Chapter 2) Quiet Healing

It took a couple of days, but eventually, I learned we were in Moonbrook, a quiet village somewhere in the Jungby territory. The house itself was located on the outskirts of the village, once abandoned but now their home. Apparently, they had only been living here for a year and a half, and they had traveled and camped frequently prior to moving here. I wondered if it was because of Fja… of Vala, but I don't ask. Instead, I quietly try to not be a burden and help out where I can. It isn't much. I know nothing of surviving outside of a castle.

Ha… isn't it funny? I go from helpless in the castle to helpless in the wilderness. Truly, I am the most proper of ladies.

"Hezul, you don't have to hold yourself so rigidly," I whispered, carefully cleaning his injuries. My hands shook as I did, due to my own nervous. I had never taken care of anyone's wounds before. Galle had never wanted me to get blood on my 'pretty dresses', aside from when he made me kill Andrea. "If I am doing something wrong, you merely need to say so."

"You're not doing anything wrong," Hezul protested. However, he continued sitting as if we were at a formal dinner and Galle had once again threatened to add someone's blood to the soup in response to an insult. "At least, I don't think so. I haven't had my woulds tended to like this before. Normally when I was wounded, Galle would force the healers to use their strongest healing staves."

"That is true." It was the strangest thing, really. Galle delighted in Hezul's fighting, took great pride in his ability to kill things, but would have a borderline panic attack every time Hezul came back injured. Often, he would throw the other injured out off the infirmary and force the healers to tend to Hezul first. I had seen quite a few patients bleed out because of it; I knew Hezul had seen more. "You can still relax, though."

"We are in unknown territory, technically surrounded by strangers, when knights can show up at any moment because they were bored or because they were following us, and I am without my armor and sword." He smiled slightly at me, and I had to smile back, acknowledging his point. "I am afraid that 'relaxing' is not something I will be doing for a while."

"Well, I suppose you do have the luxury of being a difficult patient." It was a weak attempt at a joke, but he laughed anyway. "Are you hurting?"

"It's nothing."

"So, you are."

"I will point out that you are poking repeatedly at my wounds. I think me being in pain is a good sign."

"Oh. That… makes sense." I truly didn't know what I was doing. Honestly, the others would be better choices for this job, but Hezul had asked me specifically, and I could never refuse him. He rarely asked me for anything, and he would have been in a much better situation if he hadn't needed to protect me on our flight. "I am sorry."

"We're both very much out of our depth here." His eyes darted to the window, reacting to a sound I couldn't hear. "Where are the others?"

"Vala is out in the village, doing medicinal runs. Baldur is cleaning the dishes and kitchen from breakfast. Noba and Dain are practicing with their lances."

"Ah, so the clacking is likely Noba and Dain."

"It always amazes me how keen your hearing is."

"Was it that keen when we were children? I honestly can't remember."

"It was. You saved me once because of it."

"The… oh, when you twisted your ankle by the river." He smiled softly as the memory returned. I was glad; it was one of my most precious memories. "I was the first one to find you because I heard you calling for help."

"No one else heard me, so you became my knight in shining armor and came to my rescue."

"So I did. If only the armor remained shining, huh?"

"…You have always been my knight, Hezul, with or without 'shining' armor." I smiled reassuringly at him. He stared for a moment before looking away. "Though, that does make it more aggravating that I cannot seem to help you in return."

"You're cleaning my injuries right now." He still didn't look at me, but his hand did come up to touch mine. "I would say that is you helping me."

"Well, yes, but…"

"Hey, everything okay in here?" There was a knock of the door before it opened to reveal Baldur. "Hello!" he greeted, smiling warmly. He politely waited until Hezul nodded before actually walking in, and set a ceramic jar on the small nightstand by the bed, right next to the medical kit I was using. "Sorry to barge in, but I almost forgot. Vala instructed me to give this to you." He studied Hezul, his smile fading slightly. "But wow, you are covered in scars, Hezul. I've seen knights with less."

"I've done my share of fighting over the years," Hezul replied neutrally. Everyone had been kind enough to not ask about our pasts, or why we were on the run from imperial knights. But that didn't mean Hezul and I weren't deathly worried it would come up. "What is this? The jar, I mean."

