A tingling sensation reverberated throughout Cassandra's body, traveling through her head down to the ends of her fingers and toes. All she could see was an ominous glowing light. Her face had yet to form, but she could see that it enveloped her from every angle. Her horde of flies had to be merging, or so she thought.

Something was different this time around. She could feel herself coming together but every single piece – every fragment – lacked any connection to her consciousness. She could feel them, but could not control them.

Particles merged into eyeballs, unsheltered as the lids blanketing them split open, giving further clarity to her surroundings. Lying prone on a grassy field, her hands in front of her were still a silhouette of yellow light, solidifying until her pale skin became recognizable under the dark robes and gloves she usually adorned. She regained control of her right palm, gripping a patch of dry blades and ripping them out from the dirt. A tendril of hair fell from her right side, visible out the corner of her eye. She was still taking shape.

Why is this taking so long? I should be one again. Where…where am I? Where is that man-thing?

Her mind, not unlike one suddenly awoken from a deep slumber, gathered the truth just as fast as her body was re-joining. With each passing second, she began to piece together her increasingly alarming situation. There were no flies at all to be seen. What should have been a winged invertebrate was instead nothing but a glowing orb, similar to a tiny star. There were thousands of them, disappearing as they collided, constructing her being in the process.

The landscape was one devoid entirely of snow, replaced by plains of green grass. The skies still retained the typical overcast that she knew so well, but they weren't the ones that she remembered. Looking around, she seemed far from civilization. Castle Dimitrescu was inches away from her last she saw it.

Inches away.

In an instant, everything hit her at once.

"Argh!" She cried out, realizing that she was outside of the confines of the castle. The cold would kill her. Weaken her severely at the very least and allow that man to inflict a fatal blow. She had to get inside. She needed to get warm again before taking him back on. Shockingly, the frigid air, strangling each fly into a cryogenic state, was nowhere to be found.

Rising onto her knees, Cassandra glanced down at both of her hands, even going as far as to remove a glove to take in the temperature. It wasn't anywhere close to the freezing levels she had just experienced. As far as she knew, there was no danger from the outside. Getting up onto her feet, heels digging into the soil below, she spun around, arms and gown swaying in all directions as she scanned the area around her.

"Mother!" She shouted, the only reply being the echoing of her voice across the land.

It was no longer winter. This wasn't her village. Her head tilted back, focusing on the sky above. Hidden behind the thick sheets of dark, grey clouds were two dim balls of light. Either one could be mistaken for the sun – but, two? There was no mistaking it, she knew what she was staring at. The settlement she and her family presided over was home to its share of strange and otherworldly things, but this itself was truly otherworldly.

She staggered around, anxious as all hell as the final particles merged into her and she became one again. Her sickle, the signature half-moon-shaped blade she carried formed near her feet. She scrambled to pick it up while her mind readied to end the fight that she last recalled being in.

"Where are you?" She screamed. "I'll cut you open!" Her eyes shifted around, searching for her prey – her adversary – but he was nowhere to be found. It was only her, all alone in this strange field. Something about her body was off. She didn't feel like herself entirely. It had to be the outside, she believed.

I need to get inside somewhere. I need to find mother. I must warn her!

Cassandra attempted to disperse so that she could fly away and locate her home, but was stunned to find that her body remained intact. She tensed up, desperate to divide into the multitude of insects that she was. Again – nothing.

This isn't right! It has to be the outside. It has to be!

Sickle in hand, Cassandra took to her feet and hurried across the plain in search of any structure to take shelter in. This didn't look anything like the mountainous countryside where her family ruled, but it had to be. As far as she knew, Ethan may have gained the upper hand and done something to bring this about.

Her lungs heaved as exhaustion kicked in and the thoughts of getting back to the castle were replaced by concerns about her current state. The heels of her footwear sunk deeper and deeper into the ground with each step, forcing her to wrench them out to continue going. It taxed her stamina to a level that she had not felt before. Chest rising and falling, Cassandra stopped to sit down on the ground, careless of whether the damp soil dirtied her fine robes or not.

"Where am I?" She asked herself before gazing down, noticing a faint scar across her chest. Her gloved fingers run across the elevated ripple near the curve of her left breast. That was never there before. How could that have happened?

It must've happened during the fight in the armory, she assumed. Ethan fired a couple of shots at her. They hurt like hell but didn't come close to her torso. The scar was the remnant of a stab wound – but that man never utilized his knife against her. It wasn't adding up, but the anger that she felt over everything eliminated her desire to learn the nitty-gritty details.

