left, but I hung on to the dimensional scissors, because they reminded me of the years I've spent chasing Hekapoo. Not only that, but I used them to visit her every once in a while. At first, it was only because I did it just for a change, but over time, she taught me many new things, fighting wise, but at the same time I've learnt more of other worlds, completely unrelated to Mewni. It was a great way of reliving some nostalgia, to escape from the boring life I was living, but I couldn't complain. I had a girlfriend that cared for me and that I cared for right back, I had no problems at school, no enemies, and after you have made me into what I am, I became one of the more popular kids. In the end, no one is as cool as someone who can fricking cast spells…Now that I think of it…" Marco stopped short, looking as if he was trying to recollect his thoughts, but Star knew, after many an hour spent in the company of a subtext-filled-speech-ridden boyfriend, what was going on inside his head.

"You shouldn't have misjudged us, Marco. Despite all three of us are certain that what we did was wrong, we could've gone down another path. Now, remorse is the only thing we have left, but it doesn't have to remain like that. Marco," Star said leaving her bed and going next to him, who was leaning on the door, "do you think we can work things out and let bygones be bygones?"

"Well…Without you, I couldn't have done anything I've did. I wouldn't have gotten Jackie, I would've remained the same monotonous boy, struggling to prove to himself and to the others that he wasn't just a simple student, barely passing through life, without leaving any imprint in it…"

"So…?" Star asked as Marco stopped again, abruptly.

"I…I still don't know. I don't think I'm ready to get back into this world…Plus it's not a decision I make only for myself."

"Yes it is! You don't have to drag anyone into this…I understand that you are reticent to accept us, the people who have caused you so much trouble, emotionally, and welcome us back into your life, but don't blame it on someone who has nothing to do with it. You can't just run from your resolutions by motivating that you'll possibly hurt someone else, which is pretty improbable. It wasn't because of Jackie that you didn't answer our letters, it wasn't because of her that you declined any sort of invitation we'd send you, it was all you. You were the one who was impossible, and yet…We both kept trusting you, and we didn't give you up. And you know why? It's because Scott taught me something, in the short amount of time he could still spare schooling me, and that is to give up only things that are impossible, as they are distractions that waste time…"

"Scott sure taught you a lot didn't he…"

"Yep, pretty much, but you were also a proud recipient of his teachings…Let me ask you a question. Why do you think he came to you, after the confrontation with Britt?"

"Well, he told me that he wouldn't want to bother you and scare you…"

"Oh…But that's not the whole truth. He could've gone to Glossaryck, whom he had actually encountered in your house, or he could've gone to Mewni, where no one would've asked him any questions. I've got to tell him to stop being so proud and just lay everything he has on the table. He came to you, because he wanted to see if you were a lost cause or not…After he woke up, and told me everything that happened, he mentioned something, although it was a mumble under his breath, and that was that he would've tried to come to you, either way… Sooner or later. Obviously, our indirect attempts were pretty meaningless, so a direct approach had to be taken…He saw the opportunity and took it, and he timed it pretty well, I must say, to come to you when I was trying to reconnect to my old earthly friends too."

"Now… I just feel bad for what I did…"

"You don't have to…It's in the past, and no point in beating it to death, especially right now…But, now are you going to remain with this bad feeling, or are you going to do something about it?"

That question was left unanswered. Britt had been watching all this show unveil, but didn't like what he had seen so far. They were bonding, forgetting their problems, and that wasn't the purpose of putting them together. Right before Marco could respond, he used the same spell he used before, and they both fell to the ground, opposite to each other, unconscious. Opening a portal, he transferred the princess to another room, but the location of which, in relation to Marco's room was unknown…Seeing that his plan hadn't succeeded, he opened his notebook again, and began plotting another plan, taking in account more variables this time…

"Okay, it's been a week, and you haven't done anything to rescue them, what the heck are you even waiting for?" Jackie asked obfuscated as she had joined Scott for perhaps the last time in a little walk in the park. "You've never even brought that subject up, and whenever I did, you'd shush me, telling me it's for another time. All you did so far was just talk about random and unrelated crap, and overall you haven't even gotten near what we have to do…Just tell me how I can find this guy and I'll be on my way, otherwise this is just wasting our time…"

Scott chuckled a bit and then replied still smiling, interrupting the white haired girl.

