My eyes strained to see anything in the inky blackness that surrounded us. The torchlight ensured the dark didn't completely close in on us, but it did not get very far before fading. It was a strange darkness, the kind that slithered away at the light. It made it hard to see anything. What I could see, though, was, well, I wasn't sure how to put it.

The stonework of Khadein was impeccable, as the spires above ground indicated. However, that did not prepare me for what we saw. Intricately carved white statues portraying the likeness of ancient figures lined the room we were in, like a procession for a funeral. With the meager light available casting shadows, the figures looked grim, menacing even, as if they were still alive. Even the walls themselves were decorated with patterns and shapes, so many that it made me dizzy. And we were only down maybe a couple floors. The stairs had led us down from the opened room, occasionally opening into another empty space that we would investigate. The only sounds were our armored footsteps and the eerie crackling of our torches.

The mages could've helped with the torches, but apparently they were saving their energy. I couldn't exactly blame them; Khadein had been giving me bad vibes from the beginning, and that was before we were in the belly of the beast. My stomach was busy tying itself into knots.

"Christ on a bicycle," I mumbled to myself quietly as we passed into a corridor, stretching as far as the eye could see, that same white stonework enshrouded in darkness.

I felt a chill, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood straight.

Something is watching you.

Instinctively, I turned around only to see Vaike giving me a confused look. "What? Got somethin' on my face?"

I snorted. Finally, conversation, "Nah, thought it was something, then I just realized it was part of your face." I waved my hand. "Don't worry about it, man."

Vaike grunted indignantly. The chuckles of a few of the men made me smile despite the atmosphere. "Tough words. Wait 'til we get outta here-!"

"U-uh, sirs?" A small voice said. I stopped and swiveled on my heels, and the rest of the party stopped with me. "I-I thought I saw something down there!"

I furrowed my brow, turning back around and focusing. The torchlight didn't reach very far, as I said, so all I saw was darkness, with a vague outline of the corridor being my only real guide forward. I shook my head.

"I don't see anything. Don't hear anything either." I looked behind me. I could tell who said that; a smaller Ylissean soldier towards the back of the formation. "Calm down. I know it's dark as hell down here, but it won't help us to go jumping at shadows."

The soldier nodded solemnly, only to yelp when one of the Feroxi fighters slapped him on the back. "Don't worry, kiddo, we got this! You Ylissean's just stay behind us, yeah? Give us moral support!"

"I heard that, dastard," One of the other Ylissean soldiers grumbled out, almost too quiet to hear.

"Hey, what's goin' on?" I could hear Sully question from the far back. "We pickin' daisies? Sorry ladies, ain't many flowers down here for you. Get movin'!"

I was not eager to keep going; I could swear there was something wrong. Very wrong. The darkness felt wrong. It felt like, at the first sign of our torches fading, it would rush in and devour us whole-

Taking a deep breath, I forced my legs to move. The group behind me followed. Once we were nearing the apparent end of the corridor, I said, "Hey, Miriel, how much farther do you think we should go down?"

No response.

I spun around quickly, nearly slamming my iron hand into Vaike's face. "Miriel!?"

"Yes? Apologies, I find myself… in awe," She finally replied, quietly. I let out a sigh of relief. "You asked me something, correct?"

I nodded as Vaike gave me the stink eye. "Yeah, how much farther should we go? There's only fifteen of us, and I don't think we should go very far before heading back."

"Ah, perhaps one more level down," Miriel said, adjusting her glasses. With the way the light was reflecting off her pale skin, it almost made her look like one of the white statues from earlier. "I wish to see if we may find some evidence as to what Ransom found within these ruins."

"That's not the best reason, but fine. Not like I'm in the front or anything," I grumbled, "Alright, one more set of stairs to go, men. Just a little farther and we can go back to our lovely frozen camp."

A few quiet groans echoed in the corridor.

Soon enough, we made it to the end. Apparently, the people of Khadein were not fond of doors; there had not been a single door, wooden or otherwise, closing off the rooms we passed as we descended. Just big, yawning archways that led further into the slithering depths.

"Fuck my life," I hissed, taking the first step down.

We weren't even halfway down before I saw something at the corner of my eye. It was fast, just barely being noticed by me. My head swiveled to where I saw it, focusing on the corner. All I saw was the same clawing blackness as everywhere else. It almost felt like the darkness itself was mocking me for my stupidity.

Tell that one guy it doesn't help to jump at shadows, now look at you!

The silence became almost suffocating once we reached the end of the staircase, mirroring the black that followed our every step. I went a little bit farther before noticing what was different about the area we were in.

My eyes widened at the sight of it.

We were at one end of a bridge, spanning over a gaping chasm. The structure didn't even look real; it almost looked like something that came out of a dream, or a nightmare. The stone the bridge was made of was bent, like it was made of metal, and they didn't seem to be held up by anything, like they were floating above the abyss.

Vaike whistled behind me. "Damn, don't see that every day."

