The news that Emery was dying hadn't been easy to break to the others. I… hell, even I was still trying to digest it. Amethyst had been the most shocked, and was the least sure on what to do. She tried to comfort the older woman, she really did, but she never really talked with her all that much. It was forced, and awkward. But I'm sure Emery appreciated it.

Evanora was surprisingly composed during it all. She just nodded, smiling bitterly and doing her best to try and keep the mood from tanking. She tried to make the occasional joke, if only to keep everyone from wallowing in grief. But they too were forced, and after a while she just gave up.

Rana was the most surprising. The woman seemed to collapse in on herself, barely talking as she listened. She was distant, unsure of what to do. Of what she could do. To an outside observer unfamiliar with her, it would seem cold, callous even. But to us? We know her well enough to see that she was just in shock.

Hell, Emery herself was still trying to work it out. From the moment she heard the news, to even now as she sleeps in my arms, she's been just… confused. One moment she'd be gritting her teeth, trying to pull herself together for everyone else's sake, and the next she'd just be… broken. Tears would stain her otherwise beautiful face, and despair would grip her core. She's been confused, and scared. And I…

I don't know what to do.

Any other time she's been in danger, I've always had a solution on hand. Fuck. Why is she always in danger? Why is her life always being threatened by something? This marks the third time something has happens to put her in harm's way. Only this time, it's not a physical threat. It's a malady, a sickness from the inside that I couldn't just kill.

Unless…

No. I perished the thought immediately. The child, it may be the cause of the sickness, but was I really okay with aborting it? The fact I even had to consider it probably showed more about me than I'd like. But, at the end of the day, I don't think I'd be able to do it. I mean, that was my kid in there. Sure it isn't born yet, but at the same time… getting rid of it would be the same as admitting that I'd never have kids. And despite all my protesting, I'll be damned if the idea of it didn't make me happy. Emery's enthusiasm and sheer glee with the concept must've gotten to me.

My eyes looked downwards, watching as she sobbed in her sleep. Her hands cling to me, fear and pain making them tighten. She had curled up into a ball, pushing herself into me as much as she physically could. I helped of course, wrapping my arms around her and pulling her close. We laid down on our bed, the one place she felt comfortable to truly break down and cry herself to exhaustion.

Even if it could save her life, even if all the pain would go away… she'd never want to get rid of the baby. To do that would be like tearing a part of her out with it. She might never recover, becoming a hollow shell of what she once was. It's not like we could try for another one either, since that would just put us back at square one.

I didn't have many options to begin with. My knowledge on magical diseases and similar maladies is limited, and no where near the scope necessary to try and cure this. Evanora, despite her great alchemical prowess, didn't have any idea of what to do either. The magical nature of the potions could very well make things worse. Which also ruled my my semi-working lapis poisoning cure especially since it involved adding magic to the body. The likely hood of it working is next to zero, but there was a very high chance that it could advance the sickness to the next stage.

Basically, I had no idea what to try next. With this… magic cancer spreading and advancing, coming up with a cure would be nigh impossible with what I had. And grinding levels for some more blueprints would take time, something Emery didn't have a lot of in the first place. And then, creating a working cure would take even more time. By the time I could come up with one, it'd be too late. Any sort of magical chemotherapy was also out. The baby wouldn't survive it, and the affected area was in her and stomach. Plus, it probably wouldn't even do anything to begin with.

That left one final option. One I was incredibly hesitant to use, but had little else to choose from. If there was anyone who'd be able to help me, it'd be Daria.

I had sent a letter over to her earlier today, before breaking the news to everyone. She should have the full scope of what's going on, and know just how desperate I am. It's a gamble, because while she's been helpful so far, I also know that anyone's life other than my one I'd virtually meaningless to her. And even then, she only wants one thing from me. Something I may just have to give her soon.

A chill went down my spine, and the lights began to flicker. Out from the shadows came Daria, a serious expression on her face. "Seven. I came as soon as I saw the letter. My apologies for taking so long. I was a bit caught up with the children."

