I didn't sleep well the night Emmeryn went back to Ylisstol. Nor did I sleep well for several nights after that. Three months of telling myself it would be the best decision, and I was losing sleep over it when it happened. I wished I was a stronger or better person, because in that case I'd either be able to live with the decision, or actually prevent Emmeryn's death, but no. I was stuck with who I was. Try as I might, I couldn't change myself in time. I could neither harden my heart nor bolster my courage.

I felt like an absolute coward.

We still had a few days to Bellator, where we would request additional soldiers to help out Ylisse's frankly pathetic army. Even with more soldiers, though, I knew the hopes of those around me were misplaced. Aside from one freak occurrence, things had mostly stayed the same. In the end, Ylisstol would fall, and Emmeryn would be captured. Then she would meet her end by her own hand.

…I'd forgotten how tragic that entire situation was and will be.

Nevertheless, I couldn't mope around forever, or at least I couldn't appear that I was. People would start asking questions, and I was already getting some weird looks. It'd only be a matter of time until someone approached me to ask me what was wrong. The Shepherds were good people like that. They took care of their own.

A part of me wondered what right I had to stand among them.

A few days after the Battle at Breakneck Pass, I found myself in a bit of a conundrum. I remembered that Donnel got into a little bit of trouble, and that I basically went berserk and helped him out, but there was one other detail that I'd known about and didn't act upon.

Cordelia saved my life; she'd swooped in and impaled the wyvern rider before he split my head like a coconut. I thought that, at the very least, I should thank her for what she did.

Unfortunately, for the longest time, I couldn't find her.

I got directions, sure, but when I actually got to where they said she was, she was nowhere to be found. The places where she supposedly was were always somewhat better than what I remembered, though. For instance, there were a few weapons that would gain nicks or rust while we fought and marched, and usually we would put them in this big crate to mend later. When I tried to find her one time, the entire designated crate was empty, and the one that held all our excess weapons was almost filled to bursting with shining, polished spears, swords, and axes.

I'd known she was really good at almost everything, but it almost seemed like she was doing work to forget something.

Sound familiar, boy scout?

I kept searching, though, and eventually, I found her.

Cordelia was among the supply wagons, in the hot sun, taking inventory. Just like I'd been doing just a little over a week before.

And here you were thinking you'd actually done a decent job at that. It hasn't even been a week since you did it.

She was gorgeous, but most women I'd met since coming to Ylisse were gorgeous. Long red hair trailed down her back, with red eyes shooting back and forth as she read the manifest in her hand. Even then, long after the battle had ended, she was still wearing her pegasus knight armor.

"Um, hello?" I called out, nervously.

Unlike what I would've done, she didn't jump. Instead, she calmly looked up. "Yes? I am a bit busy at the moment."

"Yeah, I can tell," I coughed. "Name's Alex. You're Cordelia, right?"

"Yes, I am," She confirmed. "Did you need something? As I said, busy." She said, looking down at the manifest again. "These manifests are a mess! Who worked on these before me?"

I decided not to chime in and say that I had that duty last. "Okay, good. I just wanted to thank you, actually," I explained. "You kinda saved my life back at the Pass. Not sure if you remember it, but you stopped a wyvern rider from splitting my head open?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes! I remember that," She said after a moment. "I appreciate it, but I don't think your thanks are necessary. I was merely doing what I was supposed to."

"Yeah? Well, doing what you're supposed to be doing saved my life, so thanks," I rebutted.

"Very well," She sighed. "Now, is there anything else? After this I have other things I need to do."

Yeah, she has a shit ton of things to do, boy scout. Like scrub dirt and polish trees.

I stepped forward and leaned on the side of one of the wagons. "Actually, what are you doing? From what everyone keeps telling me, you've been doing a metric shit ton around camp since you joined up."

I felt like she had a lot on her mind, something she needed to get off her chest. Besides, I wasn't going to pass of a chance for decent conversation.

Cordelia held up the papers she had. "I'm making sure all our supplies are where they need to be," She explained. "That and revising some of the errors made by the person who had this duty before me."

"Oh," I mumbled. "What, uh, exactly did this person do wrong?"

Her hand shook a bit as she opened a crate and began writing stuff down. "It's quite childish really. Their handwriting is less than adequate, and from what I've gathered, they even missed a few supplies! It's almost as if they weren't even trying! It's frustrating seeing such a vital part of our convoy being manhandled in this way. It's the least I can do to fix these errors. Besides, it is better than simply lounging around until we arrive at our destination."