"It's a balm to help ease aches. She's been worried about that injury right by your hip joint." He pointed at it for emphasis, as if we could forget the gaping hole in Hezul's side. It was the wound I had been trying to clean. "Gods, they got you good."

"I believe I got them better. I live, and they do not."

"True. But seeing that injury, I'm extra glad that those knights didn't have the emperor's Black Knight among their number." Baldur said the words lightly, but both Hezul and I tensed. "You would've been slaughtered and torn to pieces. No offense."

"None taken, but I don't think I am in danger of the Black Knight's sword." Hezul kept his voice carefully polite. I knew only I could hear the unease. "He stays near Emperor Galle, after all."

"True, but you know the stories. Be wary of walking alone, lest the Black Knight take you. He listens to the emperor above all else." Baldur shrugged, smiling again. I held perfectly still and didn't let my discomfort show. "Wow, that was gloomy. Anyway, I'm going to be doing some mending and laundry before work. So, where are your dirty clothes?"

"They are in the corner there," I replied, pointing for emphasis. Hezul borrowed some of Dain's clothes, while I borrowed some of Vala's. Our old ones were deemed 'rags' and taken from us. Hezul and I didn't mind too much. "We weren't quite sure where else to put them."

"Don't worry about it," Baldur reassured. He made to touch my shoulder, but withdrew when I unconsciously flinched. Galle had once cut off someone's arm because they had touched me without his permission. "It's better than Dain! He tends to leave his wherever they happen to end up. He once lost a shirt because it somehow ended up on the top of the door and we didn't notice because we rarely close the door all the way." He gathered up the clothes and winked. "I'll be in the living room for a while, so yell if you need anything, okay?"

"We will." I waited for him to leave and close the door behind him before I let my posture relax. "Well, that was…"

"I'm lucky the Black Knight was not there huh?" Hezul whispered. He laughed bitterly, shaking his head. "Ha, if only he knew. But if they did, I doubt they would be so kind, especially if they use stories of me to keep their children behaving."

"Vala knows," I gently reminded, going back to cleaning his injuries. I tried not to think of how that reassurance sounded hollow, even to my own ears. "Still, I wonder where 'ripped to pieces' came from. Brutal as your fighting style may be, you prefer clean kills that minimize how long they must suffer."

"Well, most consider me Galle's attack dog. I imagine it comes with a 'vicious' imagery."

"You are no dog, Hezul."

"I was close enough. I have the scars to prove it."

"...Yes, I suppose you do." I was used to the sight, of course, but I could see why most would be surprised at seeing them. Hezul's torso and arms were covered with scars, most gained through the gladiator games Galle forced him through. "You will likely have a new one from this side injury."

"I expected that. Hel is a pain."

"It is." I could never decide whether it or Fenrir terrified me most. Hel brought the target to death's door, but Fenrir was an infection. "It is a shame that we don't really have a counter to it or the other dark magics." I knew from my history studies that there had once been 'light magic', but one of the first things the First Emperor had done is destroy most knowledge of it. He hated that there was any magic 'equal' to his dark magic. Thus, there were no light tomes, as far as I knew. I could be wrong. It wouldn't surprise me. "Wouldn't that be hilarious, though? I wonder how long the empire would last if there were weapons equal to the Loptyr tome."

"Who knows? We never will. There aren't any, and there won't ever be."

"That is true." I found myself distracted when I noticed something off. "I don't recognize this scar." I rested my hand on a scar right over his heart, still a bit pink to show it was very new. "Where did it come from?"

"Hmm? Oh, that's because it's not from a fight or anything." Hezul shrugged, unbothered. "Galle did it."

"Galle did?" That startled me. Despite everything else he had done, he had never physically attacked us. He had attacked those around us, inflicting mental and emotional wounds, but nothing physical. "Why? Do you even know?"

"He wanted to turn me into a Deadlord." Again, Hezul said the words nonchalantly, but I went cold from sheer terror. "Apparently, some of the priests talked of reassigning me once you and Galle were married. I don't know why. But he heard, panicked, and freaked out. Thankfully, he calmed down when I reminded him that I served him, not the priests."

"I see…" I had known the possibility. I knew it was Hezul's most probable fate if he was caught. But to know that it had truly almost happened and that I had been completely unaware… it made my heart ache bitterly and it made it hard to breathe. "That is..."

"Hey, don't look so sad." Hezul hesitated before touching my cheek, his thumb brushing over my cheek. "I'm fine."

