Well, uh... hehe... hi guys... here's the next chapter? Now I know that you're all probably quite pissed with me for not updating in... well... forever, but at least it wasn't as long as last time. Right? Right? I don't have much else to say. I'm honestly sorry that it took so long to update again. I can't promise that next time I'll update within a few weeks, I've just started university, and my time only looks to get busier, as I take up music again after a 6 month break and look for a new job. But I'll try to update as much as I can. This story only has a couple more chapters left, so it shouldn't take too much time to finish this story. I hope to have it finished by June, because I really want to start on my next two stories before this year is over.

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Thank you all so much, and I hope that this chapter makes up for the huge wait between updating times.
Disclaimer: don't own Naruto. Do own this story.
Dedication: All my reviewers, naturally. And ice cream. I like ice cream :)

Chapter 20

.:{*}:.

Shadows in the Dark

Sakura POV

.:{*}:.

It was barely dawn when a soft knocking on my chamber door woke me. I groaned and stretched, before letting sleep enfold me once again.

Knock knock.

My eyes fluttered in frustration, silently willing whoever was on the other side of the door to go away. Once there was silence, I rolled over and once again tried to sleep.

"Sakura," Neji's voice hissed from the other side of the door. "Sakura wake up. I know you can hear me. Wake up."

Letting out an annoyed huff of air, I sat up drowsily. "What do you want, Neji?" I asked, yawning and rubbing the sleep from my eyes, dimly questioning why on earth Neji would be seeking me out at all.

"Come here, Sakura. I will not converse with you through a door."

I glared at the door before standing up to open it. On the other side, an alert and dressed Neji stood. An amused expression worked its way onto his face as he took in my morning look, before he quickly wiped it away and stood back to attention.

"I realise that this may be sudden," he began, "but hear me out. Firstly, do you wish to see Sasuke?" Neji questioned, leaving me silent and dumbfounded, with only the ability to stare at him.

"Wh... what? Why?" I asked, completely baffled as to why he would ask something like that.

Neji looked away and started to pace. "I believe that my father's work for peace wasn't in vain, yet," he said quickly in soft tones. "If we can help Otogakure out of this time of war, then it could secure an alliance between our two countries. Furthermore, if Sasuke knew the truth – if he knew that my father had never murdered – or never intentionally murdered Yue – then peace might be achieved. If I can offer my aid to Otogakure, then maybe an alliance will be made. Or even if an alliance isn't reached then at least Konoha and Oto won't be close to tearing each other's throat out constantly. It's worth a shot."

I didn't even have to think before agreeing with him. "Let's go," I said, and pushed him out the door so that I could hurriedly get dressed.

.:{*}:.

Normal POV

.:{*}:.

Within ten minutes they had arrived at the jail, panting from the run. Neji had insisted that they move as quickly as possible, as the less people that saw them, the better. If they were to be caught, or if someone were to question their motives, then the consequences could be dire, depending on how Hiashi viewed it. Consorting with the enemy would probably lead to accusations of treason, which would inevitably lead to death for Sakura and imprisonment for Neji.

"Stay close behind me," Neji muttered under his breath as he walked inside the jail. "I don't need you getting lost right now."

Sakura narrowed her eyes at him before nodding stiffly. "Fine," she whispered back and quickly darted after him.

Though they were moving quicker than the last time she'd been in the prison, Sakura could have sworn it was taking them longer to reach the cell. Though, she thought, that could probably be attributed to her own impatience rather than any actual length of time.

Eventually they stood outside the heavy wooden door, adorned by the two dancing candles. Neji heaved his weight against it and slowly the door began to move inwards. Such was her impatience, Sakura added her weight against the stubborn door until it had opened enough to create a gap for them to slip between.

They ran quickly down the last corridor, passing empty windows and empty rooms until the room holding Juugo came into sight on their left. Sakura immediately came to a halt, causing Neji to turn and glare at her in silent question.

"Juugo deserves to know what is going on too," she said. "I'll be quick, I promise."