She looked down towards Emery's sleeping form, and her eyes glowed for a moment. A frown made itself known on her face, and she crossed her arms under her bust. "Oh dear. I can see the magic flowing through her. Well, flowing isn't a very good word for it. Carving it's way through her would be more apt."

That was unnecessary. Looking back down towards Emery, I grimaced. She was still holding me so tightly, and so desperately. I didn't want to leave her, not now. But, well, I couldn't stay with her. Not if I wanted to try and cure her. Despite how much I want to be there for her, I was going to have to leave for a bit.

I was gentle of course. Carefully pulling myself away and replacing me with a pillow she could cling to. Though even unconscious, she knew I wasn't there. Her whines and sobs grew louder, and her arms tightened around the pillow. The pillow was soon growing stained from her tears, and her body began to shake slightly.

Stroking her hair one last time, I swallowed my worry and turned to face Daria. "That it is. Come on. The office has some muffling runes and sigils carved into the walls. It should keep us from waking Emery up."

Straightening my disheveled clothes, I walked over to the office and opened the door. I jerked my head slightly, beckoning Daria in first. She walked past me, almost silent as she moved. Giving Emery one final glance, I entered the office and closed the door.

I placed a hand against the door, activating the muffling. "Right. We can talk a bit more freely now. Take a seat in front of the desk, if you would be so kind."

She bobbed her head, taking a seat on one of the chairs in front my desk. I took a few quick steps around the desk, rolling out my chair and taking a seat in front of her. Right, time for business. "Okay then, so I'm assuming you already know what I'm going to ask you. So, can you help?"

There was a brief moment of silence between us, as Daria contemplated her answer. Quickly enough however, she focused back on me." How much time does she have? And what else have you considered?"

Those were probably important questions. Summoning my analysis on the Emery's condition, I gave it a quick once over to make sure I didn't miss anything. "From my understanding of it so far, there are two things that could and probably would have serious adverse side effects. First, is the introduction of any kind of magical substance into her body. The sickness seems to be feeding off the ambient magic in the air, as well as what it can steal from Emery. The second thing, is the introduction of any magic absorbing material into her body. Lapis is a no go, as it'll just spread the sickness throughout her body faster. Emeralds also won't be applicable, as they'd be unable to properly stop the sickness from spreading. If anything, the pushing and pulling of the sickness and the emerald might destabilize her condition even more, and if it did work the baby would die. This basically rules out any potions or magic extraction processes, as the baby seems to need that magic in order to grow. Emery… she'd be mortified at the idea of killing it."

I took a breath in, pushing aside my frustration and fear the best I could. Though it still lingered. "As for time… well this is a tricky one. It seems to be similar to classical lapis poisoning in the sense that it'll begin to degrade both the mind and body. Probably. I'm not too sure on the effects, but we can assume this much from basic similarities. That being said, this seems to be one of exponential growth rather than the slow build up of normal lapis poisoning. The symptoms are going to start getting very bad, very quickly. Being generous? We have a month of this world's time till total organ failure and death. Being realistic, maybe two weeks before her mental state is too deteriorated save. By that point, we might have another few days before she mentally devolves into a… a beast. If she… if we're lucky, her physical symptoms will catch up and render her comatose. Though by that point it might be too late."

My throat felt tight, and my hands were shaking slightly. Doing my best to retain my composure, I watched as Daria sighed and gave an answer. "I'm afraid I can't help you directly. My powers, while involving pregnancy, don't really do much other than make Eldritch creatures."

It was almost subtle, the way she worded it. However, I was quick to catch onto what she meant. "Directly, hm? Then what about indirectly?"

She bit her lip pensively, looking away as she seemed to contemplate something. It wasn't long before she was done however, and her eyes bore into my own with a sharp intensity. "Darius, how strong do you think you are?"

That threw me for a loop. How strong did I think I am? It was a strange question in this context. "Well, I'd like to think I'm decently strong."