"You always say that." I knew it wasn't true most of the time. "You said it even after…" My fingers moved to an old scar next to that new one, one of his oldest. It was from the duel he had with his brother. Hezul hadn't wanted to, of course. Neither had Mimir, his brother. But Galle had wanted it, and he took Eir, their younger sister, hostage to force them. So, they had fought in the arena, to a cheering crowd, and Hezul had won. He had decapitated Mimir to ensure he couldn't become a Deadlord, while Mimir had almost run him through. It had been the first public battle Hezul had ever fought, the battle that solidified him as the Black Knight, best friend and most loyal knight of Galle the Seventeenth.

We learned afterwards that Eir had been killed prior to the duel, along with Hezul's parents and most of his house's servants. Galle had wanted to show off Hezul's battle prowess and Galle had grown tired of how Hezul's family kept 'stealing' him from the palace. So he had devised a scheme to get both things, and won. I knew that if my family hadn't had the 'grace' to die when I was young, Galle would have concocted something similar to deal away with them.

"Galle is going to be searching for us," I whispered, tracing the old scar. I remembered that duel very vividly. That had been the moment where Hezul and I realized that the Galle we had known would never come back. All we had was this deranged person wearing his face, and we were trapped. "If his people find us, they will slaughter everyone here."

"Yes, they will," Hezul agreed. He reached up again to grip my hand. "We need to leave."

"You can't. These injuries…" A quiet part of me, the child-me, wanted to cry. But crying never solved anything. Crying just led to Galle panicking and killing people in the hopes of 'killing whoever made me sad'. "You have to rest. You are human, Hezul, no matter how much the rumors paint you as a demon."

"I wish I was the monster they thought I was. Life would be so much easier if I were." Cautiously, he rested his head against my shoulder. "I'm tired."

"I know." Hesitating briefly, I hugged him tightly, knowing the words for what they truly were. He was tired of fighting. He was tired of hurting. He was tired of living with so much guilt. He was tired of knowing there was nothing he could do to atone. I knew because I felt it too. "I am here for you, Hezul. If you leave, please let me know."

"I'm not leaving you until things are safe." We both knew that would be 'never'. "I will never leave you alone to deal with him. Never."

"We are the biggest idiots of Jugdral."

"We truly are."

I continued holding him until exhaustion took him and he fell asleep. It was strange to be able to touch and hug him so freely. I unconsciously checked over my shoulder, just in case Galle somehow materialized and both Hezul and I had to rapidly explain away anything he thought he saw. I didn't know what to do, really. All I could do, for now, was do my best to take care of him. He deserved far kinder treatment than the world had given him. Of course, he wasn't the only one. All of Jugdral deserved better, and it was all too clear what life thought of that. Nothing.

There was exactly one skill of mine that was useful outside of the court. Because I was nobly born, and because I was Galle's fiancé, I had been given only the best of tutors for my lessons. This meant that I could read, I could write, and I was very good with mathematics. Thus, I could help with budgeting. It was a tiny thing, but it made me happy. It made me feel not quite as useless.

"Thanks so much for doing that for us, Gwyneth!" Noba laughed. "All that math just make me dizzy!" She danced about the kitchen, making lunch for Vala, herself, and me. Baldur and Dain were out working, and Hezul was asleep. "Vala, where did you put the-?"

"Cupboard above the sink," Vala replied, not looking up from her work. She and I were both seated at the table while Noba cooked, and she was carefully making medicines, slowly measuring and grinding herbs. "Where it always goes."

"But I don't see… oh! It's hiding! Thanks!" There were a few grunts and then there was the sound of something falling. "Oops."

"Please tell me you didn't break something."

"Noooo…?" There was a very long pause and Vala stop measuring just long enough to facepalm. She accidentally left bits of dried herbs in her hair and bits of beeswax on her cheek. "Nope! Not broken!"

"Oh, good, we don't have to buy replacements again."

"Don't push the herbs so far in the back!"

"You think I did that? I'm the shortest one in the group." Vala returned to her medicine making. I just tried to focus on the budgeting, not quite sure how to react. "I blame Dain, on the account that he's the tallest person in our little family. I can't even reach that cupboard without climbing onto the counter."

"Oh, right. Though, is Dain still the tallest? Hezul's really tall too, isn't he?"