"You don't say? My head hurts looking at it." I replied dryly, "Hey, think we just found Tharja's soul?"

Vaike barked a laugh. "Damn, don't think it's dark 'nough for that, Alex!"

I chuckled, trying my best to avoid looking at the physics-defying bridge. Slowly, I approached the edge of the maw, the toe of my boot just barely off the edge. Nothing. Just complete and utter darkness. I doubted my torch would get very far before it would be swallowed whole. Tilting my head up just a bit, I realized that there was a second bridge, perpendicular to the one before us. It crossed just beneath it, right in the middle. Two doors sat on either side of it, the first we'd seen since the beginning of our descent.

Backing away from the edge, I chuckled nervously. "Heh, guess you could say anyone who falls down there won't be seeing a light before they… die…" There was silence. "Okay yeah, that was pretty bad of me."

"Fascinating! Utterly fascinating!" Miriel hissed excitedly, making her way through the soldiers that surrounded her and her proteges. "The structure of this bridge… Listen closely, can you hear that humming sound?"

Instead of trying to come up with a funny quip, I decided to do what she said. For a few seconds, all I could hear was the ringing in my ears from the intense quiet. However, just at the edge of my senses, I could hear something.

It came in waves, every three seconds if I was counting right. Just a strange humming, like Miriel said. It took me a minute to realize that it sounded familiar; it sounded like a refrigerator running. It had been so long since I'd heard anything like it that I was completely taken aback. I couldn't tell exactly where it was coming from, though from what Miriel said, it was coming from the bridge. I couldn't say I didn't believe her; the thing looked plenty magical.

"That shit's creepy." I whispered, rubbing my shoulder. "You say it's coming from the bridge?"

"Yes," Miriel replied, approaching the structure and taking a closer look. "A completely unknown type of magic holds this bridge aloft; I am sure of it! It pains me to know that I have zero indication as to how it works." She turned back, the light from my torch glinting off her glasses ominously. "Would anyone volunteer to cross it? If not, then would any of you be willing to document my findings when I cross this bridge?"

I looked to the men. Most of them seemed to be on the verge of cutting their losses and getting the hell out of there, and I couldn't find it in my heart to blame them; Lord knew I wanted to do the same. The darkness was suffocating, and the unnatural nature of almost everything we'd came across would fray anyone's nerves. After a moment of seeing no one step up, I sighed.

"I'll do it, Miriel." I said, crossing my arms. "But I'm only going halfway, you hear me? Then I'll come right back and we're getting the hell outta here. It's been God knows how long and we still haven't come across anything that could've turned Ransom into that thing, and I don't think anyone wants to go any deeper without some more guys backing us up. Got it?"

Probably could have argued against doing fucking anything and just heading back then and there, but I just wanted out of there as quickly as possible, and if doing this for her would do that, I was all for it. Besides, I doubted the bridge would just up and murder me. Maybe Miriel saw that too.

And hell, if she went herself, she might've never come back.

Just a simple bridge. Get it over with. It ain't that scary.

"Yes, of course," Miriel replied, excitement alight in her eyes. "I was going to propose that myself. We have already gone as far as I would like. Just this last test, and we shall make haste for the surface and prepare a larger expedition." I didn't like that glint in her eye. "Now, since you volunteered…"

I took a deep breath and turned to Vaike. "If that thing fries me, tell Gaius I still haven't forgiven him for stealing my sweet roll that one time. I'll be sure to haunt him for the rest of his life."

"Uh, yeah!" Vaike replied, giving me a thumbs-up. "I gotcha! Leave it to the Vaike!"

"It ain't a suicide mission, Vaike, so if he pulls a sword, run like hell." I smiled, closed my eyes, and took another deep breath. "Alright, here I go."

Carefully, I stepped towards the thin stone bridge. It felt like I was approaching a giant monster, if my instincts telling me to run like the wind were anything to go by. I powered through it; it was just a bridge, for fuck's sake, and by that point we hadn't even encountered anything dangerous. We found plenty of creepy shit, but nothing dangerous. Besides, I wasn't even going the full way. I just had to get that one last thing done so that Miriel's curiosity was sated and we could've all gone back to camp. And maybe convince everything that we should just fucking burn the place, too.

I expected the bridge to wobble when I first walked on it, like I was walking on a rickety old wooden bridge. Instead, despite its appearance, it was surprisingly solid. Despite the thinness, nothing felt wrong. Taking step after step, I noted that the humming got more pronounced as I got closer to the middle. Once there, I stopped and looked from side to side. Both sides of the bridge below me were brightened slightly by the torch, illuminating the same white stonework from everywhere else.

Keeping my breathing under control, I turned around. "Alright, anything weird happening, Miriel?"

I could just barely make out her pale features. "I would not describe it as 'weird'. Tell me, has the humming increased in volume?"

"Uh, yeah, it has. Same over there?"