Neji narrowed his eyes at her in frustration before unlocking the door to Juugo's cell, allowing Sakura to quickly dart around him.

"Juugo," Sakura whispered as she walked over to him. The giant of a man raised his head to look at her and soft brown eyes crinkled in welcome.

"Sakura-san," Juugo said. "What are you doing in here? Is Sasuke-sama safe? What -"

"Shh, Juugo. I don't have much time," Sakura muttered, glancing back out the door where Neji waited impatiently. "We're going to try and get you two out. We're going to go back to Oto with you and try to stop whatever is threatening you all. I have to get to Sasuke right now, but I promise I'll tell you everything when it's safer to do so. Please trust me."

Juugo stared at her for a while, contemplating her request, before he sighed. "I suppose I don't have much choice then. Please be quick, Sakura. I don't know how much longer I can stand being in this little room."

Sakura nodded and squeezed his palm in reassurance before darting from the room. Neji quickly locked it the moment she exited, and then walked quickly over to Sasuke's cell.

He froze.

Confused, Sakura walked over slowly until she stood beside Neji and looked inside the cell.

It was empty.

"Neji, where is Sasuke?" Sakura asked, feeling her insides begin to freeze over from fear.

"I don't know, Sakura. He should be here. I never gave an order for him to be moved, and I'm the only one who could give such an order. It makes no sense, I..." Neji trailed off, thinking hard. "They wouldn't have moved him to another cell," he said slowly. "The ones here are the most secure in the whole prison, and he is a top priority prisoner. Could he have somehow escaped?"

"I don't think so," Sakura replied in answer to Neji's rhetorical question. "If he escaped he would have tried to free Juugo as well. He wouldn't have left Juugo here to die. As stubborn and selfish and pig headed as Sasuke is, he values loyalty above almost anything. If he couldn't have saved Juugo I doubt he would have left."

Neji nodded, a confused furrow creasing his brow. "The only other reason he wouldn't be here is if he were being questioned, but I never gave an order for that. This doesn't make..." In a moment of apparent epiphany, Neji's eyes lit up. "Hiashi," he said, and without any further explanation Neji ran to Juugo's cell.

"Juugo, I am Neji. I'm going to unlock you and ask you to follow me. I have to find Sasuke and then I'll try to get the both of you out of Konoha. Do you understand?"

Juugo nodded slowly, just in time for the final shackle to click open.

Then Neji grabbed Sakura's hand and raced from the passageway.

"Neji, where are we going?" Sakura panted, nearly tripping over her feet trying to keep up with Neji's faster stride.

"To the torture rooms," Neji answered, his voice like ice. "The only other person who could give an order for someone like Sasuke to be questioned is Hiashi, and our talk last night probably prompted him to question Sasuke on the fate of his younger brother. It's the only thing that makes sense."

Sakura had gone quiet, and her breath was coming in short gasps. "T... torture...?" she eventually managed to splutter. "Sasuke is being tortured?"

"Probably," Neji said coolly. "They couldn't have been going for too long. There are only around two people in Konoha specially trained in the art, as gruesome as it is. And it takes a good few hours to prepare all of the instruments."

Sakura swallowed back bile. "Neji, please stop speaking of it as if it were so normal. It's makes my insides squirm."

Neji nodded and said nothing more, leading Sakura through more twisting passageways as they ran deeper and deeper into the jail.

Suddenly Neji halted, and he held his hand up for Sakura to do the same. "Sakura, Juugo," he said quietly, "I want you to stay here while I go in and get him. I don't want you to see inside this cell. It's not something that you would want to look at."

Sakura and Juugo nodded their heads quietly, trusting Neji's judgement. Sakura knew that she would probably just get in the way, and Juugo would only serve to spark suspicion, and that wouldn't be helpful to their cause at all.

.:{*}:.

Neji swallowed back bile as he entered the chamber. It was far too bright in there, but he supposed that that would give the torturer more ability to see what he was doing.

Sasuke was strapped down naked to a wooden bench, a few burn marks lining his chest. Neji managed to swallow back a sigh of relief – they hadn't gotten too far.