A scoff escaped her lips, and I frowned. Noticing my expression, Daria cleared her throat and elaborated. "I'm sorry to say this Seven, but you are woefully underprepared and underpowered for just about anything. As an Aspect of Destruction, you're currently at the minimum power of a newly awoken Aspect. Even with your suits and armors, you'd be hard pressed to actually beat one. You are weak Sev- "

My fist slammed against the desk, my already tired patience not putting up with this. "Get to the god damn point Daria."

She bristled slightly, frowning as she almost glared at me. "My point, Seven, is that you aren't strong enough for me to comfortably tell you about this… option I know of. I mean, you'd be walking into hell Seven."

I stood quiet for a moment, processing what she just said. It was a valid concern. I may not be able to make it back from whatever she has in mind alive. But what choice did I have? "Daria. It'll be hell if I do go, and it'll be hell if I stay. Please, tell me what I need to do."

She blinked, partially surprised by my near suicidal determination. She was quick to shake it off however, and recomposed herself rather well. "Very well then. I'll tell you what you need to know. Whether or not you choose to go through with is up to you."

Her eyes closed, and she took a deep breath in. Letting that breath out, Daria began to explain her idea.

"Well, I wasn't exactly exaggerating when I said hell."

…

When you give a man gun, he'll probably shoot you for some fish. You teach a man to make a gun, and he'll probably punch you for some fish. What was the point of that metaphor? There wasn't any. I was just trying to keep myself awake while I worked.

Daria's plan was… complicated. So much so I was still trying to figure out how I was going to explain it to Emery. Still, at least I wouldn't have to worry about that now. Before I left to The Crafting Table, I made sure to tuck her in and tell her where I'd be. Evanora and Rana will be taking turns keeping an eye on, staying outside her door and keeping her company so she doesn't feel alone.

Which gave me ample time to really prepare my gear, and boy, was there a lot of it.

The Quartermaster Mark II Powered Suit was coming along fairly nicely. It was a bit of a mouthful though, so I started referring to it as just the Mark II Amor. The suit was almost done, with just a few finishing touches that needed to be added. Mostly in regard to color, since right now it was an ugly combination of several different colors. You had light blues, light reds, dull grays, gold, dark blues, and even a few splotches of green here and there. That being said, the actual design was something I was proud of. Sure, it was kind of ripped from some of Emery's ideas, but I still made it myself. So it was basically my design. That being said, I did steal some stuff from DOOM.

The armor was less medieval looking, and a bit more on the technological side of things. The armor plating was reminiscent of how the Praetor Suit looked, with less shine and a smooth texture. Though it obviously wasn't made of the same stuff. No, this was probably the strongest alloy I've made yet. And that's all because of the fact that diamonds don't act like actual diamonds would. No, they act like metal. Meaning, they can be melted down and mixed with other metals for stronger effects.

Honestly, if I didn't have so many bullshit perks and packs, this wouldn't have actually worked. I mean, sure, in theory you could technically do what I did. But I'm practicality? It'd be a total shit show. Thankfully, my powers were totally bullshit.

Antithetic Alloy

Rare

An alloy that, by all rights, should never even exist. The fusion of diamond metal, gold, bronze, and lapis in a pseudo Frankenstein's monster of an alloy. This alloy can conduct magical energy and electricity very well, embolden the strength of enchants, store magic within it, and is generally the strongest alloy to exist within this realm. While it may be incredibly strong, it's also substantially heavier than even osmium, thus making it useless in most situations.

Yeah, the weight is no fucking joke. A single ingot of the stuff is enough to make me use Reinforcement just to lift the damned thing comfortably. Still, I did make the entire suit made of it. Well, it, and versions of it that I mixed with potions to create potion alloys. Hence why there are so many different colors when the metal itself is a dark blue. Things always end up blue with me, and I have no idea why.

Anyway, the armor was made of that stuff and unlike the Mark I version, it actually had a coat. Well, not really. In truth, it just had the bottom part of my usual coat, just armored and stuff. It was like a well armored version of my normal attire, but with extra death.