"No." Miriel shook her head. "So, that means that the source of the magic is towards the middle, near the other bridge… Perhaps the stone itself has been enchanted? But if so, why would the humming be localized entirely to the middle? The magic we could learn from this single structure alone is astonishing!"

"Yeah, yeah, very magical and all that," I replied, feeling antsy. "Can I come back now? I feel vulnerable out here."

"Very well," Miriel acquiesced, beckoning me forward. "We shall regroup at camp and plan our next move."

I let out a sigh of relief, taking a single step forward before my eyes were drawn upwards.

I squinted. "Hey, guys, what is that?" I pointed at the shape towards the ceiling. It looked like someone in the fetal position, upside down.

The minute everyone's gaze was drawn to the figure, it unfurled itself. It was like a shard of the darkness itself came alive. It fell to the ground, and even with how far away it was, I could feel the stone below me shake. Whatever it was, it stood tall, towering over everything near it. For several moments, it was so quiet I could hear a pin drop.

That all ended with the screams.

One of the men must've snapped, because he screamed as loud as he could and charged the monster for some ungodly reason, the shortsword ready to puncture through the things chest. He didn't get very far. I could hear the sound of ripping and tearing flesh as Sully barked an order to surround the thing.

I shook my head, snapping myself out of whatever trance I was in, and unsheathed my sword. I didn't get very far before it felt like something pushed me, and I felt myself fall off the edge of the bridge.

It was a strange sensation; a sense of vertigo, and my vision turning sideways were all that I could perceive. I spun in mid-air, landing on the bridge below on my back, the torch my iron hand had been carrying falling into the great abyss below.

I gritted my teeth. The only sound I could hear was my heart pounding. A few moments later, I could hear sounds of fighting, screams and roars, and metal against metal. It was hard to tell; it felt like my brain was bouncing around in my skull. I could see frantically moving torchlight where the group had been, but I couldn't see them. Trying my best to get my breathing under control, I did the one thing my instincts screamed at me to do: stay silent.

After a while, the noise stopped. Still trying not to make any sound, I slowly got up, something my back made known it did not want me to do. I powered through the pain, though; I'd been through worse. The torchlight I could see was stationary, which probably meant it was dropped. It also meant I could see, at least a little bit.

The silence was unnatural. Just moments before everything had been blown to hell, and then it was quiet again like nothing'd ever happened. If it wasn't for the torchlight I could see, I would have been concerned that I'd hallucinated the entire thing. The torchlight did tell me one thing, though: either a good portion of the group got away, leaving a few of their torches behind, or everyone was dead.

Vaike, Sully, Miriel.

I shook my head, my breathing growing in intensity. I refused to believe it. They weren't dead; they got away, I was sure of it. They just left a few torches behind. And left me behind too.

Whatever fell from that ceiling must've driven them off, and I sure as hell wasn't going to broadcast where I was. I still had no idea what pushed me over the bridge, either. It was better to keep silent.

They won't be coming back any time soon.

Grabbing my sword off the ground, I turned to the doorway nearby. They were the first doors we'd come across, and I was debating whether to open them or not. There was no way in hell I was going to climb to the top bridge; the stone was too smooth on it, and I doubted I'd be able to climb very well with my iron hand.

Step after agonizing step I took, approaching the door. In moments, I was there, with my iron hand pressing up against it. I looked back one more time. Maybe something in me hoped that Sully and the others would come back. A vain hope, maybe, considering I wouldn't be in any hurry to go back after I saw that thing tear someone apart.

It may have not been the best decision, but I decided to go through with it. Taking a deep breath, I braced both my arms against either side of the door and was weightier than I thought, and it made a horrible creaking sound, but I got it open. I pulled a spare torch from the pack I took with me, along with a piece of flint. There wasn't any way in hell I'd be able to see anything in front of me. The area in front of me was pitch-black.

Soon enough, I got another torch going strong. Adjusting the fingers of my iron right hand to grab the newly-lit torch, and a sword in my left, I stared down into the darkness.

There was no other way out but forward.

The silence was maddening.

When I was with the others, at least I had them to bounce back and forth with. Like always, it kept my own thoughts from getting the best of me. Obviously, it wasn't the case anymore. The structure of Khadein didn't help, either. The entire place felt more like a dungeon than a city. Maybe I was still in the same tower we descended from, but I had no way of knowing for certain.

In the end, the only things to keep me company were my sword and torch.

I kept an eye out for anything that resembled the monster that fell from the ceiling, but I didn't see anything the entire time I was trying to find a way out. Nothing but the same goddamn white stone as everywhere else. It was monotonous and did not improve my mood.

I took in a sharp intake of breath as I heard something scurry behind me. Quickly, I turned around, waving the torch around and pointing my sword in its direction. Speaking wouldn't exactly help me, so I stayed silent.

Nothing. Just the same empty corridor I'd been traveling down for the past fifteen minutes. Maybe I really was hallucinating the entire thing. It would have explained a lot.