All she wanted to do was kill him.

"I almost had you," she snarled, lips curled in dismay at having failed during a pivotal moment. Before that pipe bomb went off and brought in the cold, she was nearly ready to bite into his throat. His jugulars were flared, ready to be clamped down on. Just a few extra seconds and it would have been won. He got lucky. Too lucky. She was so close.

Without any prior warning, a voice spoke out from behind her. "Hello, are you –"

Cassandra immediately jumped up and rotated her body, sickle raised in the air, ready to swing. A few feet away was a woman she had never seen before. She had to have been in her mid-twenties. Her hair was coated with a light-brown glow and a soft face similar to Daniela's. The stranger's attire was nothing different than what any of the feeble women from the village would have been adorned with. A greyed gown, comprised of thin cotton material, lined around the shoulders and waist with a fur drape. She had killed her fair share of commoners dressed in such a fashion. Tearing this one apart would be easy.

"You dare aid that man?" Cassandra yelled as she slowly advanced toward her.

"Stop." She calmly ordered her to stand down. It was unbearably insulting. Who was she to speak to her like that? Was it bravery or just pure ignorance? Nevertheless, she was not about to allow such a slight to go unpunished.

Moving closer, step by step, Cassandra lowered the weapon down to her side, still holding it outward in a show of intimidation of what was to come. "I may not be hungry, but I will make the most of your blood," her crimson-stained lips peeled into a smile as she prepared to put an end to her life. The woman started to move back, which encouraged the show of aggression even more.

"I'm not going to warn you again," she stated. The simple statement was enough to send Cassandra into a screaming frenzy, charging at the stranger with all that she had. She would not be spoken to in such a manner.

It was then that she spread her fingers and thrust her open palm in Cassandra's direction. A pulse rippled the air ahead of her and sent a wave barreling forward until it finally met its mark.

Paralysis overtook Cassandra. Her body was frozen in motion, crippled by the unseen force. It reminded her of the window shattering back in her castle. The second or two of pure shock when the cold breeze blasted into the room was comparable to this state, minus the unbearable temperature and pain. Her sickle stayed welded to her motionless hand. She was like a statue on the outside. Watching as the girl tried to catch her breath, the reality that a mere commoner was responsible for this set in.

How?

Heisenberg was capable of extraordinary feats whenever the presence of metal was applied to the situation. To affect someone else's organic matter on a whim? Could Mother Miranda even do such a thing?

Still breathing heavily, the girl shook out her arm and closed the distance between them. "Will you listen now?" Her light green eyes pierced into Cassandra's. She was not some weak villager. Whoever this person was – she had control.

A small grunt was all that Cassandra could give. It must've been enough, as the mysterious lady waved her hand and freed her from immobilization. She collapsed back onto the ground, dropping her weapon and coughing for dear life.

"I will try this again. Are you from here?"

"What?" Cassandra groaned. "What do you mean? Here? I was born here. This is Mother Miranda's village."

"Mother Miranda?" The girl was confused. How could she have not heard of her? Before Cassandra could explain further, another question darted out from the lady's mouth. "Did you just materialize here?"

"No." She was quick to reply before she tried to reel back her words. "Well, I…it doesn't matter."

With a nod, the girl knelt beside her. "That about sums it up. You're the one that I was sent out to bring back. We knew that something wasn't right. I'd say it's best that we found you before anyone else out there did."

"Mother Miranda did not send for you, did she?"

With a shrug and a shake of the head, the girl remained upfront with her. "I do not know who that is. I'm sorry."

Cassandra grew desperate, "Lady Dimitrescu? Do you know that name?"

"No."

Cassandra took one more glance at the scar worn on her chest, followed by another at her hand as she desperately tried in vain to conjure up her horde. Nothing. Not one indication of what was once so easily accomplished. "Where am I?"

The girl extended her hand out to her. "Come. I'll answer everything when we get to where we need to go. We can't stay here for much longer."

"What do you –" Cassandra cut her own words off, groaning as she got back onto her feet. Almost forgetting her signature weapon, she bent down to snatch it. The bladed instrument suddenly lifted from the ground into her palm, much to her surprise. She peeked over to see the girl's fingers held up nearby. It was that stranger's doing yet again. "Do you know a Karl Heisenberg?"

"No. Interesting name, I must admit."

"You could say that…"

"Are you ready?" She asked. Cassandra circled her glare around the field they stood in. At this moment, she had no direction and the only link to civilization was the woman who had appeared out of nowhere. Against her pride, she knew that the best choice, for now, was to play along.