Though that had left me with the problem, of how I was even going to use the damned thing. Its weight was just insane, and even with the inner frame, I wouldn't be mobile enough to really fight unhampered. Thankfully, I had a solution for that. If I combine enchants meant to lighten things, life feather falling, with a series of universal converters that would basically lessen the effects of gravity, I'd be able to not only move around comfortably, but I'd even be able to move faster.

Though it definitely says something about a material when the only way you can use it effectively is to literally fuck with gravity. Still, considering that it's an option I have and therefore can take, it's understandable that I do use it.

Speaking of internal workings, there's also the kinetic overdrive system, which would just boost the power of any movements of mine. When active anyway. I couldn't leave it on all the time since it's an absolute drain on the power system, and the friction from moving that fast could cause some issues. So, it stays off until I need it.

Then there were the several "life support" systems in place. Though they're a bit bare when it comes to functionality. Just your standard temperature maintenance and some filtration stuff. Still, I should be able to handle most, if not all, environments. Except space. And maybe the deep sea.

Following that, the helmet also had a very useful function attached to the Antithetic alloy reinforced glass of it. Basically, through a mix of the scan enchant, my Observe skill, and my Structural Analysis, I've managed to make an upgrade to my Observe. Now, I can see total system stats and figures, as well as very minor and underdeveloped series of early warning systems. It wasn't as great as it could be, since my magical programming skills were still rudimentary at best and I couldn't make an AI, but it'll do.

Then you have the jet pack, which can sustain thirty seconds of continuous flight in one direction. I was going to try and stack infinity onto it, but the enchantment doesn't really work with liquids unfortunately. Not entirely surprising, but definitely a bit upsetting.

On the sides of that jet pack, were two weapon chargers. These were mostly for my guns, since the sheer power they output is enough to drain the enchants. There were also two on my hips, for handguns and other small arms.

Going through a lightning round of the last few features, I had made for easy switching between gauntlet modifiers like the grapple gunner and the ice launcher. There was another charger on top of the jet pack, but that was for the suit. There were also the integrated servos which would boost my power slightly as well, as well as emeralds for ambient magic absorption as well.

Honestly, there was a lot of stuff crammed into the suit. And that was all of the things that I was able to do, meaning any experimental or theoretical stuff that I had in mind wasn't even in there. Though most of my effort wasn't actually in the shit itself, rather the weapons and attachments that I would bring with me. The main piece being my newly created Absorption Blade.

Absorption Blade

Rare

A sword made of Antithetical Alloy and other inner technological workings. When in its dormant state, it will passively absorb a steady amount of ambient magic. From there, it can either be used as a battery, transferring the power into something else via the transfer unit on the hilt, or it can enter its overdrive mode.

Overdrive Mode – When active, the sword will glow a dark blue and magic will wrap around it. From there, any slash or thrust attacks will have magic damage added on top of their physical damage.

It was a blue blade, with emeralds lining the center of it all the way from the near top of the sword, all the way to the hilt. It was tall too, only slightly shorter than I was. I needed it this big so that way it could hold enough magic to help power my suit just in case.

The sword wasn't the only melee weapon I made. There was the remake of my gravity boom hammer, which was made out of a material strong enough to handle the power now. A rebuilding of my bow shield out of antithetical alloy, as well as my actual bows as well, just in case. There was also my pizza cutter weapon that I forgot the name to, which was upgraded to also steal magic from my enemies while it ripped them apart.

Master and Pupil also got a major overhaul too. I managed to mix their respective metals with the Antithetical Alloy, allowing them the benefits of both. So now, they were also up to par with the rest of my gear. Then I decided that I could do better, and really put my Mecha-Trick pack knowledge to use. Now the two swords can shift into twin hand cannons that shot ice and fire bullets, respectively. On a side note, the fire from Pupil is now blue, and the ice from Master is now bluer. Very strange.

This brought me to the wonderful segue of my other guns. The first one I had built was an easy one, a simple automatic rifle and sniper rifle hybrid. Its standard form resembles an AK-5, though that was pure aesthetics. Truthfully, the magic and difference in production meant that the only reason the gun looked like an AK-5 was for aesthetics only. Anyway, the rifle was basic. It had sixty rounds before it needed to take a second or two to "reload" the enchantments. It can be toggled between ice, fire, electricity, and normal bullet types by simply turning a dial near the front. There was a scope on the top, able to go from a basic two times zoom all the way to a twelve times zoom. I could also press a small button to shift the rifle into a sniper, because why not?