"Sai," he said, "stop what you are doing. I would talk with the prisoner."

Sai's dark eyes narrowed. "I'm under direct orders from Hiashi, Neji."

"But you work for me," Neji growled. "Now get out."

Hesitating for a moment, Sai's shoulders finally slumped and he exited the room from the opposite end that Neji had entered. "As you wish."

Neji waited until the door had closed completely behind the pale-skinned man before turning to face Sasuke.

He didn't know how he felt for the young prince. Most of him was filled with a raging hatred. Sasuke had stolen Sakura from him, had waged war against his home for two years, and was part of the household that had killed his father – no matter whether he'd had anything to do with it or not. No, Neji did not like Sasuke. He did not suppose he ever would. There was far too much bad blood between them.

But looking at Sasuke, as vulnerable as a babe, Neji couldn't help but pity him. As far as he had heard he was rude, stubborn, selfish and arrogant beyond belief, but years of being in the military had taught Neji how to read certain people. Neji could see that under that arrogant facade, Sasuke was merely a boy on the cusp of manhood – a boy who had had to grow up far too quickly. He had heard of the deaths that had plagued Sasuke's family – his mother, his father, his sister, and if his conspiracy theory were to be believed then possibly his brother as well. He had grown up in a corrupt world; it was a wonder that the boy had turned out half sane.

"What're you doing here?" Sasuke managed to rasp, breaking Neji out of his reverie.

"I'm here to free you, and hopefully sneak you out of Konoha, if that is possible."

Sasuke let out a disbelieving huff of air. "Sure you are. How? Why?"

Neji narrowed his eyes at Sasuke. "I'm not doing it for you. If I could I would let Sai have his way with you until the flesh is flayed from your bones. But that's not what's right. I'm doing it for Konoha, for Sakura and mostly for my father, and for what he died trying to achieve. I don't have enough time to explain right now, so I'll tell you when we're on the road." Neji walked over to a small bench where Sasuke's clothes were sitting. "I'll unlock you and then I want you to get dressed. Be quick about it. If the sun gets too high in the sky then we won't be able to sneak you out of Konoha without anyone noticing."

Neji quickly unlocked the restraints before exiting the room, and a few minutes later Sasuke gingerly stepped from the cell.

"Follow me, and stay silent," Neji said, and walked swiftly down the corridor.

The gods seemed to favour them as they walked through the jail quietly, as the met no one on their way, and before they knew it they had stepped out into the soft glow of early morning.

"It's later than I would have liked," Neji told the company quietly. "We'll have to take one of the back entrances. Hopefully one of them won't be guarded." He looked back at the three people and said sternly, "Follow me and don't get too far behind. Stick to the shadows and don't get caught."

.:{*}:.

Sakura's nerves were frayed, and they only seemed to get more and more tense with every step she took. One wrong step could spell potential disaster, not only for Sasuke and Juugo but for all four of them. She traced Neji's footsteps as closely as she was able, as he led them through the back alleyways and thin streets of Konoha. Life was beginning to stir in the windows above, and every time Sakura heard movement she could feel her heart leap into her throat.

What could have been aeons later (though judging from how high the sun had risen it would have been barely half an hour) they came to a small gate on the far side of Konoha. There was a collective tension in the air as everyone saw that it was heavily manned.

"Dammit," Neji hissed between clenched teeth, and turned back to the group. "News has probably spread of your escape faster than I anticipated," he whispered. "Stay here. I'll try and move them somewhere else."

"Neji," Sakura said softly, and grabbed a light hold of his shirt. He turned to look at her, resolution in his eyes, and Sakura faltered. "I... um... be careful. Please." He didn't say anything as he turned towards the gate.

The trio watched with battered breath as Neji strode over to his men and began to speak. They couldn't hear what was being said, as they were too far away and there was no wind, but thankfully after a few long moments the guards nodded and walked away. Sakura watched as Neji looked around carefully, and once he seemed to deem the coast clear, ushered for Sakura, Juugo and Sasuke to come, which they did so quickly and silently.