"Lead the way," she replied with dismay in her voice.

Taking a breath, the girl closed her eyes and raised her shoulders, slowly lowering them as she steadied the flow of air out from her chest. "Close your eyes," she said as hers locked shut.

"Why must I?"

Without warning, the girl brought her hand against Cassandra's face, obscuring her vision. A loud vibrating rumble echoed around them for a brief second. She felt her weight elevate and suddenly drop. The soft grassy land morphed into the texture of hard bricks. Before Cassandra could get another word out, she was able to see and found herself inside a large stone structure.

"We're here." The girl smiled as she began to walk down the corridor ahead of them. The walls were nothing but dark blocks all merged together. They reminded Cassandra of her castle basement where the Moroaicǎ were held, only there was no sign of wine and blood. She was certain that they were inside a castle. It had to be.

Rotating her body, Cassandra examined the walls as she hurried to keep up with the woman. It was warmer inside here for sure. She once again attempted to disperse but to no avail. Not even a single remanence of a fly could be felt. What was happening?

"Hey," she called out to the person guiding her. "Where are we? Where are you taking me?"

"There's someone who needs to talk to you." Her words ignited a flurry of questions.

"What? Who?" Cassandra grew impatient. "Who is it?"

"All that will be answered shortly. Please, come," she beckoned her as the two continued to make their way down the increasingly dark hall. There was a sense of danger to be added. Was she walking into a trap? For all Cassandra knew, this girl might have done something to render her abilities unusable. If she could regain her flies, she'd be able to go wherever she wanted. Most importantly, the girl would not stand a chance. She had to be assisting Ethan Winters somehow. Everything went to hell as soon as that man escaped from that room and she blamed herself for not stopping him when she saw him wandering the castle halls. The hunt was too fun but drawing the encounter out for so long allowed the opportunity for him to find a way out. It was foolish, to say the least.

The girl turned around as she walked. "I'm Lia, by the way."

It was a friendly gesture, much to Cassandra's hesitation. She still held no trust in her. Their footsteps repeated down the hall. Lia's soft leather shoes patted against the hard floor in contrast to the clacking of the brunette's heels. For a short while, those were the only sounds heard between the two as the latter remained silent despite the attempt at conversation.

Amidst the beats of their travels, Cassandra heard a small hum drawn out under Lia's jaw. She took one more peek back at her before facing straight ahead. It stirred her anger as she had already grown frustrated with her questions being unanswered. If she wasn't unsure of what was ahead, driving the tip of her sickle into Lia's neck would have been an easy feat to accomplish. Killing her would be the next priority once she got all the information she needed.

I could just do it right now. Slice her back open. Make her bleed more and more until she tells me what I need to know. Why am I following this worthless rat?

Lia's hum came to an end. "I guess you don't have a name."

"Cassandra!" She barked, hoping her tone would get the point across that if there were no answers, then there would be no talking.

"So much anger," Lia remarked as she waved her hands ahead, opening a large wooden door previously obscured by the darkness. Cassandra had not even been able to spot it. Her senses were so keen inside her castle. Being able to see past shadows allowed her to stalk her prey no matter where they hid. Now, it appeared they were as subdued as the rest of her special traits. Nothing about this looked good.

Cassandra maintained her silence, unwilling to entertain any of the girl's coy statements. The lack of respect for her nobility was already enough. Speaking would serve no purpose but to gather more reasons to do away with her.

"That's a nice name," Lia added.

A low growl – the only reply she would get.

"We're almost there." Lia pointed to the stairway leading upwards. It was going to be a long climb for sure. Wherever it was taking them would be exceptionally elevated. The thought of pushing the woman off the castle ledge crossed Cassandra's mind as soon as she recognized where they might end up. The desire to do so intensified as Lia continued to speak along the way.

"Are you going to be comfortable in those?" She gestured towards Cassandra's footwear.

In response, her steps grew heavier as she applied greater force to them. The attempts at casual conversation were not swaying any favors. Cassandra only wished that she would shut up and move ahead.

"It's a long way up, you know?"

Cassandra huffed loudly, pushing past Lia on her ascent towards the top. She could no longer bear to see that smug grin staring back at her. Taking faster steps, she tried to put a considerable amount of distance between the two of them just short of running. As much as she hated to admit it, Lia was right; her heels were becoming uncomfortable – not that she would come clean about the pain.