The second was less interesting, at least tech wise. It was an automatic shotgun that had about twenty shots before it needed to reload. The most interesting thing about it is the toggleable underbelly grenade launcher, which was always fun.

Thirdly, came the alchemy crossbow. Technically, not a gun, but it was ranged. What it did was simple. It accepted bolts that had potions filled at the tip, and fired them forward at great speeds. From there, the bolt would explode and the potion would take effect. That being said, it was still upgraded to be incredibly strong, and therefore had power requirements as well.

Lastly, was another shotgun. Well, it was the shotgun technically. I'm not even gonna bother hiding the fact that I stole this one from DOOM. Indeed, the super shotgun was an absolute beast. Chewing through ammo at twice the rate as the auto shotgun, this thing could render trees to dust and bones to ash with incredible ease. And of course, it had a flaming meat hook.

And that was it for the guns. They all had a compact form that souls make carrying easier, with the first two going on my back and the last two going on my hips. Honestly, there wasn't much else to say. I had a variety of potions prepared for me, sure. And I even made sure to keep spare materials in my inventory just in case. And I also had the several gauntlet attachments that were made for the suit as well, but that wasn't really worth mentioning.

Indeed, I was just stalling at this point, wasn't I? The moment I'm officially done, and leave The Crafting Table, is the moment where suddenly my life may only last a few more weeks. Less than that probably. Emery… with every passing second she was growing closer and closer to death. Even now. And yet, I was terrified to leave her. To leave for a cure, and potentially either come back empty handed, or not come back at all.

Even now, as I sit down coloring the armor, I'm trying to buy myself more time to be at peace. It's either distract myself tinkering with weapons and armor, or face the reality of my situation. Deep down, I really wanted to yell, to cry, to curse my misfortune. It wasn't fair. Everything was going so well, after all this time. But now it was starting to crumble. Damn it all. Why does conflict seek me out like I'm some god damn chew toy?! Why can't I have anything go right?!

Why does it have to hurt those dear to me?

I wanted to release these thoughts, these pent frustrations that had been burning within me. But I couldn't, wouldn't even. The more time I spent wallowing around like some quitter, was the moment I sealed Emery's fate. The moment I sealed my fate. So, I needed to just push these selfish emotions down, and keep working. I had till tomorrow night to prepare.

And I wasn't sure it would be enough.

…

It was late. Emery could feel her eyes begin to droop as she waited for Darius to return. She didn't like being alone, not right now anyway. Even if her fear had gradually as the night went on. It wasn't about fear anymore. Her fright had given way to despair, and she wanted nothing more than to be held. Did that make her weak? Maybe. But at this point, she's been weak for her entire life. May as well bask in it.

Her hands gripped the blanket around her, and she tightened it around herself. How many times was this? How many times has she been at the mercy of something and unable to do anything about it? The only time she had been able to solve something on her own, had been with Lilith. And even then, she still ended up getting drugged.

No, there were a multitude of other times where she had been too weak to do anything. Too helpless. When her father vanished, leaving her and her mother alone to fend for themselves. Her mother, who did so many… horrible things just to keep them afloat. And then she died, leaving Emery alone, and once again, helpless.

From there, it was a struggle to survive. Orphans were common in Halor, and they still are. It was a fight between all of those kids to see who might have the chance to get food that day. And it was one she usually lost. There were a few people that took pity on her, like Avery, but they were few and far between, and as she grew up, that goodwill began to dry up.

So, she got a job at the tavern. At fourteen, she was able to escape having to be a barmaid and instead settle for being a dish washer. She did other things as well, bouncing around from a few different less stable jobs before landing with the tavern. Sometimes, when the tavern had an especially good night, all the workers would be allowed to have a free bottle of mead.

And at fourteen, she had happily accepted.