Every word felt like a punch to the gut, and I had to keep myself from hunching over.

"Y-yeah," I stuttered, holding up my fist. "The g- person who did that last sure was a lazy asshole, huh?"

"While I would not put it so crassly, the sentiment is shared," Cordelia replied, looking back at me. "Are you shaking?"

"N-no! I'm fine," I said, quickly regaining my composure. "It's just a bit chilly out here, don't you think?"

"It's half-past noon in September, Alex."

I looked up at the sky, noticing how bright the sun really was, as well as feeling the sweat go down my back. "Ah. So it is."

She looked at me strangely for a few moments. I had to change the subject, fast.

"So, ahem, you said you were going to do other things after this?" I asked quickly.

"Er, indeed," Cordelia said, apparently letting go of my previous awkwardness. "After I'm done here, there are a few more weapons that need sharpening. I've noticed that a few tents have a tear in them, so I will need to mend those. Afterwards, before everyone goes to sleep, I'll need to procure more blankets from a nearby village; we're running low on those, or so I heard Frederick say."

I blinked. "Wow. Really on top of things, aren't you? Don't you think that's a bit much for one person to do?"

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Cordelia answered. "I do like to keep on top of things, though. If something needs to be done, then I shall do it. Simple as that."

I narrowed my eyes and stood straight up. "Uh huh. I know I don't really have a right to say this, but are you okay?"

Cordelia tilted her head. "Why would I not be?"

"It's just that," I began, pausing for a minute as I gathered my thoughts. "God, there's no tactful way I can think of to say this, but I'm aware of… what happened back at the border. It's just that I've done what you're doing right now. That is, throwing myself into doing just about anything just so I don't have to think."

As I said this, her eyes widened and her grip on the manifest grew so tight it looked like her gauntleted fingers would tear through the paper.

I held up my hands. "I'm not trying to bring up bad shit, alright? Just wanna help."

Cordelia stared at me for several moments before she seemingly relaxed. She closed her eyes and let out a deep breath before opening them again. "I apologize for that. What did you have in mind?"

"Nothing serious. I've already said this to a few people, but I'm good at hearing other people talk about their problems," I explained. "So, what I'm saying is, if you need someone to vent your frustrations to, I'm all ears."

Silence followed. With the conversation suitably soiled by yours truly, I thought it wise to just leave.

"I'll, uh, I guess I'll leave you to it, then. Offer always stands if you ever feel like it." I said, turning around to leave.

"Alex," Cordelia said, making me turn around. "I… I'll think about it. Thank you for the offer, in any case."

I nodded, smiling slightly. "Yeah, no problem. See ya."

I left, my smile falling from my face as soon as I turned around again.

"Yeah, way to go, bud," I mumbled under my breath. "Maybe we should go to Robin and taunt him about his amnesia? Or, maybe, we should go to Lissa and tell her she's a bastard child? Just excellent, you jackass."

It could have gone a lot worse, but it could have gone better, too.

Waiting for the inevitable news was unbearable.

For a week and a half, we traveled, skipping Auraegis and heading straight for Ferox. It was a hasty decision, but given the circumstances, it was understandable. Thankfully, Sumia and Cordelia made a few supply runs as we marched to stock up on the essentials. Our stores were running low, after all, and we hadn't set-up up supply lines for such a comparatively small convoy.

I could understand all of it, and I couldn't stop thinking about how it was my fault that all of it was happening. After all, what would've happened had I spilled the beans? We would have been in such a different scenario that I likely wouldn't have recognized the plot from that point onward.

Instead, I said nothing, and let history take its intended course.

It occurred to me that Emmeryn had left back for the besieged Ylisstol weeks ago, and I was still thinking about it.

Thinking about things like that was the entire reason I threw myself into conversation and combat practice, much as I'd seen Cordelia doing. Maybe it was not the healthiest coping mechanism imaginable, but it worked. At least a little.

I was right when I asked myself if I could ever look Lissa and Chrom in the eye, though. I couldn't. I intentionally avoided talking to those two as much as I could. Deep down, I knew I wouldn't be able to keep away from them forever. Especially considering I was working for one of them. Chrom I wasn't so worried about. We never were very close. I could easily call him my friend, but I'd never share the same bond Robin had with him in the game. Lissa, on the other hand, was the opposite.