She slowed down as that word reentered her mind. Pain. Her feet were starting to hurt. How could she feel pain right now? She hadn't felt anything like it unless the cold was involved. Her body had to still be recovering from the chilly air. There was no way that she was feeling this naturally.

I have to get warmer. I must not be there yet. I need a fire or something.

"You're almost there, Cassandra," Lia announced from below.

She stopped right where she was, turning around to glare ferociously at Lia. Her teeth bared; Cassandra's face was tense with disdain. She had all she could take of the woman's constant bantering. Between the sarcasm and downright disrespect, she could not hold back any longer. Pointing her weapon down at her, she finally broke words.

"I am sick of your games! Tell me where I am or so help me, I will kill you!"

Lia fixated on the sickle, signaling to Cassandra that it must have posed some sort of danger to the girl. Gaining confidence from the thought, Cassandra once again began to step closer down to where she was, keeping the tip angled at her throat.

"If you swing that at me, you will never find your way out of this castle," Lia warned.

"I'll find my way out." She was undeterred, ready to inflict as much violence as she possibly could. If she could cut her before any other quick movement can be performed, then Lia was as good as dead. "Even if I have to carry your head with me."

She smiled back with the intent to set her off. "I thought you couldn't stand the sight of me?"

It worked.

With a scream, Cassandra charged down the steps and took her first strike at Lia. The blade swooped down, narrowly missing her face. The girl backed away and immediately raised her shoulders. That was the cue Cassandra needed; she was going to paralyze her yet again. That could not be allowed to happen. As soon as her hand came up, Cassandra's sickle went forward – straight at her wrist.

"Ha!" Cassandra laughed right as it is about to make contact. She couldn't wait to see her try her little act with an amputated hand. Just as the edge of the tool was about to make contact, Lia suddenly vanished from sight and the sickle was left to carry on until her arm reeled back from the attack. For a moment, she believed that she was still there and conducted a quick counter swipe just in case Lia would attempt to gain the advantage. It was then that she realized she was all alone now.

"Show yourself!" Cassandra yelled, nothing but her voice radiating off of the ceiling. She scraped her blade against the stone walls beside her, groaning vigorously as sparks were sent all around.

All she wanted was to find her way back home to where her mother and sisters were and her patience had long since worn thin. She couldn't be far from the village. Living in that castle and being unable to go far during the spring and summer months meant her knowledge of the surrounding area wasn't at its best. For all she knew, this could have been a segment of Heinsberg's factory or maybe Donna's weird plants hard at work somehow. Any of those suggestions made more sense than the intolerable madness that she had been subject to recently. The way out was up the winding stairs and so she pressed on, rage piloting her limbs, driving her body with the fuel it needed to persevere.

I will get out of here and when I do, I will kill that pest and the stupid man-thing. I'll claw both their organs out from their stomachs. I'll bury my blade deep into their throats. I just want them dead.

A dozen steps turned into a hundred. A hundred became a thousand. By the time Cassandra stopped in her tracks, she saw that the path ahead was no different than what she had seen over an hour ago. She was tired. Her body ached all over, muscles throbbing from the constant climbing. In Lia's absence, she admitted the truth of how much her heels had caused pain. She had taken them off not long after starting her trek and held them in her left hand. She set them on one of the steps as she sat down, her shoulder resting beside the wall. She needed to breathe. This was all too much for her. She could not remember feeling like this before. It was almost…human.

Something is not right. None of this is right. I'm not myself.

A presence was felt from behind her. She tilted her head back, twisting her neck to see none other than Lia standing atop the next step up. "Are you ready to go?" The girl asked.

Still emptying her chest, Cassandra answered with a tense grimace of her brow. She was mad – there was no doubting it, but her posture and condition spoke of defeat. The more she fought, the more this woman would continue to toy with her. If she was her normal self, her reaction would have been different.

But she wasn't.

Cassandra was still desperately trying to grasp an understanding of what had happened to her body. The profound weakness in her system was completely new. It rendered her vulnerable and she didn't know where its limits extended to. Could she sustain damage just like any regular person? It was too great of a risk to find out. All she could do was comply. Maybe, perhaps, it was the best thing to do for right now.

Lia nodded to her side. "The door is right behind me. Come on, I'll take you there." She extended her hand out just like she did outside in the field before they were transported to where they were now. It was worth taking her up on her offer, only having this interaction a second time signified a certain dominance that Lia held over her. A dominance that Cassandra couldn't stand.

Without another word, she grasped Lia's hand and fought against the soreness in her legs as she pushed herself up against the wall. One look at the heels nearby and that smug grin returned in its full glory.