Khadein was no ordinary dungeons; there were rooms leading to nowhere, filled with nothing, hallways leading to dead ends, hell, I wasn't even sure if I was going up or down half the time. Castle Ylisse may have been a maze, but at least it had reason to it, like somebody was realistically supposed to know their way around. Khadein was not that. The entire thing was alien.

Giggling. Behind you.

Calling it giggling would not be describing it properly. It was like somebody flanged their laugh in an audio recorder and played it backwards. I whipped around again, staring into the empty corridor. Nothing. Nothing at all. Just like last time. I was losing my goddamn mind. Shaking my head again, I turned back around.

Even if there was something behind me, I wasn't exactly in a good position to be trying to run after it. Considering what I saw the abomination from before do to a single guy, my chances probably weren't much better.

I didn't know how long I wandered those halls before finding something. It started as a small light, soft and colorful, down the end of a hallway. Squinting, and despite something in me saying that I should've turned around and found another way out, I walked forward.

Seconds later, I found myself outside. And not just any place outside, but a balcony overlooking Ylisstol itself.

The sight was as breathtaking as I remembered it. A glorious sunset outlined by faint white clouds. The light painted the buildings in a brilliant orange. Despite everything, it felt right, like I was finally home.

Of course, then I remembered that I should've still been below a frozen hellhole inside the depths of a giant ruin, and the smile that had been growing across my lips fell. It felt right, but it wasn't right. It was wrong. There was no possible way I could've been-

"Aww, yeah! Heya Alex!"

My eyes shot wide open, and a shuddering breath escaped me as I turned around. There was no way. It was impossible.

My lips moved of their own accord. "D-Donny?"

Just a slight bit shorter than me, with curly purple hair. He wasn't wearing his pot, but it was still him, in the flesh. The boy who died in my arms back during the war, standing in front of me like nothing had happened. Not even a small scar, except for the cross-shaped one on his cheek that was always there. He wore nice clothes, but he didn't exactly look comfortable in them.

"Ya alright there, Alex? Ya done look like you've seen a ghost!" Donnel said, bounding up to me. "Ma always said there ain't no ghosts, but, er, I don't wanna say nothin' bad 'bout ma, but I don't think I believe her. Coulda sworn I saws a ghost in my room once. Didn't say nothin', though. Ma'd get upset."

For seconds I was paralyzed as Donnel spoke to me. My mind blue-screened, uncomprehending of the sight in front of me.

"Donny. Donnel, is that really you?" I asked shakily, my lips thinning.

"Huh? 'Course I am! Ain't like I gone anywhere." Donnel looked at me strangely. "May've gotten through the war, but still haven't gotten 'nough glory, yeah? If I go home now won't be nothin' but a soldier! But anyway, thinks we gotta go back inside now. His Lordships wedding ain't done yet."

I lifted my right hand, trying to put a hand on his soldier to confirm he was really right in front of me, but I stopped once I caught a glimpse of iron. Looking down, I noticed my metal hand, faintly reflecting the light, as well as the torch it held.

And it really thought I'd fall for this?

"No," I growled, my grip on my sword tightening. "No, this isn't real."

"Huh? Don't right know what you're talkin' 'bout-!"

"I don't know what the fuck's going on here," I nearly shouted. "But please God, don't make me regret this!"

"Alex, what're you-!"

I snarled as I raised my sword and slashed down, right through the thing pretending to be Donnel. The sword cut through him easily, but no blood came forth. It was like cutting through hot wax, and when I'd cleaved all the way through him, both his upper body and lower body stayed in place, like they weren't affected by gravity.

Slowly, whatever it was that wore Donnel's face looked down, inspecting the damage, before looking back at me.

It smiled. The corners of its lips twisted upwards far past what a human face would allow. If it opened its mouth, it looked like its head would split open.

That same giggling I'd heard earlier reverberated through my skull as the world around me melted, along with the abomination in front of me. Once it was all gone, and all I could see was the same white stone of Khadein, I nearly collapsed.

My breathing came out in ragged gasps, heart pounding in my chest with no reprieve. I was horrified at what I'd just done, but I was glad I was right. I didn't kill Donnel, I told myself, I didn't kill Donnel. I'd attacked whatever had been wearing his skin.

A small flame burned in my chest. How dare it. How fucking dare it, spitting on Donnel's memory!

I stood straight up, staring behind me. "Whoever just made me do that, just know that when I find you, no healing magic or bullshit powers will be able to repair what I do to you."

No other way out but forward.

I'd come to the conclusion that Khadein was endless. Nothing but white stonework and empty rooms as far as I could see. I didn't know if that thing from earlier was still fucking with me. Despite the anger that bloomed in my chest, I still tried to find a way out. Despite my brave words, I knew that facing it directly would probably end with my death. Considering it could apparently fuck with my head so badly I nearly collapsed, I didn't want to take chances.

A part of me wondered at the fact that I could get so angry and vicious so quickly. Another part didn't care.

Every so often I'd hear scurrying or footsteps, punctuated by those same damn laughs and giggles from before. I hated that sound. I hated it with all of my being. Every time I heard it I had to stop myself from screaming and running to where it came from.

