Two big candlelight. Both in each corner of the entrance hall. In front, four small steps. A curtain hanging and torn, its color long ago that was bright and beautiful, vanish. Behind it, a small corridor with an end. On both sides, two doors. Judy advanced from vague Steps. Not that she was afraid, but the feeling that something was going to happen was present at that very moment, and caution was needed. Passing the curtains, where she diverted them to the side, she went towards the door on her left side, just as the wolf had indicated to her. Without any effort, the door opened as soon as the doorknob was turned. Biyombo's, kimonos and other things made it difficult for the bunny to pass through until to next door. What had happened in that little room, would be among the secrets of the gods, for Judy hurried to another door to get out of there as soon as possible. Once outside that tiny cubicle, she sighed deeply. What welcomed her, was a wooden wall in front and a wide corridor, with a few steps further on, there would be another corridor.

"These villagers were obsessed with corridors and doors," she said to the air, sighing.

"All mine. Everyone on my paws. Their souls are mine. No one else can interfere."

Violet eyes went towards the sound that came from her right side. The image in front of her, was from Yae. On her back, the kimono she wore was no longer white, but stained red. Possibly blood. It was the blood of the villagers she killed. Well, on one of her paws, someone was dragged. A mammal, in which sex was not perceptible. An inert body that left a stain of blood until it was turned around at the next corner and disappeared. Judy's heart accelerated. Now she felt the fear. A great fear of that monstrosity. A mammal in which she had lost her mental insanity. In a bloody and terrifying creature.

"But why?" The words thought out of her lips.

"The pain of losing the mammal she loves to her sister. The overload of leading a village. An arranged marriage with the oldest villager. All these things gave the poor Yae an instability."

Next to Judy, Natsuhiko looked down the hall in a sad expression. Judy stared at him for a few seconds.

"In a way I understand her." The astonishment was visible on the wolf's face. "A lost female, in unrequited feelings, forced to do things she doesn't liked. Anyone would go crazy."

"Compassion for her won't make you save Nick."

"And it won't help at all to break the ritual." Judy completed the sentence in other words and in a deep sigh. "You and Sae did little to help her. In the moments she needed most, you turned your back."

"These are strong words to say when you don't know things."

"You don't have to see to realize certain things."

"Be smart and don't be carried away by compassion for Yae. She will do anything to kill Nick. Remember that" and he's gone.

"She'll do anything to kill another mammal for the one she loved."

"Could you help instead of staring?"

Jack's anger was already piquing. The keys he had found in one of the twenty drawers of the little counter hadn't opened any doors.

"What do you want me to do?" stupid question, she knew. But if he was trying to open the doors, what could she do but stare?

"Look for something. I don't know."

Alisha frowned. What could she find in a Hall that had already been seen from one end to the other? There were no hidden places that had escaped her.

"Damn!" and the keys hit the ground. "Not even the fucking bars!"

"I think we'd better sit down and wait!"

"Wait for what? We're locked in a three-store building. Do you expect those things to tell us what to do?" Jack came down the stairs and positioned himself inches from the Vixen.

"Why not? You said yourself that they helped you get here. Maybe they'll tell us how to get out."

With his eyes open, Jack couldn't believe what he was hearing. Closing his eyes and shaking his head, he strayed away from Alisha and went to try the other doors again with the keys. Maybe he missed something.

"You'll just waste your time."

"Better to try than to wait for a miracle."

"Whatever you say!"

Alisha did the honors at home and, sitting on one of the chairs over there, folded her arms and waited for Jack to do some miracle with those doors.

Judy took a deep breath before she started walking. Although she felt sorry for Natsuhiko and the twins, she had to concentrate on finding Nick. Walking a few meters ahead, the intersection took place in the hallway. On her right side, as predicted, there was another corridor, but smaller. Ten steps and she would reach the door on her left side. Judy could ignore it, but her instincts asked her to check that door first and then proceed to the other intersection of the corridor, where Yae had disappeared with the dead mammal. As she went to take a step forward. She froze. Two ghosts passed through her. Both had a leather band in their eyes. Their torso was naked and from the waist down, a skirt of the same material as the blindfold. On his paws, a huge axe crawled across the floor. The two of them ignored her and went through the door where she was going. Inside, the noise of chains alerted her. Running towards the door, she tried to open it, but without success. A cry of pain. A well-known scream. A scream that made her break her heart more than once.

"NICK!"

She screamed and tried to open the door, but without success.

No. Please, Yae, no. Let him go. Call your subordinates back.

Her mind was screaming in despair. Her tears flowed down her cheeks. Distress of not being able to save him, she was breaking from inside. Another cry of pain. The axes could be heard being pulled and lifted.

NO!

Judy beat with all her strength. She was desperately trying to blow the door apart and running against it. Her shoulder hurt. But she didn't care. The pain in her heart when she knew Nick was being wounded, was greater.

"Open the fucking door," another of Nick's cries, "Yae, please, I beg you, stop. YAE," she shouted loudly, and suddenly the door opened, causing Judy to unbalance and fall to her knees on the ground.

After recovering, her eyes went towards Nick. When she saw his figure, the hatred shot out. The fox's shirt was torn. The cuts of the axes were visible on the chest and abdomen. Blood flowed through the lower left corner of his lip. From his forehead, a thread of blood was also visible. Quickly, Judy got up and ran towards him. Her paws were off against the fox's face.

"Nick, open your eyes, please." Her tears filled her eyes again. "Open your eyes, Nick."

She patted him gently on the cheeks to wake him up. She knew that he hadn't died, but that he was unconscious. Seeing that he didn't react, she searched for something to break the chains. Her eyes searched around the small room. A closet on her left side made Judy deviate from the fox and go in its direction. The sliding doors break with the force in which they were opened. Inside, an axe. Grabbing him, and re-positioning herself in front of Nick, she broke the chains. Once released, the axe was thrown to the ground and the fox's unconscious body towards her arms. Judy knelt down and gently laid Nick's body on the stone floor. Then, she gently knocked on his face again, for the fox open his eyes. He couldn't fall asleep. If he did, he would die.

"Nick, please open your eyes. You're safe. Please, Nick, you can't die in my arms." Judy leaned over his chest and cried. She cried like never before in her life. "I can't lose you, not now. NICK, OPEN YOUR EYES!" And she shouted.

Slowly, the fox's eyes began to open. The vision was blurred, and it took a few seconds to become more or less clear.

"Good morning, Carrots," he smiled at her and took a wounded paw to her face, wiping away the tears.

"Welcome back, Nicolas Wilde." Judy returned her smile, caressing his paw on her face.

To be continued…