"Don't even say it…" Cassandra grumbled as she picked them up, watching as Lia turned around and glided her fingers along the creases of the rectangular blocks that formed the barriers of the walls around them. Her pattern was oddly deliberate. The intricacy of the motions was not left to chance. She knew exactly what she was doing.

"Take my hand again," she instructed. Eyes glued to the girl's movement, Cassandra waited for whatever it was that would happen. "Close your eyes.".

"And if I don't?" Her stubbornness would not subside.

"It's the only way I can bring us there."

"Fine." She shut her view of the environment off, holding onto Lia's hand as a sudden channeling of energy exploded around them. A gust of wind flew out from an opening that did not exist. She felt the girl pulling her ahead and took the first step up. Her other foot rose in anticipation of the one after but stumbled as landed further down onto the leveled ground. Cassandra's eyes snapped open and she found herself now in a large library.

It was spacious – almost like a museum. There were tall columns made out of the same stone as the walls supporting the inside of the structure. The atmosphere was very medieval. Whichever castle this was, it was certainly older than Castle Dimitrescu. The bookshelves rose to almost fifteen feet in height, each stacked with pieces of literature both old and new. Candles lit the room as there were no windows to offer light.

At the center was a roundtable. It was small, not fit for a large gathering but a tiny group. Five chairs lined the perimeter of the table, built from dark wood and strengthened with iron bars fixed across the legs. It was an odd sight and it did not seem comfortable in the slightest. She much preferred the ornate decorative fixtures that her home offered. It was more suited to her liking and reflected the fine tastes and noble livelihood that her family's bloodline was known for. This was a large dwelling that may have been built for a king – but it might as well have been inhabited by the peasants.

Lia pointed to the table. "All the answers to your questions are right there. Sit down."

Gazing at it, Cassandra sighed a mixture of both relief and irritation. She was almost done, so it would seem. If the answers were truly a short walk away, then she would have all she would need to get out of here and go back home. Too much time had already been wasted. That man was still running around their castle and she wasn't certain how much damage had been done. She had to return and fix all of it.

She owed her family that.

Putting her heels back on, she made her way to the withered chair closest by and sat down. The wood was as solid as the iron, pushing all of her weight back up. She was right; it was uncomfortable. Setting her sickle atop, she leaned back, peering her head over at Lia.

"Well, I'm waiting…"

The girl chuckled under her breath. "Ever so impatient, aren't you, Cassandra?"

"Under circumstances." She cast a large, sarcastic smile. Her eyes were wide with displeasure, having had her fill of the woman's comments. She was promised answers and she was still waiting. The library did not appear to hold a single door – something she took note of as she scanned around. There had to be an exit, she imagined. Whatever power Lia held couldn't have been the only way in or out.

A deep voice from above interrupted Cassandra's train of thought. "So, she's here?"

Her amber eyes followed the source, spotting a man standing atop a ladder nearby. She rose from her chair, adamant that there was no possibility that she could have missed him when looking around. He was old, in a Lord Heisenberg way. A short, greyed beard mixed with a balding head was the signature style of any middle-aged man who lived in the shadows. The rounded stomach and wrinkled eyelids only added to the aesthetic.

His outfit was still not much different than what any one of the village farmers would have sported. A dark blue long-sleeve shirt, arms rolled up to the elbows. His open, fur vest was a match with Lia's short cape. His pants were a peculiar type; black cotton leggings banded around the knees and shins with strands of greyed fabric. Above was kilt, greyed as well with various lines of black that formed a puzzle of squares. It was an outfit fit for a circus jester and almost caused her to spit out a laugh upon seeing him.

"Lia tells me that your name is Cassandra?" He directed his words to her as he removed a book from the shelf and descended the ladder.

When did she tell – oh, right – probably when I was left on those stairs forever? Great…

"And you are?" Her resentment survived as long as her tongue continued to carry it in each word spoken.

"Milo Armas. I'm sure Lia has already introduced herself to you by now."

Cassandra's lips curled. "Yes, she has."

Milo approached the table. His eyes flashed briefly at the weapon she had placed on it. "You're not in any danger here, Miss Cassandra."

I already like this one more. At least he addresses me with a proper title.

She slowly pulled the blade away and set it down alongside the rear leg of her chair, replaced by her elbows. Her head rested against her hands as she awaited whatever it was that he had to tell her.

"Where are you from?" He lifted the cover off of the first page of the book he had. Ignoring the action, she provided him with the first answer that came to mind.