We'd connected, certainly. I would never regret that. She helped me during my episode, after all. And I did enjoy talking with her, to some extent.

Thankfully, we hadn't had a chance to really talk since Maribelle's trial. Too many things needed to be doing, not enough time.

However, there was one person who was close to Lissa. One person who knew I was becoming good friends with her.

We were close to Bellator; maybe about a day's march away, when I was cordially invited to tea by a certain drill-haired noble.

I debated whether I should go or not. On the one hand, I'd only spoken to Maribelle twice. A conversation between us in a controlled setting wouldn't be the worst idea in the world, considering what I knew about her. On the other hand, despite me knowing who she was at heart, I felt intimidated by her. Her haughty attitude, her mannerisms, all of it contributed to an image in my head that she was one person I didn't want to cross.

Frankly, it was ridiculous to think that about somebody based on what I'd overheard of them. I could count on one hand how many words I'd spoken to her.

A small chat with the promise of tea wasn't such a bad thing, right?

That's what I kept telling myself as I approached her tent, anyhow.

Maribelle, unsurprisingly, had her own tent. It didn't look all too different from the regular rugged tents most of the other Shepherds used, but as I got closer, I could tell the material was different. Softer and lighter than the rest.

I took a deep breath and gulped down my excess saliva. Might as well get it over with.

I approached the flap but realized it might've been rude to simply enter without announcing myself.

How does one knock on a tent flap?

"U-um," I stammered. "Hello? Er, I was invited earlier. Nice letter and all. You wanted to have tea with me?"

There was a bit of shuffling from inside. I silently thanked God that she was actually in the tent, and I wasn't making a fool of myself. "Alexander, correct? Please, come in."

I entered unceremoniously and looked around.

The interior of the tent wasn't decorated, obviously, but I could still tell care was taken when putting down every part of it. The sun was still high in the sky, and the lighter color of the tent's fabric made the inside look brighter and somehow more cheerful than other tents. A nice, well-made white table as well as two chairs sitting opposite of each other, as well as a fluffy bedroll, completed the interior.

All in all, it almost made me want to leave instantly from how uncomfortable it made me, but I persevered. I'd already committed; there was no backing out now.

Maribelle sat properly on the chair farthest away from me, gently pouring tea into two cups, setting one in front of herself and one on the other side.

Maribelle motioned to the chair in front of her. "Please, have a seat. We have much to discuss."

"Fair enough," I replied, gingerly sitting on the chair. It felt stiff. "Have to admit, didn't expect to be invited for tea today." I said nervously.

"Indeed? It is a common pastime for higher-class Ylisseans," Maribelle supplied, sipping. "Of course, it is plain to see you are neither nobility nor Ylissean, so I suppose you can be excused."

I winced as she said that. "Yeah, not exactly keeping it a secret, am I?" I took a sip myself. For some reason, it tasted just a bit bitter. "Though I like to think I've done a pretty da- well, a good job at assimilating."

"Hmm, you have tried. It is more than can be said for others," Maribelle said offhandedly. "What I wanted to discuss with you was where you come from. I have heard about it from others, this 'United States', but I always find tracking down information to its source will give you the unaltered facts."

I leaned back, feeling her words wash over me. It was exactly what I was expecting. Maribelle was a lot friendlier than I thought she'd be, though.

And here you were thinking she was going to get on your case for getting close to Lissa. Who are you to judge people, boy scout?

"Okay," I said finally. "What do you wanna know?

I had to hold in a laugh as Maribelle's face broke into disbelief when I told her something I was sure she never expected to hear.

"Y-you can't possibly! You mean to tell me that this United States has no nobility?"

"Well, that may not be entirely true," I corrected myself. "There is an 'elite'. The one percent, if you will. Old Money and New Money, all that good stuff. It's a lot more complicated than what you have here. Basically, in a way, we do have nobility, just not the kind you're used to."

"Indeed," Maribelle said after a moment. "That is certainly… unexpected. So, if I am understanding you correctly, the United States is run by commoners?"

"Er, the common man, yeah," I agreed. "Most officials are voted in by the populace, although the Electoral College is a bit eh, if you know what I mean."

"I do not know what you mean," Maribelle countered, ignoring her teacup. "You have not spoken of this 'Electoral College' yet. Is it some sort of institution in which the students are taught how to vote?"