"Fuck this, fuck me, fuck you," I murmured to myself. "Fucking stupid goddamn ruin who the hell would even…!"

I walked in front of large archway, completely ordinary and just like several others I'd passed. Except this one blew a gust of cold air.

My torch went out, and I was swallowed by the clawing darkness.

"Fuck!" I shouted, falling to my knees and grabbing at my pack. "No no no no no! There's something out there right now and it's fucking everywhere burn damn you burn! Get the fuck away from me!"

With every strike at the stone sparks flickered, illuminating the surroundings for a moment. I swore I saw something, lurking nearby, swimming through the black like a serpent. Whatever it was, it had scales, oily scales like a fish. It spurred me on, striking the flint and stone together harder until finally, my torch reignited.

I was not where I used to be.

A battlefield stretched from horizon to horizon, bathed under a diseased red sun. There were bodies, so many bodies, laying on the ground, festering in the heat. I could hear screams in the distance. Men praying, if I was hearing correctly.

It was like all my nightmares were congealed and brought to life.

There was no way in hell I was going to be able to react calmly to that. I shouted, slamming my left hand into the ground. The pain was horrible, and yet despite that I forced myself up. I walked through the wasteland, staring at the blood and gore.

It was like looking at my reflection.

I only stopped moving when I saw a single body among a pile. Silver pegasus knight armor sullied with rust and blood, and scarlet hair matted and unkempt.

It's a dream. It's a dream. This isn't real. It's fucking with you again. Wake up. WAKE UP.

"Fuck you!" I screamed so loud it felt like I'd wake the dead. "This isn't real! You're doing it again, I know you are! Whoever the fuck you are, I swear to God, I'll kill you! I'll tear you apart with my bare hands!"

She moved. Stiff and rigid, she stood up, her legs acting more like stilts than limbs. Her face was twisted into a horrible grimace, blood trailing from her lips. One pervading thought echoed through my mind as I readied my blade.

This is what failure looks like.

My breaths came in gasps. My teeth were clenched so hard it felt like they'd start cracking under the pressure. Readying myself one last time, I closed my eyes, ignoring the tears I felt streaming down my face.

I shouted, charging forward with my eyes still closed.

My sword clanked against stone, and when I opened my eyes, I saw that I'd struck the white stone of Khadein again.

For a couple seconds, I just stood there. Dumbfounded. It wasn't real; it was just a vision, I kept telling myself. Just a vision. A hallucination. There was something around that was causing that. Something evil. And, by God, if I got my hands on it, I didn't care how strong it was, I'd do everything in my power to make it hurt. I would make it suffer.

I blinked, before whimpering and slumping against the white stone wall. Those thoughts almost didn't feel like my own, but I knew they were. They were just locked away. Nearly forgotten, but I knew they would never go away.

It was like taking a peek into my own mind. A war-torn battlefield. A failure. It was what would happen if we didn't win. Everyone, everything, dead and bleeding.

I did not like what I saw.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end, and through the tears I turned to my right to see something staring back at me. A serpentine body, and black eyes reflecting the light back to me. Its face, its fucking face, it was grinning at me. It had a mouth filled with too many teeth that glimmered like polished ivory.

In the blink of an eye, it vanished.

I shook my head, closing my eyes hard. I knew I had to keep going. There was no other way. If I stayed where I was that thing would be upon me. I didn't know why it was doing what it was. Making me easy prey? Because it was fun? Maybe it was for a reason I couldn't even comprehend. All I knew is that I wanted to get the fuck out of there. Get out of there and away from Khadein. Out of the cold, out of the dark.

My knees creaked as I forced myself up. The torch in my iron hand was the only thing keeping me from just collapsing and letting it end.

No other way out but forward.

My legs felt like molten lead had been poured into them, and there was still no end in sight. The hope of escape was slipping through my fingers like sand. The same, stark-white stone hallways and rooms trailed on for miles, it felt like.

I didn't even know how long I'd been wandering for. Time was funny like that; I could've been wandering for days, but it'd feel like hours. Or I could be wandering for hours, and it'd feel like days. With no way to tell time in that dark cesspit, it had little meaning. What mattered to me was the burning in my legs, the oppressive feelings, and the darkness that swelled around me like a tidal wave.

Light.

I knew better than to trust it. There was no way in hell it would've been that easy. Not after everything the fucking monster had put me through. Even then, my heart beat faster. My legs moved faster. At that moment, I'd do anything – anything – just to get out of there. Out of the darkness and away from the monster that shadowed my every step.

It was a faint light, like the sun was setting. Light draped every visible surface, bathing the world in an orange hue. A lot like what I'd seen before, only there was one major difference that grew more apparent the longer I stared ahead of me.

The bus' door closed, and for the first time in over a year, I heard an engine rev up. The red and white bus swerved out of the turn lane and onto the main road and sped away.