"Get outside the gate while no one is looking. I will follow you shortly," Neji told them and all but pushed them out of Konoha.

The three of them hid themselves as fast as they could, waiting for Neji to come. Moments, then minutes passed, and still no sign of the Hyuuga. Sakura could feel sweat beginning to gather at her brow. He shouldn't be taking this long, she thought. What's happening?

The sun was rising higher and higher in the sky; all traces of sunrise had passed and it now beamed proudly above them.

Neji still hadn't emerged.

"I have to go back for him," Sakura said to Sasuke and Juugo. "He shouldn't be taking this long. What if something has happened to him?"

"Sakura-san," Juugo whispered, "you can't go back inside. Sasuke-sama and I will barely stand a chance trying to navigate our way out of Konoha's borders without your help."

"But Neji -"

"- Is taking too long," Sasuke managed to say. "As a man of military background he would understand why we left. If he was caught trying to sneak us out then he would hate knowing that we waited for him, putting this whole mission we're on in even greater jeopardy. We must go."

Sakura hated it, but had to accede that they were right. If Neji had been caught, then what good would it do if they were caught too?

She slowly nodded. "Let's go."

Carefully and quietly they moved from their hiding place, looking around to make sure that there was no one watching. As Sakura made to head for the road, Juugo took her arm to stop her.

"We can't travel the roads, Sakura-san. We'll get caught that way. We have a better chance if we stay away from them and head through the forest."

Again, Sakura nodded, and began to head east.

"Sakura-san, Otogakure is north."

She looked back at the two men. "We need to get Sasuke somewhere where I can bandage and clean his wounds, otherwise he might not make it to Oto. There's a cabin to the east of Konoha where we can rest, gather supplies, and I can heal him." She indicated towards Sasuke.

There were no more protests heard as she led them through the forest towards the hut that, months before, Hinata and Neji had made their escape to.

Their pace was slow as Juugo half carried Sasuke through the bracken (Sasuke's pride would not allow him to be carried fully). The sun was almost beginning to set when they finally made it and, exhausted, Sakura collapsed gratefully into a wicker chair as Juugo gently laid Sasuke on the small cot-like bed.

"Give me a moment to rest and then I shall take a look at him," Sakura informed Juugo when he looked questioningly at her. "Please rest for a little while. You've earned it."

Juugo silently sat down on the floor and leaned his back against the wall.

"There are plenty of chairs available if you'd like one," Sakura offered to Juugo, but he just shook his head.

"I fear I'll break it should I dare try," Juugo explained in response. "The floor is comfortable enough for now."

Sakura nodded her head and was silent for a while before deciding that she'd had enough rest and walked over towards Sasuke. She cut his shirt open and surveyed the burns on his chest. There were only around four there, but those four were long and deep; red and weeping. She was glad that the wounds weren't open and had already been cauterised, so the chance of infection wasn't high. But they needed to be dressed and have an ointment administered if possible.

"Juugo, I need to go out and find something to help these burns. I'll be back as soon as I can, just keep an eye on Sasuke while I'm gone."

Sunset was in full motion as Sakura emerged from the small cabin, painting everything in rich hues of red and gold. The roseate judged that she had maybe half an hour before it would become too dark to tell one plant from another, and she immediately began looking for the small white flowers that she would need.

They didn't take her long to find, as yarrow was common in those parts. The next plant she needed was lavender, and she found a whole bush of it a mere few feet from where the yarrow plant grew.

When she slipped back inside the cabin, she gently placed her findings on a small table before she began to rummage around in the cupboards.

"What are you looking for, Sakura?" Juugo asked.

"A mortar and pestle. There has to be one in here somewhere," she replied, and within a few minutes pulled an old wooden one from a small corner. "This'll do. Juugo, there is a well just outside, could you please go and fetch some water for me?"

Juugo nodded his head and without a word left the cabin.

Not wasting a moment, Sakura quickly broke up the yarrow and placed it into the mortar before grinding it with the pestle. She was very much aware of Sasuke's eyes on her.

"What is that for?" he eventually asked.