I cringed. "Um, no. Hang on, lemme explain this better…"

"This United States is a country ruled by plebeians," Maribelle concluded. "That is what I have gathered from what you've told me. And yet, paradoxically, you claim that it also has some sort of nobility that is different from Ylisse's."

I shrugged, taking a swig from my teacup afterwards. "That means I've probably done a poor job of explaining it. Not a hard thing for me to do, in all honesty." I put my teacup down and leaned forward. "But, that's about all I know about our government. The details have become a lot fuzzier over time, though. It's been a long time since I've been home, Maribelle."

"And yet you've talked for well over an hour," Maribelle pointed out. "I at least understand the basics. The United States, this U.S., where is it located?"

Up until that point, I'd happily shared with her everything she asked for. A small bit of history, how the government worked, and a small bit about how I lived in particular. It may have been a stupid idea to give away so much information, considering the U.S. didn't exist in the Fire Emblem universe, but I was just happy to talk. It was easier than I was expecting, considering it was Maribelle I was talking to. More importantly, it was stress free.

That all came crashing down the minute she asked that question. It was a good thing I wasn't drinking the remainder of my tea, because I would've spat it out.

"E-erm," I stuttered. This only made her narrow her eyes. "I-I mean, it's… somewhere. You probably won't find it on very many maps, but it's to the west of here. Like, the far west. On a completely different continent. Very difficult to find."

"Is that so?" Maribelle said slowly, still sitting as proper as ever. "That is very strange. Although, I suppose the only maps that show that area of the world are hundreds of years old. I do not understand why you would find it so difficult to say where it is, however. In fact, it is almost as if you are hiding something."

"E-eh, why would I want to do that?" I asked back, feeling like I was sweating bullets. "It's just that no one's asked me that question. Was, uh, kinda unprepared for it, if you get what I mean. I know for a fact it's west of here, but beyond that, not much else I can tell you without a map of the da- the place." I thought for a second. "My way here was kinda blind. Starting to think I came here by accident."

"Then why do you remain?" Maribelle asked, pouring herself more tea. "Surely if your being here was an accident, then you would want to travel back from whence you came? I'm certain you could find a captain who'd be willing to take you in that direction."

"Well, I mean, I could," I conceded. The truth was far more complicated than that unless I could find an Outrealm Gate. If that even existed. "But at this point, I've already connected with so many people here. It'd be a shame to just leave that all behind. Besides combat training, that would just make my last three and a half months here a waste of time, in a way. At least, that's my opinion on it."

"Hmm. An interesting reason," Maribelle commented, sipping gracefully.

"One of many," I clarified, nodding. "But that's one of the bigger ones."

I did have many reasons for staying at that point, despite all the stress I was going through. Stopping those thoughts from continuing, I kept the conversation going. It felt like I'd just dodged a bullet with Maribelle's question.

I took a deep breath as I leaned back, exhausted in the pristine white chair. My back felt cramped and doing so relieved the pain somewhat. Maribelle, however, looked just as prim and proper as she did when I first entered, despite that being well over two hours before. She watched me idly as I sighed and leaned back forward, ready to get the entire ordeal behind me finally. It had been a long two hours, and it was finally going to end.

Back to brooding it is, then.

"This has been an illuminating conversation, Alexander," Maribelle said. "I have been studying how peasants such as yourself operate in Ylisse, but to hear of a country completely run by them is, to put it bluntly, incredible."

I rubbed the back of my neck awkwardly for what felt like the fiftieth time that day. "Yeah, just stop calling me Alexander, alright? It makes me feel weird."

"And why is that?" Maribelle asked, raising a perfect brow in confusion. "That is your name, is it not?"

I cringed. "Well, because my mom was the only person who ever called me by my full first name like that. You can guess how awkward that is, right?"

"I see. That was not my intention," Maribelle said. "I do thank you for your time. It is quite clear you are no threat to Lissa."

I smirked, beginning to walk towards the tent flap. "Yeah, no problem- Wait, it is- What?" I couldn't help but do a double take, turning completely around.

"You do not have to be so loud," Maribelle chided lightly, picking up her parasol. "I thought it quite simple. My intentions were two-fold, you see. While I had my back turned, you came from an enigmatic place no soul has ever heard of and got close to my darling Lissa. To simply confront you would be so very brutish," Maribelle's pinkish-red eyes met mine. "From what you have told me of your country, and be extension yourself, I have concluded that you're no threat to her. There is still the case of where your country is located, something which you were so nervous to tell me, but for now I am satisfied."