From there, a steady cycle. Wake up, practice her sewing, got to work, eat lunch, work, and end the night by getting blackout drunk. It was a hard time for her to remember, funnily enough. She was either always hungover, or always drunk. Finally, Auden had seen enough. The tavern owner, while prickly, wasn't always mean. Sometimes he was nice, just like when he finally sat her down and verbally tore into her. She didn't drink much after that. She tried not to.

And then, at nineteen, Auden decided it was time for her to work as an official barmaid. Despite her pleas, there wasn't much she could do about it. The only thing she had to comfort her, was the half a year where she wouldn't have to sell her body. Either that, or until she was no longer a virgin. Whichever came first.

Things went well at first, the small window of time allowed her to relax a bit. The tips she got from working there were great, and she even began to work in the forge when she could. Still, the threat of her time limit was ever present. She had seen what happened to girls who refused to do their job. They either quit, or were sold off to the highest bidder for the night.

A terrifying prospect, and one she wasn't sure she would be able to face. And that was when he showed up.

She didn't think too highly of Darius at first, funnily enough. He was the one who took her virginity, and fast forwarded her time limit. She wanted to be livid at him, to scream and yell. But she was too shy, and simply ignored those feelings. When he left, she didn't expect much from him. He had gotten what he wanted, so why come back?

But then he did.

Every day, he'd come back and just… talk to her. He said it was to make sure she was alright, but soon that just transformed into a sort of friendship. The first one she had since she could remember.

From there, things got better. She grew more confident, told her boss to suck it before quitting. Traveling with Citrine, Brynjar, Evanora, and Darius. The tournament, and her first date during the festival. Moving to Illimité, getting engaged and getting pregnant. Things got better, before they got worse.

The invasion of the castle by the nobles was terrifying. It was only the timely intervention of Daria that really saved her. Then it was Lilith's attack, which she was only barely able to handle. And now, this. Which was something she could barely fathom. It was horrifying. It was demoralizing. It was-

A hand touched her shoulder. "Em, are you alright? You were shaking."

Darius. He must have snuck up on her while she was thinking. She turned around, watching as he pulled up a chair next to the edge of the bed. His hair, usually well kept, was a mess. It was everywhere, hair falling in front of his face and sticking upward. His clothes, once neat and clean, were ruffled and stained. There were heavy bags under his bloodshot eyes, and his shoulders were slightly hunched.

She held his hand in her own, squeezing tightly. "I'm… doing better. What about you? Where were you?"

There was a slight amount of need in her voice, but he'd didn't seem to mind it. Instead, he just leaned forward and brushed some hair out of her face. "I was just at the workshop, preparing. Daria… she and I had a talk earlier. She said she might know a way that I could save you. To cure you, and still keep the baby. Isn't that great?"

He was being positive, more so than he usually was. It felt incredibly forced, and it made her suspicion grow. "Darius, what did you to talk about? And don't be vague, please. I need to know."

A wince flashed across his face, and it made the pit in her stomach grow heavier. "I… okay. She knows someone, someone incredibly old. She called him… she called him the lord of the dead. Apparently, he needs something from a place. From a… from a very dangerous place. She's willing to take me to him, so that I could ask for help in exchange for that thing."

Lord of the dead? No. No no no, that was insane. He couldn't go somewhere like that. To meet such a person. She stood quiet, staring at him and narrowing her eyes. Another wince, and he elaborated. "Em I… fine. Daria wasn't entirely sure, but she had a good idea of where he would send me. A place of fire and brimstone, where the damned are sent for eternal punishment. She called it hell, though I'm pretty sure the right word is Nether."

…What? Panic surged within her, and her hands gripped his arm tightly. "Darius, that's insane! You can't go somewhere like that! That's… no! You can't, I won't let you!"

A sharp, almost angry look crossed his face. "That's not an option Emery. If this is the best chance I have at saving you, I'll be damned if I don't take it."

This man, this idiot. Her throat tightened and her eyes began to warm up. "I don't care! What if it's too much?! What if you don't come back?! Please, don't leave me! If I'm going to die, let it be with the man I love. I'd rather die with you around, then live without you."