"Hezul is Baldur's height, as you should know. You're the one who helped carry him in."

"Well, I wasn't exactly paying attention to his height. I was worried about all the blood." There was another loud 'thump' sound and a yelp. "Ow…"

"Everything okay in there?"

"Yes, though I'm trying to figure out how that bowl fell on my head." Noba whimpered and I half-stood, worried. Vala just shook her head with a small smile, telling me that this was common. "Oh, whatever. Nothing is broken."

"Good. I'd rather not make Gwyneth have to redo her budgeting while she's still doing it."

"Not today!" Noba laughed. "Though, according to the Baldur the merchants are complaining."

"They're always complaining. What is it this time?"

"The Imperial Wedding, which was going to be super profitable for a lot of them, got delayed. Apparently, the Quiet Princess is ill or something?" Noba hummed a little bit. I tried to not flinch. "I wonder if she simply didn't want to mingle with others. She never leaves the castle, right?"

"Oh, gods, I hate those rumors." Vala's reply was quick and surprisingly fierce. I actually looked up to stare in shock, but she continued her work without even glancing at me. "Trust me, she's literally trapped inside the castle. Galle hates when other people admire her, and she's gorgeous. Always has been, really."

"Wait, really?"

"That she's pretty?"

"About the confined thing, dummy."

"Oh, that. Yeah, she's forbidden to leave the innermost part of the castle, where only those Galle likes can see her. The wedding probably would've been the first time she was allowed outside those inner wings in… five years?"

"That's horrible!"

"Yeah. Galle is absolutely insane, and he… well, he doesn't so much 'love' as 'obsess'. Or, so I think." Vala paused to check a measurement. I tried to not wince at how accurate the words were. "He's obsessed with his fiancé and her beauty. He's obsessed with his best friend and his ability to kill things. So, they're always near him. He won't let them leave." She started mixing up her things, adding some water to make it into some sort of paste or balm. At least, I assumed. I had no idea, and I was too surprised by the defense to ask. "It sucks at the court. I wouldn't be surprised if she was feigning illness just to try and put it off a little more."

"I wouldn't blame her!" Noba whimpered. "Oh, I feel horrible now!"

"Don't. It's not something people outside the court would have any idea about."

"I suppose." The smell of something very delicious started wafting from the kitchen, hinting that Noba was almost done. "I wonder if she'll ever be able to escape. No one should be caged like that." Noba went back to humming, apparently not expecting a reply. Vala certainly didn't try to continue the conversation.

I, however, had to at least say something. "That was kind of you to say," I murmured, double-checking my math. Vala simply shrugged, a pale blush dusting her cheeks. "Really, that was…"

"I know I called you two 'pets', but don't think I don't remember the kindnesses you two showed," she murmured. She looked up to smile slightly. "I remember how, when I accidentally stumbled into your room without permission, you lied and told Galle that you snuck me in because we were friends. You and I had never met before then."

"I couldn't let you die just for getting lost." I sighed, remembering that day. Things had felt much more hopeful, back then. "That was also back when I thought Galle could go back to 'normal'. I was a lot bolder then."

"I'm going to give you the same advice Baldur gave me when I started feeling guilty. Don't feel ashamed for getting tired when you were fighting a war." She reached over and, after waiting for me to nod, patted my hand. "Let's be honest; that court was a battlefield. It even had blood staining everything."

"I… suppose." I went back to my numbers, not quite sure how to reply. Thankfully, Vala seemed too embarrassed to say more, so we simply sat in this strange silence while Noba finished cooking. It wasn't awkward, but I couldn't place the right descriptor for it.

I still hadn't found one by the time Noba entered the living room, balancing three bowls of soup and half-singing a song I had never heard. Vala and I both rushed to help her, and we worked together to clean off the table to properly eat. As we did so, I realized something, something that was confirmed when we actually sat down and ate. While I had much fancier foods in the past, nothing could compare to this simple meal. The warmth in it, and the smiles that accompanied it, made the meal the best one I had ever had.

That evening, after Dain and Baldur returned from work, I found myself panicking. Why? Dain had insisted on having me, not Noba, help him cook and I had no idea what I was doing. I had absolutely no idea.

"You wanted these… what was it again?" I asked hesitantly, staring at whatever vegetable was on the cutting board. I thought it might be a potato, but honestly, considering how out of place I felt, it could have been anything. "Diced?"