I don't know why, but it hurt a little to hear her say that.

"Well," I mumbled. "Glad you got what you needed, I guess."

"Oh, do not put on such a face. It is unbecoming of you," Maribelle said. "I did say my intentions were two-fold, after all. Your origins were genuinely intriguing to me. I would not mind hearing more of it some other time."

After this, I'm not sure I want to. But sure. Whatever.

"Just give me a holler if you ever wanna hear more," I replied. "I'll be somewhere, I'm sure."

"Of course. See you some other time, Alex."

"Yeah, bye."

I'd gone into her tent to get my mind off of things, and in a way that worked. Yet, I left feeling worse somehow. In the end, I understood Maribelle's reasoning. I remembered she cared so much for Lissa she was willing to die for her. If that wasn't dedication, then I didn't know what was. It still made me feel uncomfortable.

Still, I dropped it; it wasn't worth dwelling on.

I threw myself into training for the rest of that day.

I just could not stop thinking about it, no matter how hard I tried.

After finally making it to Bellator again, we were given the support we needed almost immediately. I always wondered why Flavia was so receptive to Chrom's requests, and I doubted I would ever know why. It wasn't really my place to know, anyway. We were going to stay in Bellator for a few days, though. Preparing an entire army took time, after all, although Chrom seemed to have his mind on other things. Sometimes, he'd space out in the middle of a conversation, his face disturbingly blank. I knew what was going through his mind, and it pained me to know that I'd done nothing about it.

Within the rapidly chilling city, it felt like my foreknowledge was burning a hole through me. It got worse over time. As much as it disgusted me to admit it, it was easy to shoulder when Emmeryn first left, despite that small bout of me just not feeling like doing anything just after it.

What kind of hero lets an innocent woman die just because he thinks the future being set in stone will save himself and, perhaps, those he's grown to know? You know all bets are off, and yet you're still doing this.

Thoughts like that went through my mind on a nightly basis. Every time I closed my eyes to go to sleep, I'd hear it. I'd feel it. It just kept getting worse. What was once a distant problem I knew I'd have to face someday was now knocking on my fucking door, waiting to be let in. I just wanted to bury my face into a pillow and shout bloody murder. It might've made me feel better in the moment. I knew it would just come back, though, like a malignant tumor.

I'd gone to bed early that night in the hopes that I could finally get some good sleep, only to be rebuked by my own body. I tossed and turned in bed like I was sick, until finally settling for blankly looking at the ceiling. It was made of wood, but I wasn't nearly knowledgeable enough to know what type. Lightly splintered and frayed around some edges, looked to be old and sturdy, however, in my opinion, they probably should've been replaced soon.

I imagined the wood splintering and cracking, and the splinters falling towards me, looking larger than they actually were, ready to pierce my face and put an end to my pathetic life.

I sat up, grimacing while massaging my face. "Fuck my life," I whispered harshly.

I looked to my left to see a window, showing the setting sun. At any other time, I'd describe it as gorgeous. Oranges, reds, and a little pink all spread out across the clear sky like I was in a painting. It was utterly breathtaking.

Unfortunately, all I could think about was how it counted down one more day to Emmeryn's demise.

"Stop… fucking… thinking about that, you stupid bastard!" I growled, repeatedly hitting myself in the forehead to no avail. No luck. I sighed, getting up out of bed and putting on a simple tunic, pants, and shoes. Knowing me, there would be no sleeping that night.

I opened the door to the hallway, cringing slightly as I heard the, to my ears at least, loud as hell creaking. It would be too much to ask to have it oiled, wouldn't it?

We were allowed to stay within Bellator's final stage-looking palace, thankfully. If not, we'd probably have to rent out rooms in the inns downtown, and in Bellator, you did not want to go downtown. At least, that's what the drunkard who came up to me said as we entered the city. Nice enough guy, even if the smell of his breath brought up unpleasant memories.

If we were in an inn, that would also mean I'd have a harder time avoiding people. In a castle like Flavia's, however, it was easier. Well, that and it appeared there was a grand total of zero people around, apparently. The only footsteps that echoed through those halls were my own.

That did nothing to settle my nerves, and I felt warm, despite the temperature in Bellator being almost in the low fifties.

I walked those halls for what felt like hours, but in reality, it was probably only minutes. It was slightly more soothing than just laying down in an uncomfortable bed, but not by much. As I walked those halls, however, thoughts from the last time I did something like it nearly flooded my mind.