He was her rock in a sense. Her one point of stability in an otherwise unstable life. She couldn't lose that. She just couldn't. No, she would hold him here for as long as she had to. Her hands pulled the rest of her up, throwing herself against him and holding him tightly.

"Please… don't leave me to die without you."

Darius was silent for a moment, shocked at her declaration. Finally, his arms wrapped around her. "Emery, you know I can't do that. Don't be so cruel as to ask me to watch you suffer. If it helps, I promise to- "

She pulled away slightly, glaring at him. "Stop it. Don't… don't make promises you can't keep Darius. Please."

"I promise that everything will be okay. You'll be okay without me."

No… why did he have to do that? Why did he have to make promises that he couldn't keep? She sniffled, tears beginning to leak from her eyes. "…Why?"

His hand came up to her face, gently rubbing away her tears. "Because Em… l love you. Always will."

He pursed his lips, reaching behind him and pulling out a black dagger. "This dagger was one of the first things I ever forged. I made it at the same time I made my sword, Pupil. I guess you can say it has a small part of me in it. Here, take it. I want you to hold onto it, to keep it. So, whenever you feel lonely, just know I'm out there kicking ass and taking names. Alright?"

It was cheesy, like something out of those romance books she would read in the library. But it totally fit him somehow. Reaching a hand out, she grasped the dagger by the hilt. It was a bit heavy, but not too bad otherwise.

Right, she had something to give as well. Reaching behind her, she pulled out a black scarf with a navy border and presented it to him. "Here. I was knitting a scarf to pass the time while you were away. I figured you'd want something to… help remind you of me. Sorry if it's a bit rushed. But look, I sewed our names onto the ends of the scarf with navy thread! You can take it with you, and even use your enchanting stuff to make it magical."

His hands held the scarf, running his fingers over it. His eyes looked into hers, a watery navy staring into her equally watery honey brown. Taking the scarf, he wrapped it around his neck gently, and smiled. "Thanks Em. I… I'll bring it with me wherever I go."

Wherever he went. Like that… Nether place. She looked at him, all but begging for him to hold her. He must've figured it out, as he moved over from the chair and onto the bed, letting her lean into him.

"Why… why does it have to be you? Why do you have to leave?"

She didn't truly expect an answer. At least, not a satisfying one. So when he took a deep breath and began to speak, she was surprised. "Hon… I don't think I've ever told you. What I am, what Daria is… what the child inside growing inside is going to be. I'm sorry for that. I always mean to, but… well it's a bit much and I've always been a bit afraid to. Though I suppose there isn't much of a reason to be afraid about it now."

His hand slid down her body, stopping at her stomach and gently rubbing circles on it. Her hand covered his own, locking their fingers together.

"Let me tell you about the Aspects of Destruction, at least, what I know about them anyway."

And she listened.

…

So yeah, this arc is a large departure to the tone of the others, but I'd like to think that I've transitioned into it decently well. This arc was partially inspired by the Greek legend of Orpheus, and his journey to the Underworld to save Eurydice. Of course, there are quite a few major differences, but the broad strokes are similar enough.

Also, if you're a reader of my side story series (Which you should be), then that last conversation should have a whole new feel to it. Happy times.

Also, some dumbshit started spamming invites to the SGO server, and now the link is different. So, for those not in it, here you go discord. gg/ khT5a69ThB . I would say don't fuck this one up, but somehow I feel that it wouldn't even help. Oh well.

Onto our review of the chapter:

"Darius is an aspect of destruction isn't he? The way you hinted at it being his genes fault by fonting destructive was cool. But don't think that'll make me forgive you if Emery dies! You already killed off Ava don't take Em too dammit!"

Thank you for noticing. And trust me, I've been getting threatened literally ever since last chapter went up. Nobody wants Emery to die for "some" reason. Apparently they see this as the continuation of my crusade against waifus. So, I'll be sure to prepare the funeral preparations myself.

This has been A Decent Hoonter, and I regret nothing.