"Yes, so I want you to cut them into cubes," Dain explained. He casually chopped up an onion under some cold water. I wondered how he managed it without slipping, chopping off his fingers, or crying. I had always been under the impression that chopping onions always led to tears. "Like the dice used for gambling."

"I am afraid I have never seen these mythical dice you speak of." The sarcasm came with startling ease, and though I was about to apologize, he simply laughed. "Why is it that you are having me help you, instead of Noba?"

"Well, you and Hezul plan on leaving as soon as he heals, yes?" He said the words quietly and reached over to correct my grip on the knife. "I would prefer that at least one of you has some cooking ability when that happens."

"Ah." Somehow, I wasn't surprised he had noticed. "Do the others know?"

"I'm sure they suspect. But I see how Hezul tries to push himself, and how you constantly check how your feet are healing." He showed me how to hold the vegetable to keep it steady while I 'diced'. "Now, with that said, you are more than welcome to live with us. We certainly do not mind. I imagine Noba will be quite sad when you leave."

"She gets sad?"

"She does. She just prefers being cheerful."

"I see." I thought about it. I truly did. They were wonderful, for all that they were confusing. But then I thought about Galle's obsessions. I thought of all the things he had done in the past, just out of fear we would leave. Now that we had, I had no doubts he was putting a lot of effort in finding us. I had no doubts he would slaughter everyone in the path. "It will be a lot safer for you when Hezul and I leave."

"No place is safe, Gwyneth. This is the Loptyrian Empire, after all."

"But you will be safer without us near."

"You seem so certain." However, he didn't press and I refused to elaborate. Instead, I attempted to 'dice' the vegetable. I decided it was actually a potato, based on the insides. "Gwyneth, do you want to learn lances?"

"Pardon?"

"Lances. Do you want to learn?" He finished chopping the onions and moved to cut up some carrots. "Noba would love teaching you, and a dagger is only good for defending yourself if you are very good at it."

"The knife isn't there to defend me." The words were out before I could stop them, and it horrified me to be so frank. Dain's worried look only made me feel worse. "Am I doing this right?"

"…Yes, but you should move your hand to lessen the chances of cutting your fingers. Blood isn't a very good seasoning."

Though he continued to look worried, he let the topic drop, instead focusing on teaching me. Whenever I made a mistake, he easily explained why and showed me the correct way. When I did something right, he smiled and praised me. It was the most bizarre thing, really. I had never been taught in such a kindly manner before. It made me eager to keep on learning, and I was almost sad when the soup was finished, because that meant the lesson was over.

"And that is a job well done, or so I think," Dain declared with that kind smile. His hand fell on my hand and I stiffened, almost yelping. But then I realized he was ruffling my hair, a gesture of affection I had only seen from a distance, among the commoners I could see when looking out my room's window. "Gwyneth, remember what I said. Both about the lances, and about staying. You are always welcome with us." He reached up to the cupboards and got bowls for all of us. "Here, let's get everyone's portions before they stampede the kitchen. I'm sure Baldur is already plotting."

Choosing to not reply, I helped Dain bring the bowls out for everyone, and I couldn't help but blush when Vala, Noba, and Baldur all complimented me. I tried to protest, insisting that Dain did most of the work, but Dain decided to join in on the praise, teasing Noba that I was a more coordinated helper than her. The praise, and my embarrassment, died down as we all began to eat, but that was mostly because I had no idea what to do with a meal so lively. They talked and laughed with an ease I had never seen, and they frequently included me in it, no matter how awkwardly I replied. It made me uncomfortable, because it was just so different, so I finished quickly and seized the first chance I had to take food to Hezul. Of course, he knew I was bothered as soon as I walked in the room. He always knew my moods.

"Is everything all right?" he asked as he took the bowl from me. I sat down on the bed next to him on the bed, just in case he needed help eating. "You're flustered."

"I simply have no idea how to…" I began. I paused though, struggling to think of the words I wanted. "They are so kind. I honestly had no idea such kindness still existed."

"It feels a lot like we dropped into another world, doesn't it?"

"Yes, it does. Though it could also be a very lovely dream." I watched as he began eating, feeling nervous suddenly. "H-how is the soup?"

"Is that a stutter?" He glanced up worriedly. "You never stutter."