The fire is growing, the rabbit is hungry, Alex, the rabbit is hungry and it is gonna tear you apart and eat your skin-

"God damnit," I hissed through clenched teeth, stopping at a random window. "Why… Why in the name of God can't I just calm the fuck down!? I just can't...!"

It wasn't like the way I was in combat; it was different. It felt like there was something around the corner, or something staring at me from the dancing shadows cast by the setting sun. I didn't feel safe. It didn't feel as strong as the turmoil I was experiencing regarding Emmeryn's oncoming death, bit it felt deeper. Like it was just waiting for its turn.

I rubbed my forehead, feeling cold, slick sweat roll down my hand. It felt like something was about to give. That knowledge and those thoughts were going to make me have a breakdown at the rate it was going. My coping mechanisms were woefully unprepared to deal with two things at once.

You see that window there? Why don't you jump out of it?

That particular thought chilled me to the bone. Luckily for me, someone just happened to come along at just the right time.

"Alex? Is that you?"

I froze. Even my breathing stopped. I could hear my vertebrae creaking as I turned around. A certain blonde-haired princess was looking curiously at me.

"Lissa," I rasped in greeting. I shook my head, attempting to make what I said next sound less like I was being strangled. "What're you doing out here?"

She looked at me everywhere except in the eye. An action I'd been doing to her for several weeks up to that point. "Well, you kinda ran off after dinner today. And, er, with all this stuff happening, I've just kinda been wandering, I guess. It helps me not think about what Emm is going through…"

I looked down at that, guilt clawing its way through my chest. "Yeah, I can see how'd that would dampen your spirits. Chrom's been pretty distant lately, too, so that probably hasn't helped," I shifted my gaze back up. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry that this has happened."

You're apologizing for much, much more. And even then, it won't be enough to absolve you.

Lissa shuffled her feet awkwardly. "I-It's fine, really! Um, well, it's not fine fine, but you get what I mean, right?"

I nodded, still not looking her in the eye. "Yeah, yeah I do. I had- have a sister too. Younger than me, but my point still stands. If something were to happen to her, I doubt I'd have a better time coping with it than either of you. She'll," I felt myself choking up. Viciously forcing down the golfball in my throat, I continued. "She'll be fine. I'm sure of it. We have an entire army here, plus the Shepherds."

"Y-Yeah, I know all that, but," Lissa trailed off before finding her voice again, an uncharacteristic frown on her face. "T-there hasn't been any word from Ylisstol since we split, and I'm just, I just can't help but worry and stuff and it's really making it hard to do anything and Maribelle has been helping but-!"

"Lissa. Lissa!" I called out, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Calm down. I can barely understand a word you're saying."

And whose fault is it she's like this, boy scout?

Lissa wiped at her face with her sleeve, steadying herself. "I-I'm sorry! I just- O-Okay. I'm- I'll be better in a second…"

I stood there and waited as Lissa pulled herself back together. The normally cheerful girl who I'd honest to God started seeing as a little sister nearly broke down in the middle of the hallway. All because of my lack of action.

You know, it's not too late. You can still do something. It wouldn't be a surefire as doing it at Breakneck Pass, but it would give her a better chance than doing nothing would have. All you need to do, is go to Robin, explain everything, and voila. No dead Emmeryn, and you can pass on with a clear conscience.

"You okay?" I croaked, before coughing into my fist. "I mean, you okay?"

"Y-yeah," Lissa confirmed shakily. "It's just-just been a stressful couple of weeks, you know?"

"Don't I fucking know it," I mumbled under my breath, leaning on the wall and looking out to the sun, which had almost completely vanished below the horizon. "Hey, Lissa, lemme ask you a question."

Lissa had stared out the same window I was until I spoke. "Uh, sure. What?"

I thought for a moment, wondering just how the hell I was going to phrase it in a way that didn't come off as incredibly odd or stilted. "Let's say, you know something, and you're the only one who knows it," I began. "With this knowledge, you can save someone's life. However, if you do, you put the lives of others at potential risk. What would you do?"

Lissa gave me an odd look. "That's a really strange thing to ask, huh?"

I failed at making it not seem odd, but I continued anyway. "Humor me. Read it in a book once, believe it or not. Just thought I could use that to, well, get your mind off stuff. What's better at doing that than a thought experiment?"