"Very well. You'll need a pair of these," he said handing her a pair of dimensional scissors, other than his, "and you should try jumping across dimensions until you find a large castle etched into a mountain surrounded by a canyon teeming with beasts. I can't really teach you the more complex notions of interdimensional travel, but you'll be on your way. You may also want one of these," Scott said revealing a hidden curved dagger, concealed by his long never missing coat. "Any questions?"

"None at all. Thanks." And with that Jackie turned around and left. She didn't care much for Scott, and didn't find any necessity in him accompanying her. Even though he was extremely experienced, the lack of interest he had in what was up until this point their salutary mission has annoyed her. At first, it seemed to be part of a greater scheme, but overall the idea that Scott wasn't going to move a finger, was becoming more and more a certainty. Now that she finally found the means of addressing this problem, she was slightly more confident, but the lack of direct knowledge on the enemy had made short work of her new found courage. Now, she was left as helpless as she was when Marco was kidnapped, not having anyone to support her in her decision. Now she was confronted with a choice. Either continue a seemingly useless endeavor and resume Scott's teachings in order to try and obtain any valuable information out of him, or try and do everything on her own, which would be more supportable, yet possibly fruitless. This resolution was hard to do, because time was of the essence, and therefore it couldn't be delayed more than needed, and at the same time, both choices would cause the planning to go on an unknown period of time. There was no guarantee she could get anything out of the pretty deranged boy, nor that she could find anything on her own. The only thing that was certain was that she couldn't stay in place, she had to act and act fast. Chances wise, it was best to get in the graces of the elusive persona, but time wise, it could be pretty fatal, as she could start her research right away, while it could take a while to get anything out of Scott. Plus, whatever she found could be wrong, while it was sure that whatever she'd get out of someone who had confronted a common enemy was to be taken as an absolute fact. There was no arrow pinpointing the right decision at this point, and there was no one to ask for help, nor support…Of course, there was Janna and the rest of the gang, who probably knew a lot more about the magical world, but, truth be told, there was a reticence in asking for their help. They had kind of taken the part of Star in this whole conflict, as opposed to Marco's, not necessarily openly stating their allegiance, but indirectly declaring it. Whereas Star had a bunch of people caring for her, in ways ranging from the most to slightly, she had no one else but her boyfriend. She may have been a cool girl all in all, but that didn't mean she had a lot of friends. Being chill wasn't quite a quality needed, nor sought after for anything other than an acquaintance level of social relationships, but it was mostly all she had. Serendipity had actually brought the two together, as they simply completed each other, in many aspects. She was outgoing where he was shy, he was smart and perseverant where she was laid-back and casual. The list goes on quite indefinitely as they seemed two pieces that fit together perfectly in a much bigger puzzle. However, it was him that stood out, in the end, not her. She was pretty bland, in essence, lack-luster through an unwanted excellence, while he, although concealed by an apparent shyness, had a lot of qualities and defining traits that shone through in the end. Now, it was her chance to prove that she had something else going on for her, and that she could be the one to take initiative, instead of just being passive. In her determined state, she went straight home, stopping her short before any attempt of gallivanting and, focused as she was, the first thing she did was recollect her thoughts. This started from the second she passed through the door. It progressed rapidly as she jumped over a flight of stairs, but ended as abruptly as it started, when she was greeted by Scott standing in the middle of her room, planted on a chair. Obviously enraged, she didn't wait one second more to start admonishing him, only for her in return to be scolded in return by her mother for pointless yells. Scott didn't miss the opportunity:

"Ah, it's funny how adults don't matter until they need to figure into our situation. I wonder how come Marco's don't even matter in this whole kidnapping…Didn't you ask yourself that? How come no one, not even his parents noticed he was gone, despite it was quite the showcase, nonetheless. Didn't you think there was something strange about this?"