"Castle Dimitrescu."

He paused before he tilted his head and cracked a small half-smile. "My apologies, I meant to ask where are you from?"

"The mountains of Romania. Our castle overlooks a small village. Surely you have heard of Mother Miranda?" Cassandra threw her hands above her head. She couldn't get any more detailed than that.

He flipped through the first set of pages of his book. With each turn, his face squinted more and more. What was he looking for, she wondered? Did he have a map of the region on hand?

"What realm is the world of Romania located in?"

The room went silent.

Cassandra's elbows slipped from the edge and both of her hands lightly smacked against the wood. Her lips parted; her jaw hung an inch below. Confusion was the only way to describe her state of mind. She did not know if he was serious or if this was a joke. Either way, she did not have time for any of it.

"Realm?" Her voice rung high. "Romania isn't a world, either. Earth is! Are you sure that you know what you're asking me?"

He closed his book, hand seated firmly against the cover as if there were no further use searching through it. He lifted his lips while nodding his head over to Lia. "That is what I was worried about," he said to her.

Lia stepped in, curious about her own theory. "Milo, are you certain that she isn't just unwell or still injured from what may have brought her here? Look at her."

Cassandra interjected, both out of her curious nature and her growing agitation at the girl's perceptionof her predicament. "Injured? From what? I want my questions answered and all you two have done is ask me questions! I'm through talking. Where am I? Why am I here? And, how do I leave?" She stood from the chair, grabbing her sickle on the way up.

Milo raised his hand toward her. Not as Lia would whenever she would use her magic, but only to simmer her concerns. Cassandra brought her attention back to him, feeling that what she wanted to hear was about to come out. He removed his reading glasses from his head and set them down beside the book, ready to break the truth to her.

"You're not on Earth anymore. You're not anywhere close to Earth. You're in an entirely separate plane of existence than where you used to live. I suspect that your death has brought you here."

Cassandra's face twisted into a wrathful glare. Fire erupted in her chest as she thought about how much of a pointless journey this all had been. The joke had gone on far enough and neither of them was going to help her.

She snatched the sickle from the ground and threw it toward Lia. The girl jolted back as soon as she noticed the weapon hurtling in her direction. The expression on her face was wide with fright. Unlike their encounter on the stairwell, she did not have more than a second to prepare. Cassandra curled a wicked grin. She couldn't wait to see the insufferable woman's face split open, blood gushing down from her forehead and nose upon impact.

The sickle bounced away from an unseen wall, left to balance freely in the air. Her display of victory shifted to rage. She was tired of seeing these little acts occur every time she tried killing her. "Damn it!" She kicked the chair across the room. Lia backed away, obviously shaken by the attempt on her life. As soon as she regained herself, it was clear that she wasn't the only one who was furious.

"What is wrong with you?" Lia shouted at her. "Why is violence always your first resort? Are you such a wild animal that you cannot be in a room for more than a minute without trying to kill everyone in it?"

"Don't make me angry…" Cassandra took a step forward, ready to claw her eyes out if she must.

"You must have made someone even angrier because youare dead!"

Her fists balled up, shaking at her sides as she blasted those words away. "I am not dead! Where am I?"

Milo approached Cassandra, cautious yet composed. He did not seem as worried about her threatening his life as he was about her mental state as a whole. Like a father to a daughter, his voice remained low, not wanting her to tense up any more than she already was. "Let me explain. You found yourself in a field away from everything that you knew, correct?"

Breathing through her teeth, nostrils flared, Cassandra nodded.

"You didn't make your way there, right? You woke up there. It wasn't normal, was it? You found your body coming together, correct? Is all of that true?"

The rate that Cassandra's chest expanded and compressed fell ever so slightly as he went on. He was accurate in his assessment of her arrival, but it still did not add up. "My body was light until it all came together. Something isn't right with me. I don't feel the way I normally feel."

"How do you normally feel?"

Her teeth clenched as she rattled her head. "Strong! Aware! None of that is applying here. I can disperse into a swarm of flesh-eating flies on a whim but I cannot do that here. You are weakening me, both of you are! This must be one of Heisenberg's tricks! Mother warned me about him. I was too focused on that feeble roach, Ethan…"

Milo flashed his eyes at Lia, who looked puzzled by their guest's words. The best approach would not be to accuse her of anything – lest she attempted another aggressive action. This was not the time for conflict. An understanding had to be reached.

"Tell me the last thing you remember before you got here." Milo shot her a precise glance, indicating that this was something she needed to think deeply about.