"Uh, well, I guess you're right," Lissa conceded, putting a finger to her lip in thought. "It's a little hard to say what I'd do, I guess. I'd like to think I could do the first part, but then the second part makes it all risky and stuff. But if I had to make a choice, I'd save someone's life," Lissa said finally. "I mean, there's no way to know that those other people will die for certain, right? Or, I guess, nothing bad'll happen to them. I'm not the best with chance, hehe."

I looked down, attempting to keep tears from falling. Sure, the way I phrased the question made it seem so simple. But for her to say it just like that, in that moment, I made a decision that would change everything and set me on an inescapable path.

With regret and guilt sapping away at me, I nodded. "I see," I said quietly. "That's an inspiring answer, Lissa."

"Heh, didn't think it was so great. I mean, I wouldn't wanna be in a problem like that, but you gotta do the best with what you have, right?" Her face fell slightly as she looked at me. "Um, are you okay?"

"Yeah," I said finally, looking up with a smile plastered on my face. "Just a bit tired is all. Think I'll head back to my room now. See ya in the morning, right?"

Lissa nodded, but she still looked at me funny. "Uh, yeah, right! We'll probably hear some good news in the morning. It's just, it being night and all. Gets you in a bad mood, huh? Anyway, yeah, see ya!"

I waved as I walked past her, my smile not reaching my eyes.

Going down the hallway, I walked past my own door. My breathing felt shaky and labored as I went on my way.

I had to go to Robin's room.

I walked through several hallways with a new purpose. On reflection, it didn't take a lot for me to break in regards to letting Emmeryn die. In my mind, that was pathetic of me; the fact I needed somebody else to get me to move my ass and actually do something made me feel even more like a jackass than I already knew I was. Still, at least I was doing something.

I wasn't too late, I kept telling myself. It wasn't too late. There was a chance to save her. It wouldn't be as certain as stopping her before we got to Breakneck Pass, but it was something.

After a while, I found myself outside Robin's door, just standing there. Completely motionless, I stared at the worn wood. Robin had picked the room he had the last time we were in Bellator. Lucky me that I just happened to know where that was.

I wasn't sure how long I stood in front of Robin's door. It may have been a few seconds or minutes, or thirty minutes to an hour. If it was the latter, though, someone would have gotten curious, so it was probably only a few minutes at the most. My mind swirled with traitorous thoughts. I could turn around and just go back to bed. I didn't have to tell him now or ever. Canon was still on track – minus a few hiccups – after all.

Only that's not true. The Black Knight-looking mofo already disproves that. You're just looking for excuses not to go through with this. Knock on his door, boy scout.

I gulped, feeling nervousness well up in my chest. It was time.

I knocked on his door.

Of course, I had no way of knowing he was even in his room at the time. So for all I knew, I could've been making myself look like an idiot. Despite that, I heard footsteps on the other side of the door, and a moment later, it opened.

Robin appeared tired, but the minute he saw me, his expression brightened slightly. "Alex. What a pleasant-" His face fell once he saw my expression. "Is something wrong?"

I didn't look him in the eye. I was doing that a lot. "Yeah. I guess you could say that," I replied quietly. "Can, uh, can I come in?"

"Sure. Come in." He said slowly, unsure. He opened the door fully, allowing me entrance.

Robin's room was spartan, just like every other room in the Feroxi death castle we were in. A table sat in the middle, with a map of the entire continent, as well as several seemingly smaller areas around it. A bed was placed almost haphazardly in the corner, right next to the window.

"I was actually predicting possible enemy movements before you came in," Robin explained, sitting down in a chair. "Not that I mind you dropping by; a small chat could serve as a much-needed distraction." He leaned forward, lacing his fingers under his chin. "Now, are you going to tell me why you're scowling so badly?"

I raised my brows in surprise, before forcing my expression into something more neutral. "I actually have something I need to tell you. It's not the easiest thing for me to say, but..."

"Alex, by all means, I'm listening."

I brace my arms against the table, my heart beating like a drum in my chest as I forced the words out.

"I know how, and when, Emmeryn is gonna die."

And there we have it. One of the shorter chapters, along with the next one, but hopefully its content makes up for that.

Been playing 3H a lot, so writing for this will probably slow down. This won't end, I assure you. Just gonna slow down.

Not much to say here, other than I look forward to what you guys have to say about this one.

See ya next time!

Edited on 2/13/21. This was a good one.