"No…" Jackie was still obfuscated, and this was apparent in the fact that she was slightly disconcerted by his answer, only to jump back on her anger-filled track right away. "What the hell are you even doing here? I thought I told you to leave me alone…"

"Haha, funny. In fact you didn't explicitly say that, which lead me to many, oh so many, ways to think that you might not want to leave me just yet, and that it's just the angst and fear of being left alone, with no one to care for you. They are loud but easy to silence. Either way, I figured you'd resolve to let me stick around, and I might make it worth your while. It's been a week since the events, right? And I have done nothing, well in your view, that is…Allow me to continue wasting your time then…"

With no warning whatsoever, Scott tackled Jackie, at the same time holding his scissors wide open, causing them to fall in a freshly created portal. The world around them was dark, and there didn't seem to be any sunlight coming anytime soon, from anywhere close. Jackie was still dizzy from her fall, and had to take some time to recover, but Scott was nowhere to be found…So, he not only did nothing to rescue Marco, but now he kidnapped her, in a strange attempt to prove his worth. The wind was blowing from her right, and she could hear water dripping from somewhere above, plus her steps echoed as if she was sitting in an open hall, so it was quite obvious that she was in a cave, fact further sustained by the stalagmites she had walked into. She knew that she should've followed the gusts as they came from the exit, and to the exit they also lead to. There was no light, and she had no lighter nor glow stick remaining in any of her pockets, so she had to wander around a dangerous cave, blind as the bats roaming over her head, between her feet and under her arms. The only sound she was hearing was the monotonous echo of her steps cracking the fragile and sedimentary rock beneath her feet, as she had to tip-toe her way through the darkness, paired with water droplets falling irregularly on the floor. The silence was eerie, gloomy and terrifying, especially for someone who, reckless at heart, had trouble getting through strange, unprepared adventures. This endeavor was a first for her, in spite of any appearance. The cold, the moisture in the air, the strange mild quakes all threw Jackie out of her usual chill mood and let her fearful and vulnerable…

A sharp sound bursted through the dark peace of the cave, and it fell at the feet of Jackie who had instinctively recoiled at the thunder-like noise. In a glance, she saw the small throwing knife, with its curved blade, lodged deep inside the rock. Without having time to recover from the shock, two other daggers followed, but this time, she had the chance of spotting their source, and dodge them quite easily. Unable still to see her assailant, she carefully and silently made her way towards the unknown attacker, her eyes furiously analyzing every single glint the iron of another dagger would come. Another blade had been thrown, but this time slightly from her right. What followed was a fast series of footsteps, ended with a sliding tackle, that knocked her off her feet, causing her to hit her head on the hard floor underneath. She hadn't time to process her pain, as the person's footsteps grew fainter then louder again, and then suddenly stopped. It took a short yet unending while to realize that he had jumped and only when an immense block of air had smashed into her face did she realize that her enemy had jumped and was ready to bash her. In an instant she rolled to the side and got up, in one swift motion. Unable to confront him head on, Jackie started running in the same direction as before, growing more attentive with every rapid step she took. About five minutes of her jogging through the dark had passed, until the next problem arose. She got in a clearing, that bore a strange, yet warm red glow, emanating from the center of a secondary crevasse, but the light was buried underneath a thick layer of water. There was a sort of bridge, created by a few scattered islands and another big piece of land was visible on the other side, but the swift footsteps behind her had made her question whether it was a good idea to start the crossing, as it would leave her both exposed and vulnerable at the same time. However, as the alternative was to face her attacker head on, she resolved that fleeing was the best option at the moment. Without any further ado, she plunged in the water, only to see that it was only a couple of feet deep. A swift passage meant that she needed to do a lot of footwork, her forte, given her many years spent skateboarding. She was at about half the distance when she heard the water splashing behind her, causing her blood to freeze in her veins, but paradoxically her heavy steps to pick up the pace. She didn't have the guts to look back, her only thought was to continue running. He was approaching, slowly but surely, and the distance between her and her goal seemed to get bigger instead of smaller. The second she set foot on the land, forgetting that she almost slipped back in, right away, she darted towards what appeared to be a narrow corridor. Now, feeling a bit more sheltered, she finally glanced back only to pick up a few details, out of which one helped her instantly realize the identity of her dreaded assailant. The missing hand could mean that none other than Scott was chasing her.