Cassandra was about to scoff until her mind tried to replay her memories. They were clear before her and Ethan's final confrontation inside the armory. There was a ton of chaos that was had toward the end. Perhaps that was why the final details were hazy at best.

"I had tracked Ethan down to our castle armory. He was trying to gather these masks that served as keys to open a doorway at the far end of our home. I knew what he was doing. He had two others in his possession. I was worried that my sisters had gotten to him first. I was happy that I would be the one to kill him. I messed up my first opportunity but I finally found him again. He and I fought and for a short while, I had the upper hand," she explained. Milo and Lia took in every detail that she offered. It was beginning to shine a light on why this woman was acting the way she was. She had come right out of a fight.

Milo shook his head, encouraging her to go on. "You and this, Ethan, did something happen while you were battling him? Did he use anything special against you?"

Her eyes fluttered about as she tried to connect that question with any of the events that she could remember. Special? What was special about their fight? He was a normal man. What was she missing?

"I don't know," Cassandra replied. "He fired his gun at me a few times."

Lia's confusion did not falter. "What is a gun?"

Cassandra was dumbfounded at what she had heard. She tilted her head, one eyebrow raised as if the girl was a total idiot. Before she could go off, Milo waved the sentence off and asked Cassandra to continue with her story, stressing how important it was. She breathed again, ready to resume her recollection.

"I threw him into a desk where some pipe bombs were lying around. I built them for fun just a few days before. It was foolish of me to leave them there. He realized that there was a crack in the wall – my fault, with the pipe bombs – and he pushed a dresser out of the way that was blocking it. I jumped at him, almost about to kill him but he lit one and tossed it. It blew the wall open and…" She paused.

Going into further detail would reveal her weakness to the two. She did not trust them at all, nor did she want to give them any additional advantage that they could have in the future. Lia's little magic act was a handful to contend with, but utilizing something that could actually kill her was a greater threat. She decided to omit that part about the cold and finish what she had to say. "He fired at me some more, and managed to hit me but I stood my ground. When his gun went empty, he did the unthinkable and rushed at me. I guess that means he…"

"What did he do, Cassandra?"

She lowered her head and replayed the sequence over and over. Nothing changed. She did not recall avoiding his lunge or countering him in any sort of fashion. It then dawned on her what exactly transpired after that moment.

"He pushed me over the ledge. Sent me falling to the ground below. I…I don't remember anything else after that, I swear."

Her cocky and hateful demeanor gave way to a faint humbleness. She was quiet, having realized that not only did she lose the fight, but that the consequences of its end meant certain death. She could not envision any way of recovering from that drop, being left out in the cold snow and the frosty wind and somehow being able to make her way back inside. It was a one-way trip and she bought her ticket for a first-class seat when that wall opened up. Just as Milo was about to say his piece, Cassandra raised her head back up, one more question still in tow.

"If I died, then how am I alive?"

"Something had to have sent you here," Milo pointed to the scar on her chest. "There has to be a direct cause. Your body is tied to this existence here in some form. It stands to consider that whatever killed you was connected to our world, but in yours."

She shrugged her shoulders. "Falling from a height greater than fifty-feet onto stones and sharp branches? You have that here too?"

Lia chimed in, much to Cassandra's dismay. "He's not talking about that."

She flicked her brows up, shook her head as she turned her attention back to Milo, and muttered under her breath. "Definitely no sense of humor here."

Milo stayed focused. He needed to uncover more information on Cassandra's home and what it was that brought her here. He had a theory, but she needed to confirm it. "Is there anything enchanted? A tool or weapon, or anything that could have been used to affect you? That scar, where did it come from?"

"Enchanted?" What does he mean by that?

She peered again at the line inches below her collarbone. As her finger touched it, her memory did not yield. "I don't know where this came from. But mother did have an old dagger hidden away in one of the towers. She told us it was a family relic and that it was to remain undisturbed. The villagers said it held a certain power, but they were always so horribly naïve. I wouldn't trust their opinion."

"So, this Ethan was using these masks to unlock a door. Did the doorway lead to this dagger?"

"If it did, why would that matter?"

Milo took a long breath. He could not beat around the bush any longer. "If that dagger is known as the Dagger of Death's Flowers, then it is the reason you are here."

She stepped back, shocked by his sudden knowledge of what they kept. "How did you know its name? If you're not from our village then where did you learn that?"