Blankly, I regarded the road in front of me, so familiar yet so alien. Black asphalt traced with white lines. They were meaningless to me, or at least they should've been. But I remembered. Looking farther ahead, I saw the houses of the development I used to live in.

It's not real it's not real it's not real it's not real it's not real

"No," I croaked out. "This… This isn't real. Whatever the fuck you are, there's no way you could- No fucking way!"

I swung my sword at the curb. It wasn't a person, but the visions had been dispelled every time I'd slashed something. My sword crashed against the concrete, chipping a few pieces off it, but I was still there.

My eyes widened, and I felt my breath leave me. "N-no. No, this is a fucking vision. Another one. There's no way this is real. This isn't real, fuck you!"

I swung again, chipping off more of the concrete. I couldn't tell what shape my sword was in, but I didn't care. Had to prove to myself that it wasn't real, that none of it was real. Yet no matter how many times I crashed my blade against the curb, nothing happened. The world, my old world, was just the same as it had been just a second before.

But was it a second? It felt like it'd been years.

"No," I rasped out, my gravelly voice failing me as I fell to the ground, my sword clattering to the ground. "There's… There's no way…" I could barely come up with the will to utter a strangled whisper.

Chrom, Robin, Vaike, Sully, Gaius, Frederick, Lissa, Stahl…

Cordelia.

That last one hurt the most. The memory of a beautiful silhouette flashed through my mind, outlined by the sky and sun.

Was it all a dream? It wasn't possible; I still had my iron hand and my sword, with all my armor, and yet, I was back. Back on that same bus stop that I'd stepped off of all those months ago. I'd lost it all, again. Everything. Everyone. All gone. Off into the void. All of the crap I'd been through, completely and utterly pointless.

Instead of rage, all I felt was grief. Sniffling, I sat against the curb, watching cars go by. The sound was so surreal, so wrong to my ears.

It was funny; a few short months before I wanted nothing more than to be back. When I actually went back, it felt wrong. Everything felt wrong.

It's screwing with you. This isn't real, boy scout.

It started as a small feeling, at first. With the warm breeze of early May caressing my form, I barely felt it. It grew, though, and it grew fast. A burning in my chest. Just like before. I didn't want to use it; it showed a part of myself I didn't like. Despite that, I kept it going, gave it fuel, and soon enough, it burst.

I looked up, tears streaming from my eyes again. Baring my teeth in a grimace, I slammed my left hand into the ground.

"Fuck you, whatever you are. Fuck you in your scaly asshole. This isn't real; it doesn't make any sense!" I stood up, screaming to the sky, the old rage building in my chest again. I hated it, but I needed it. There wasn't any other way I was getting through it. "You think you're gonna fucking break me, is that it? Do whatever mojo you got to try and make me just break the fuck down, huh? Am I stuck here until my mind snaps and I go ballistic? Well I'll fucking tell you a little something right now: that ain't gonna fucking work! There ain't a thing in this world or the nest that'll get me to break! Not while I still got you on my shit list!"

I picked up my sword, noticing a few nicks in the blade. Turning around, staring off into the distance, I readied myself.

For a couple seconds, nothing happened. The wind still went by, several cars drove pass me, the sun still hung low in the sky. For a brief second, I faltered. What if it was real? If I was back home?

If the illusion had been kept up for just a few seconds longer, I would've broken, despite my words.

The world melted. Like wax, or running paint, it dripped and fell to the floor. It puddled and vanished as if it was never there. Once more, I was within the white corridors of Khadein. With one major difference: the stone started shaking.

It was barely noticeable at first. I was a bit busy getting my emotions under control to really pay it any mind until it got worse. Soon, it felt like the entire ruin was coming alive, like it was just as angry as me. A horrible, low rumbling like a monster growling through bared teeth echoed through the halls. Safe to say, I couldn't get a handle on my raging emotions, not when the entire world feeling like it was falling apart around me.

Far down one end of the hallway, I heard something smashing through the stonework. It was so fast I barely had enough time to try and brace myself.

Whatever it was, it slammed into my chest, so strong that I went skidding across the floor and I heard the sound of my breastplate denting, and my armor scraping against the stone. My breath left me, and I struggled to get any amount of stale air into my lungs. I coughed and sputtered, feeling a thin trail of warmth drip from the corner of my mouth. The taste of iron stained my tongue.

Before I could even react, the thing grabbed me by my bent breastplate, lifting me up as if I weighed nothing at all. Struggling feebly, I tried to slash at it with my sword, only to feel it bounce off as if I was trying to cut into it with a butter knife, and it clattered to the ground. It slammed me against the wall, the sound of metal against stone once more ringing in my ears. It did it again, as if in anger, before stopping.

Luckily, my torch was still in my iron hand, and I could finally see the thing that'd been haunting my every step.

Of course, once I did, I wished that I didn't.