As she advanced, her walking being impaired by the rough walls she had to pass her legs against, as she could only step with one foot at a time. A louder splash had signaled that Scott had passed through the water trial as well, and was now closing in on her position. She tried to go faster, but to no avail, as she was already at max speed. She could spot the end of her misery, as clear light was shyly protruding through the narrow gap before her. However, as she spotted her exit, a new thought crossed her mind. Scott was faster than her, given that he had caught up to her quite fast, and would certainly have a much easier job should he be in broad daylight…At some point, the left wall was discontinuous, leaving a small opening for someone just her size to hide in. Instead of continuing on her set path, she crawled in, trying to tuck herself as best as she could, only to try and recollect her thoughts. But that had to wait, as her heart started beating through her chest, while Scott was approaching her. She almost let out a grumbled yelp as he stopped right in front of her hiding spot, as if he was sniffing the air around, like a wild beast. Thankfully, the crazed man had passed her and he was blissfully unaware of her presence. Until his loud footsteps weren't heard anymore she couldn't help but breathe heavily and rarely, until finally, the distant sounds of a river flowing had drowned out his presence… Still, not wanting to take any chances, she remained inside her makeshift shelter, pondering over the situation…She hadn't the slightest idea on who Scott actually was, therefore, she could only assume that his strange behavior was normal. Seeing that she had let him go, dropped him out of her life, he got mad and therefore launched this all-out attack on her. She could even picture him frantically and maniacally searching for her in the depths of what appeared to be a jungle outside the cave she was in…However what she had to ponder more was the true extent of how she handled this sudden situation. Albeit, afraid, she had managed to get past her terror quite rapidly, whereas she couldn't have done that any time before. Her reflexes were keen and sharp, as proven by the dagger dodging, she had made instant and good decisions, she knew how to ration her energy and use the environment as an aid to her fleeing…All of those seemed quite unlike anything she has been so far. Perhaps it only took the proper circumstances to trigger something long dormant inside her, or perhaps it was just an adrenaline rush that caused her to act the way she did. Truth be told, it felt as if she already knew everything she needed to do, but only now she could put it into a proper context. The information seemed to be recent as well, but it was hard to trace its source...

One thing was clear to her…She had to get out the cave and possibly find a way back to civilization. She dislodged herself from the crammed posture she stood in, so that she could fit, and traversed the remainder of the narrow rock corridor, only to be greeted by a large opening, out of which luxuriant vegetation almost flooded the cavern's entrance. The forest was silent, no clichéd bird chirps audible, and the river she seemingly heard earlier turned to be an illusion. What she noticed that was fit for a jungle was the horrendous humidity and the blistering heat, that, when paired, transformed any crossing into a living hell. Still, it was her only shot; the longer she stood in one place the bigger the odds of her being found. However, after a few minutes she had to lean on a rough and prickly tree trunk, in order to catch her breath, as she wasn't one too endure such weather…She was dehydrated, and the atmosphere didn't help at all. Her first priority was now to find any source of potable water, or a way to filter any impure water…After finally regaining her strengths, she started to wander deeper into the jungle. There was one side where the bushes were abundant, and grass was covering the lateritic ground, signaling the presence of, perhaps, a small pond. Her hunch was right, as she found a clearing forming itself all around a lake, surrounded by white flowers, mostly marigold…This was strange, as she would've expected to find more exotic plants, rather than bland and common ones, but alas, she had found her target, and in record time nonetheless. The water seemed clean, yet she didn't want to take any chances. Thankfully, the pond fueled a small and shy water snake, which passed through a heap of black rocks, after finally losing itself in the ground…Not the most advanced filter, but nature had to suffice. Now, fully hydrated, Jackie had another priority on her mind. The sun began falling under the horizon line in record time, and nightfall was now a dangerously approaching event. She had to find shelter. The jungle wasn't really the most comfortable place to sleep in, nor a pension, but it had its quirks. Many low hanging vines made it easy for even the least agile person to climb up the tress, while the immensity of the vegetation provided a great hideout as well as a rather cozy resting space. However, finding one such 'lodging' was hard, especially in the dusk light. It took a lot of groping in the dark in order to finally come across an uncanny tree. It was shaped like a hook, with the handle being a thick uproot, while the blade was a singular bulky branch, stretching from the ground to the top, describing a broad arc. A few willow-like leaves covered a perfect spot, where the wood formed a platform, while the overgrown roots of the tree were a perfect minefield to slow any attempts of a dastardly night strike. The second she grabbed a vine, an army of red pixies sprouted from the short grass, engulfing her shelter with an aurora of glimmering lights…They weren't hostile, but were a dead giveaway of her position. Jackie tried warding them off, but they just flew away momentarily, in order to return shortly after…