He was ready to pull the rug out from under her feet when it came to the reality of her situation. "It was brought to your realm ages ago by accident and it was never recovered. The enchantments placed inside that weapon are from our plane of existence. If you were stabbed with it, which it looks like you were, then its powers ran through your body. Only, the problem is that simply dying from it isn't enough to just send you over here. You being here means that you are somehow bordered between life and death and your link through that dagger is what brought you here."

"And where is here?" She waved her hands around.

"Locwitary. It's a world that orbits the Specter Moons – those two large stars you saw above. I'm aware of Earth's realm. It's so vast unlike our own. Our people sought that dagger out for a long time but gave up when generations passed and nothing came about it. It has power – and for it to not cause anything like this over that time, I believed it was lost forever after all those years."

Everything that he had just told her sounded like it came straight out of one of Daniela's crazy fiction novels that she always buried her head inside of. A new world? Being outside of her realm? A mystical dagger tearing her between the fabric of two realities? If a casket of her mother's famous wine was next to her, she'd be halfway done with it by now. It was all too preposterous. She wanted her answers and she got them but she needed proof.

"You talk about magic and enchantments. Your lackey can do some fabulous stuff with her hands. I'll buy into that." Cassandra casually walked up to Milo, challenging his statement. "If I'm truly in some other world, then bring me back to mine. Send me there and I will put aside everything I have said and I'll even throw in a fancy dagger for you to collect. Mother will understand," she rolled her eyes, "…or not."

"I can't just send you back. If we could willingly enter other realms, then we would have had that dagger. It was only there because of a catastrophic action in its magic. Even the greatest minds here didn't understand it."

"Then I don't believe you." She smiled scornfully, their faces now inches apart. Milo was undeterred, though he had grown weary of the girl's unending hostility. She had every right to be mad at them, but as much as they tried to explain the matter at hand, part of her still wouldn't get it.

"If I could send you back, I would. Unfortunately, you're as bound to this planet as you were to your own. Never mind trying to cross planes of existence on a whim. It doesn't work like that."

"Then you're both wasting my time. Give me back my blade and I'll see myself out of here. I am done talking to you both." Cassandra turned her back to him, gesturing for Lia to send over the still-floating sickle.

She sought permission from Milo, who gave the go-ahead after taking a moment to think about it. With a sigh, Lia directed the weapon back into Cassandra's hand.

"Thank you." Her lips gleamed as she held the tip across from her eyes. She heard Lia clear her throat soon after as if there was anything else left for her to say.

"I fear that your home may not be something you want to return to," she said.

"My home is a beautiful place." Cassandra's eyes shifted back to her. "You might not like what you see, but from my view, it's delightful."

"I must confess something to you, Cassandra." She wouldn't cease with her endless cliffhangers.

It elicited a loud, prolonged groan coupled with a steady shaking of her head. "What now? Make it fast!" She demanded.

"When I touched your hand, I saw a glimpse of where it is that you came from. It was current to only the time that we connected – but it did not look good." Her words were an opened ended book, beckoning more questions. Seeing her fists ball up, Milo took the stand to elaborate on what she meant.

"Lia's people are capable of seeing things like that. They can't control it and it is purely random – rare in most cases, but it has been done. Physical contact is needed and she can take that glimpse and show you what she had seen. But if it is indeed as bad as she describes, I must warn you that I trust her word."

"Show me." Her bashful smile returned. She would not believe a thing until she was able to witness it firsthand.

"Lia…" Milo directed her to display the proof that Cassandra so desperately desired. The woman nodded before she closed her eyes and joined both of her hands together by her thumbs, forefingers, and then middle fingers. A blue glow started to emanate from her palms, which captured Cassandra's attention. The ball of energy began to expand before Lia's hands pulled apart, opening a large display in front of her, bordered by a blue energy.

Inside that display was a view of Castle Dimitrescu – and the ensuing chaos around it.

Cassandra was stunned. She nearly dropped her sickle at the sight of what was going on. It was nighttime. Fires engulfed the area while massive, tree-like appendages sprung forth from the ground, tearing the landscape apart. Lycans and Vârcolacs crawled out from the openings, battling a group of armed people who were decimating them with no complications. Aircraft reigned in from the skies, sending further troops down below. As she watched one lone man jump down into a large abyss that had been opened near the village center, Cassandra's eyes were as wide as they could be. She wasn't only shocked by what was going on – she was deeply troubled.

It wasn't the chaos that went down the night before Ethan arrived. No, it was the end of everything that they had known. Castle Dimitrescu's days were over.

"My home…"