I've given up on explaining the hiatuses. This chapter was hard to write, okay?

This chapter is the equivalent of traumatized corn bread. (Because it's corny and traumatic)

(cue cymbal crash)

Comments!

A very obsessed fangirl: I'll answer the last statement with a poem I just came up with called "The Rock".

Where the rock goes,

Nobody knows,

But I really hope it doesn't land on my toes.

(this also applies to dwayne johnson)

MarellaIsTheBest: Eating cliffhangers is very easy. You just need to cover them with mountains of spicy mustard so your tongue burns off and you don't have to eat them anymore.

Guest: But what if Alden was really a giant intelligent bunny? He's not, by the way, but the reaction would be the same.

Idk: Fitz is dead, and Biana sadly is real. Sorry about that.

bookhawks: I really wish I had Sophie say that at the end of last chapter.

TheBackedUpT-Rex: Sparkles can be evil too.

Now, on with the much delayed story!

Twenty-Six

The world had never seemed so surreal.

There she was, Sophie Foster, sitting on the literal edge of the abyss after, at least to her, a seemingly impossible chain of events had just happened. She decided to do a quick mental recap to keep her brain from exploding.

A. Biana was a spy.

B. Biana is now a dead spy.

C. Her adrenaline, which had previously been keeping the brain-melting grief from Biana's betrayal at bay, was gone, and she was currently in the process of serious emotional upheaval.

D. Dex, who had literally killed Biana, was probably currently going even more insane in his brain then she was, considering that Biana was his girlfriend.

So, a normal day in the lost cities essentially.

Sophie and Dex just stayed there, panting and staring into the void for a while. Finally, after her emotions had numbed, Sophie managed to muster a few words.

"Dex, I'm... so sorry."

Dex collapsed to ground and turned to look at her. "I can't believe it," he mumbled to himself. "I didn't want to believe it."

"Are you... okay?"

Dex looked back into the seemingly endless void below them. "As okay as I was when I threw that rock, Sophie. I killed her. I killed Biana."

Sophie put her hand on his shoulder. "You did what you had to do, Dex. It was lucky that you came."

Dex looked back at her. "No, you don't understand, Sophie."

"I always had a suspicion, ever since I got closer to Biana, but it was so tiny, so meek, so insignificant, I just ignored it. Shrugged it off as crazy. There was no proof, I told myself."

"But there always was a little nagging feeling I had in the back of my mind, that told me something was off. That something wasn't right."

"I thought it was a side effect of being a telepath, and I was right in a way, because that feeling was my subconscious mind picking up on her thoughts. I just didn't realize until now. When I heard the groupings, I-" Dex stopped, as if he caught himself from saying something important. "Let's just say I had my reasons."

"Dex, why did you come? It seemed like you were getting to that."

Dex looked away again. "It's fine. Nothing to be concerned about."

Suddenly, Sophie heard two voices she hadn't heard in a very long time.

Sophie...

It's us.

The mind,

and the heart.

We're barely alive right now.

Your mental and emotional state has been wrecked to the point of no return.

Before we go, we must leave you with one final message.

The heart and mind chanted in unison, as one.

The cave... with tam, where you caused his mind ill,

You must repeat the same drill,

To Dex, who is having a mental complex,

Or the things that must be said never will.

Sophie knew what she needed to do.

Sophie took a deep breath.

"Dex, why did you come?"

"It's nothing."

"Tell me."

"No, really Sophie, I'm good."

"Tell me why."

"For the last time, no."

"Tell me!"

"No!"

"Please, Dex!"

"No!"

"Tell me! Come on!"

Dex looked at her furiously, stood upright with tears in his eyes, and looked straight at her. "It was you! I came because... I couldn't live if anything happened to you, even if it meant taking out Biana, okay? I still have feelings for you, Sophie! There! You heard it! Are you happy now? Are you?"

Sophie didn't respond, too busy staring in shock at Dex, who looked like he was breaking down.

"The reason I came, the reason I threw that rock was that when I saw Biana hold that knife to your throat, I couldn't stand to know that you were in danger. I wouldn't be able to be happy without you, and I just cracked! I had true feelings for Biana, but I loved you more! You've supported me through everything, been by my side, and you're the only person other than Jensi who treats me other than a mechanic on the sidelines! That kiss didn't do anything but break my heart! Keefe told me that you told him, and guess what? The so-called "Spark of true love" could've proved that we weren't the perfect match, but it can't and didn't make my feelings go away! Especially if the person in question is one of the only people who treats me with respect! My feelings for you didn't just magically go away! Knowing now that you didn't like me back, I just had to bottle them away, and focus on other ones so we could remain friends. But they still never went away!"

Sophie sat there, wide-eyed, absorbing the information filtering through her brain.

Dex sighed and sat down again. "I needed to get that out. Well, now you know."

Sophie's brain had achieved the ultimate mental overload. Instead of feeling shock, she felt strangely at peace, her brain just having given up. Sophie looked at Dex, broken and hurt. He looked down at the ground, fists clenched. "You're free to go if you want to. I wouldn't blame you," he said.

Sophie took his hand, with tears in her eyes. "You really broke your own heart for me?"

"I just... really care about you."

Sophie looked him the eyes. "Screw the spark, Dex. I don't think anyone else I know would put themselves through what you went through for me."

"Sophie, what are you saying-"

Before Dex could finish his sentence, Sophie had him ensnared in a kiss. It seemed to last longer than time itself before she let go.

Dex was stammering. "Wha-wha-what was that?"

Sophie held both of his hands. "My new feelings for you."

Dex smiled the biggest smile she had ever seen. "I love-"

But before he could finish his sentence, a hand wrapped around his neck, choking him. Behind Dex was a bloodied, bruised, and severely bleeding Biana, still holding her pocketknife.

Biana tightened her grip. "Miss me? I got caught on a ledge and climbed back up. I'm dying right now, but I'm going to take you with me, Pookie-dookie.

Under different circumstances, Sophie would've laughed her head off.

Dex flailed, but Biana's grip was too strong. Sophie rushed to fight her, but in the split second it took her to get to her, Biana managed to launch herself off of the cliff, with Dex in her arms. Sophie raced to the side, and desperately tried to hear Dex's thoughts. She heard a brief second of panic, and then complete silence. He was dead.

This chapter has been brought to you by Torture For Everyone™. We torture everyone, the characters and the fans waiting for more!

(But in all seriousness I don't intentionally torture you guys with hiatuses, just with cliffhangers. I don't like torturing the characters either, but it's necessary for the plot).