A dastardly thought arose in Jackie's mind. Sooner or later, she may have to confront Scott head on, whether she liked or wanted that or not. Why not transform an unforeseeable happening into a controlled certainty? The tree could act as bait, and he could be lured to her position with a makeshift dummy of herself, while she'd wait hidden and jump on him… This is how, after ripping a few marigold, which were growing conspicuously all around the jungle, she had created a model of her head, while several branches made a pretty believable body. She had found a strangely pointy rock in the vicinity of one of the pixies, while a string-like vine had tied it to a solid piece of wood to create a primitive spear. Now, a guerilla warrior in her prime, she hid behind the tree, in a small hollow and so began the waiting.

It wasn't sure how much time has passed. The concept of duration had dilated to the point that hours couldn't have been distinguished from minutes. Jackie was so focused that she couldn't feel anything. The dampness was inexistent to her, the cramps in her crouched legs were undistinguishable from her neck-ache, both being just physical, but mentally blocked. Her hand was clenched on the tip of her weapon, and her only sense active was hearing, the others compulsory blocked as they were useless. And this decision had paid off, as she heard the faint rustling of nearby bushes, signaling the presence of someone. Its identity was soon confirmed as the heavy footsteps Jackie heard in the cavern, matched these almost identically, the difference being caused by the terrain. Her fist gripped the spear tighter, as Scott was seen emerging from the darkness, at the edge of the pixie circle. He hadn't spotted the real her, therefore his trajectory was a t beeline towards the front end of the trunk. His one hand slowed his ascent, but his strength made up for it, as he pushed his entire weight on the tree in order to push himself outward, then swing higher. Jackie, after the top branches have cracked, had left her hiding spot and, spear behind her belt, started climbing after him as silently as possible…

Now came the biggest question. What would happen next? What did she have to do? Did she…have to kill him? Could she do that? Was that even necessary? Why did she even build a spear? All those questions only now came to her mind, as she was supposed to make another fast decision, without being able to balance the consequences. Her life was at stake at this point, and her resolution was paramount to her survival…It was killed or be killed, and this is why, when Scott leaned over, implanting a dagger into the rough wood, Jackie lodged her spear deep inside his upper back, seemingly piercing his heart. Scott, convulsing on the ground after finally stopping. His face was now illuminated by the moon, as blood dripped from the corner of his mouth, while a long spear was protruding from his side. The deed was done. Jackie had made her decision and survived but for her to live, Scott had to die. But that wasn't what either wanted. Jackie showed a ruthless nature, through a merciless and cowardly gesture, backstabbing her only ally at the time, supposedly gone crazy. What if she was mistaken? What if it wasn't necessary…? What if she killed for nothing? Disgusted by her new thoughts, she jumped from her elevated position, landing near Scott. He looked so peaceful, not an ounce of evil in his entire being. His livid lips were reddened by the vital fluid that wasn't pumped in his veins anymore… His eyes were still open, staring Jackie down, filling her with newfound guilt…Jackie couldn't get herself to look him in the eyes, but she thought that it was needed for him to rest in peace. She closed his eyes…and at the same time, the dead man arose again and tackled her as before, his scissors drawn splitting open a portal. The two were now back in Jackie's room, the sun throwing his last spears through the open window…

"W-Wha-What…?" Jackie asked rhetorically, awestruck by the rapid and rash series of events…

"So, our discussions about the jaguar's way of stalking prey, the importance of hydration in the human body, the geography of caves, the physics of water, the primitive weaponry and the serial killers of the modern era were pointless, weren't they?" Scott ironically and triumphantly asked the white-haired girl as he removed the spear from his back.