An angular, bright white smile was the first thing that greeted me; a mouth filled with way too many teeth, all fighting for space in its maw. A pair of eyes, so black it seemed to absorb the light cast upon it, stared at me with curiosity, like I was an interesting lab specimen. A lot like Miriel, back when we figured out I had zero magic in my blood. Oily black scales like a fish actively reflected the light, covering all that I could see of the abomination. Its face was easily the worst. It looked like a cross between a dog and a dragon, with that same snout that the body of Ransom had. From a certain angle, the monster looked like it was smiling. From another, it seemed to be grimacing or snarling.

I looked away, trying my best not to wretch in disgust. It didn't smell any better than it looked.

"Adult male, strong build," A voice, faintly female sounding, came from it. How the hell did it even talk without moving its mouth? "Prime candidate for transmogrification. Lack of right hand carries interesting potential. Enchantment, possibility. Yet, it was not broken in the pacification process. Mentality perhaps too strong? Or already broken?"

I coughed again, tasting iron at the back of my throat. What was it even talking about? Transmogrification? I didn't know what that was, but it didn't sound very appealing. Idly, I wondered at how strange it was to be lifted up like I was, although the straps on my breastplate were probably going to snap at any moment.

"Fuck… you…" I growled out feebly.

The creature snarled back. It was surreal; the way it sounded and the way it acted were completely different. It's grip on my breastplate shook, jostling me painfully. "Colloquialism. Used as insult. Often during the pacification process. Wonders if others of its ilk share its diction. No matter. Transmogrification will erase problematic personality. Good soldier."

What in the actual fuck.

I coughed again; I didn't know how much longer I'd last. "W-What the hell are you? I just wanna fucking…! Gah, fuck you…!"

"It wonders what the entity is," It rumbled, its head tilting to the side. Whether out of further curiosity or amusement I'd never be able to tell. "Elderly male before it asked similar query." Its head shook, its jaws shutting and closing several times. A weird chittering sound filled the air. "It will know in time. The entity is known as the Pontifex. Useless information. It will no longer be capable of independent thought, and thus will not ask pointless queries."

I clenched my teeth, attempting to get air into my lungs. I looked down, my torch still in my iron hand. The thing, the Pontifex, still appeared to be analyzing me. I tilted my head back up, looking at its eye.

It's worth a try, boy scout.

The Pontifex giggled, the same sound I'd heard when I wandered the halls. "Will bring it to Transmogrification Chambers. Process will take approximately thirty minutes, with a margin of error-"

I raised my right hand and jammed my torch into its right eye. A squelch, like somebody stepping onto an overripe tomato, filled my ears. Then, sizzling, as I felt liquid flow onto my arm. And then it began screaming.

I was dropped to the floor like a sack of potatoes, my knees instantly buckling once I reached the stone floor. The squelching, sizzling, and screaming were the only things that filled my ears. Faintly, I could also hear it stomping around, smashing the wall where I used to be.

I didn't know how much energy I had left, or if I'd even get very far if I did, but I got to my feet and began running anyway. I'd hurt it, and judging from the screaming, I'd hurt it bad. Even then, it'd still kill me if I stayed behind, and despite the white-hot anger in my chest, I wasn't stupid enough to try and attack it, especially when my sword did fuck all to it.

Another loud scream, that one sounding more like the roar of an angry god, rang through the halls. Once more, the very stone of Khadein came alive, shaking and vibrating as if the entire ruin was trying to upend itself. A low moaning came from deep within the ruin, spurring me on, to keep running, to finally get out of that god-forsaken ruin.

I think I just spoke with the thing that turned Ransom into a monster.

I didn't really have long to ponder that thought before I nearly ran straight into a giant hole into the abyss. My feet skidded along the ground, and I fell onto my ass just a foot away from the edge. Taking a few seconds to catch my breath, it caught in my throat when my gaze focused on what was in that hole.

There was a very faint light, coming from inside the giant hole, making it possible to even see them. They lined the side of it, hanging onto the walls with hook-like hands. What little else I could see made my tired heart jump into my throat. It looked like there were thousands of them, just hanging around in that chasm.

They look like that thing that fell from the ceiling. From before.

Khadein was still vibrating. Faintly. The low moaning became a distant noise that I could only hear if I stayed completely still. I had to get the hell out of there. I'd pissed off the apparent head honcho of Khadein and I doubted if it got its hands on me again it'd be gentle.

Looking around wearily, I saw a side passage, and I quietly walked towards it.

I collapsed a little while after I found the silo filled with monsters.

A pain had been building in my chest for a while, and if my legs felt like they were filled with lead before, they felt like concrete then. I could barely find the strength to move before I fell to the god-forsaken ground. I was able to crawl to the wall and sit against it. Tentatively, I began removing my breastplate. Hissing a bit as I got it off, I lifted my tunic to see my chest.

A veritable sea of black and blue greeted me. The scar from the war looked like a jagged crack in my body.

I quickly let my tunic down, laying my head against the wall, not even bothering to put on my breastplate again. It was basically busted beyond repair. At that point, I just wanted it to end.