"Please, just answer the question."

"It's good. It's very good. Why?"

"I helped make it?" I smiled shyly, and he stared for a moment before smiling back, amused. "Don't say a word."

"I said it was good."

"You were going to tease me."

"Me? Tease? Never."

"I don't believe you."

"I'm hurt!"

"Eat your soup, Hezul."

"Yes, yes." As Hezul began eating again, his eyes darted towards the door. I looked as well, and just caught sight of Baldur and Vala peeking inside. I wondered why they were spying, but then realized they were simply checking in on us. After a moment, Noba and Dain also poked their heads in, making sure Hezul was able to keep down the food. It startled and touched me. They took such care of us, strangers who only brought trouble and danger to them.

Yes, Hezul and I had to leave. I couldn't bear it if they were killed. The world needed their kindness, if it was to have any chance. It needed them far more than it needed Hezul and me.

Our Group:

· Gwyneth

o 19 years old

o Fiancé of Galle the Seventeenth. Was engaged to him at three years old. Has known Hezul since she was a year old.

o Few people know her face, or even her name, due to her being imprisoned in the innermost wings of the palace. Only those Galle favored were allowed to see her.

o Quiet, and desperately tries to be agreeable to avoid conflicts, terrified of causing trouble

· Hezul

o 21 years old

o Best friend and former bodyguard of Galle the Seventeenth. Has known Galle since he was five years old. Has known Gwyneth since he was three years old

o Few know his face or name due to the face-concealing helmet he wore with his armor and being simply known as the Black Knight. Famous for his 'loyalty' to Galle, to the point of killing his own brother on Galle's orders.

o Covered in scars from the numerous battles Galle has put him through, and will only let Gwyneth or Galle near when he is injured.

· Noba

o 18 years old

o Dain's younger sister. Their parents died when they were young, and they were raised by their neighbors and the rest of their home village. At least, until it was razed to the ground by Loptyr Priests for refusing to pay 'tribute'.

o Taught lancework by a retired knight back home, and continues her training with Dain

o Though she is the second-best cook of the group, because of her cheer and enthusiasm, she comes off as a bit of a klutz.

· Baldur

o 20 years old

o Childhood friend of Dain and Noba, and has known them for fifteen years. He was raised with them, and he very much considers them his family.

o Picked up swords primarily to help keep Noba and Dain safe, and because he wanted an advantage against the bandits who attempt to ambush travelers and villages

o Though he's often wary because of all the danger in the world, he always insists on helping people because people helped him in the past

· Dain

o 22 years old

o Noba's older brother. After their parents died, he learned how to cook from the village women to help take care of his sister and Baldur. He also did many chores, which is why he's adept at so many things.

o Like Noba, learned lances from a retired knight who lived in their home village.

o Very observant, but tends to keep them to himself unless it involves life or death

· Fjalar; Vala

o 17 years old

o Survived her family's massacre because her father threw her through a secret tunnel and she managed to burn the few priests that followed. Baldur and Noba found her bleeding and took her in.

o Learns medicinal herbs partly because she knows no other way to help people. Court skills have no use outside of the court.

o She does, however, also use her connection to the fire spirits, the pixies, to sense for danger in the vicinity and to check if strangers are to be trusted. She doesn't do this for Gwyneth and Hezul, however, because she trusts them.

Author's note: Ah, nice quiet chapter. For the time being, the bios are, more or less, going to change a little bit in each chapter as Gwyneth learns more about them, fleshing out their pasts a little bit more. Hezul killing his brother is a reference to Hod, the blind god of Norse mythology who, after being tricked and guided by Loki, killed his brother with a mistletoe (Mystletainn) arrow (or spear; I've seen both). For extra fun, 'Loptr' is an alternate for Loki, and Loki has three children in the myths: Hel, Fenrir, and Jormungandr, which are the names of the three non-Loptyr dark magics used in FE4 (Jormungandr has an alternate translation as Yotsmungand).

For the record, 'Eir' is the name of a Norse goddess and/or valkyrie associated with medical skill whose name means 'help' or 'mercy'. Mimir is a figure from Norse mythology known for his knowledge and wisdom, who was beheaded. Odin carries the head with him and it recites secret knowledge and counsel (yes, Odin carries around a severed head as an advisor).

Next Chapter – Escape