Hearing voices, I slowly turned to my left to see a faint light down the corridor.

"N-no," I mumbled, shaking my head. "No, please God, no. I've had enough. Stop playing these goddamn games! Just fucking kill me!"

Neither the light nor the voices went away. Holding back tears of frustration and anger, I gently lifted myself off the ground. I walked down the corridor towards the light, ready to face whatever the abomination had in-store for me.

My eyes widened to the size of dinner plates once I saw people. A woman with short red hair in the front, and several others behind her. I went faster, nearly slamming into her once they were close enough.

"Well I'll be damned!" Sully exclaimed, lowering her torch a little and blinking, a smirk on her face. "Alex! I knew you wouldn't-!"

"H-hang on!" I coughed, walking – well, more like limping – towards her. She raised a brow before my fist met her face. I had to make sure it was actually her and not another illusion, after all. She let out a low growl, her head instantly snapping back to glare at me. "Oh! Oh thank God it's actually-!"

My world exploded in pain as a kick to my gut was her response. "The hell's gotten into ya!? Damned place made ya loony or somethin'!?"

I coughed a little more, before staring her in the eye. Feeling tears fall down my face unimpeded, I wrapped my arms around her in a hug.

"W-what the hell're you-?"

"T-thank you!" I whispered, trying and failing to get my emotions under control. "Thank f-fuck you're actually here! I-I thought I was… I thought I was finally starting to lose it…!"

After that, the only thing I could say was gibberish. Awkwardly, I felt a hand start patting me on the back, and I cried harder. I was surprised I still had enough water in me to even cry.

"Er… there, there? Gods, how do ya do that thing? Vaike, what the hell are you still doing back there? Get over here and help me out!" Sully barked.

"Was wonderin' what the hold-up was." I could hear Vaike coming up next to me, but I didn't really pay him any mind. "Guess he didn't fall into that chasm, but… er, he looks a little roughed up."

"You're the one who wanted us to come back for him; don't act like you're surprised!" Sully accused. "Now get over here, help me with him, and let's get the hell outta here. Place's still shakin' up somethin' fierce."

"Aye, I hear ya. Alright, c'mon, bud! Up 'n at 'em!" Vaike took one of my arms and put it over his shoulder, working with Sully to help me get moving. "Uh, which way we come in again?"

"Sir, that way!" One of the soldiers said, pointing in a direction I didn't bother looking. He looked familiar, though. Was it Derek?

Once I had a better handle on myself, I did notice that there were fewer men there than I remembered.

Slowly, but surely, I was dragged out of Khadein.

When I could finally feel cold, fresh air on my face again, I let out a sigh of relief.

You made it.

"Looks like it's night," Sully said.

"Really, what coulda told ya that?" Vaike replied.

"If we weren't helping his heavy ass, I'd-!"

"Er," My voice came out in a low rumble, "Guys, is that smoke?"

In the distance, in the direction of our camp, if I remembered correctly, I could see a trail of black smoke billowing into the cloudy and dark sky. The others took notice, and the murmurings of the men hung in the air.

"Ah, hell, what's gone wrong now?" Sully groaned. "Alright, you lot get going, we'll be right behind ya!"

"Y-yes ma'am!" One of the soldiers said, and they marched in front of us, their boots hitting the icy permafrost ground.

Once we got moving, I realized something. "G-guys, where's Miriel?"

"In the camp," Sully replied. "Came back up after that thing attacked us. Long story, let's just focus on gettin' ya some healing staves and vulneraries, yeah?"

I conceded her point with a small tilt of my head.

"Gods above!" I heard one of the men shriek in front of us. "T-those things! They're everywhere!"

…No, no it couldn't possibly…!

I saw it once Vaike and Sully pushed their way through the soldiers. The camp was in shambles, with a good portion of it burning. All around it, people were fighting with abominations; by the looks of it, the same ones I saw in the hole back in the depths. Scaly, with bodies like a cross between a dragon and a human. Screams and roars echoed through the nighttime air, tearing into the sky.

…This is hell.

Aight, uploaded this Chapter a week early. Mostly because I'm working now and next Saturday I gotta punch-in. So here we are! The schedule will probably become a little more flexible; if the next chapter doesn't come out next Saturday, it will come out the week after. Because I'm a crowd-pleaser, I guess.

Let me know what you thought of this Chapter in the reviews, or shout at me directly on our Discord. Whatever works.

Anyway, got some recommendations for you. First one up is Rigged from the Start by TheBobcat18. An SI into Awakening's bad future. Just got off the ground but I think it's really interesting so far! Another is one I've recommended before and actually should be updating soon after this Chapter called Heavy is the Head by DestructionDragon360. Seriously. Read it. It's an AU with Frederick as the ruling monarch with Chrom and Lissa as his retainers. Plz. It's gud.

Here's our Discord server: discord .gg/9XG3U7a

Next chapter should come out next week. See you all then!

Edited on 3/2/21 I'mma do all these Khadein chapters today, I've decided.