"It's yarrow. It'll help the wounds on your chest to heal faster."

He nodded lightly to show that he understood. "And those other flowers?"

"Lavender," she replied quickly. "It'll help take the edge off the pain and help you sleep, once I've made them into a tea."

Then Juugo walked back into the cabin, a full bucket of water in his hands.

"Thank you Juugo. Could I ask you to also start a fire for me? There's wood outside and I know I saw a flint in one of those cupboards."

"Of course, Sakura-san." He placed the bucket down by the empty fire-place and walked back outside, appearing a few moments later with a few logs of wood in one hand and some dry leaves in the other. Within a few minutes a fire was blazing.

Happy with the ground yarrow, Sakura poured a small amount of water into an old kettle that was hanging conveniently over the fire-place, and when it was warm enough she put it in with the yarrow and began grinding again.

"Juugo, if you could put some more water into the kettle that would be lovely," Sakura said, to which Juugo obeyed. She smiled her thanks at him, before beginning to apply the poultice to Sasuke's chest. "Don't be such a baby," she admonished when he made a face. "You're a battle-hardened warrior, a bit of poultice won't kill you." Sasuke merely glared at her as she laughed. "Don't move, I'm getting some bandages," she said once she was done. Sakura dressed his wounds and then moved to start grinding up the lavender, and soon it had been made into tea.

"Drink, Sasuke. It'll help you sleep."

While Sasuke drank, Sakura went back outside. It was nearly nightfall, but Sakura could still discern a small, overgrown vegetable patch. There were weeds and plants and flowers everywhere, but a few vegetables still survived, so Sakura picked them and brought them inside.

"It's not much, but it's something," she said to Juugo. "Hopefully it'll taste alright."

After cleaning, peeling and slicing the vegetables, she put them into the kettle, where the water was starting to get hot.

"Carrots, potatoes, mushrooms, tomatoes, onions and cabbage. It just needs a bit of salt now," she said, smiling at Juugo. "Just for a bit of flavour. I wish I could have had some garlic too, but that isn't growing out here, and I couldn't see any herbs outside." Turning away from the brew, she began rummaging around in the cupboards once more, eventually finding a sack of salt. Within minutes the stew had been served and Sakura and Juugo ate it hungrily. Sasuke was fast asleep, so Sakura left the rest in the kettle for him to eat the following morning.

When they had both finished, Sakura pulled out a few futons from beneath the cot, and she and Juugo curled up to sleep.

.:{*}:.

It was in the early hours of the morning, before dawn, when Sakura woke up. Dazed and wondering what had disturbed her sleep, she looked around groggily. Juugo and Sasuke were still fast asleep, and all appeared to be normal.

Until she heard twigs snap outside and the soft tread of boots on dewy ground. She could also hear horses snorting and their hooves finding a path through the undergrowth.

Oh Kami, we've been found! She thought in panic, before rushing to wake Juugo. Before he could groan, Sakura placed her hand on his mouth and motioned outside where the sounds were coming from. Juugo, automatically alert, nodded and scrambled to where Sasuke still slept. Gently Juugo lifted Sasuke into his arms and, without a word, followed Sakura out the front door.

Where they came face to face with Naruto.

"Where are you guys going?" Naruto exclaimed loudly, causing Sasuke to jerk awake. He conveyed his annoyance by glaring at the blond man. "Neji and I have spent hours tracking you three. That's not easy at night." Focusing on something behind the trio, he called out loudly, "Guess who tried sneaking out the back door, Neji? You'd think they'd be glad to see us!"

Sakura, finally managing to regain her ability to speak, interjected with: "Naruto, you nearly gave me a heart attack! You can't just come sneaking up on us in the middle of the night! I thought you were a heap of guards come to kill us!" Then she rounded on Neji. "And where did you disappear to? I thought that you'd been caught helping us and had been imprisoned, or had double crossed us and ratted us out! What happened, Neji?"

Neji stepped forward, leading two horses by their bridles. "I was about to follow you, but then I had an idea. We had left without a plan. We had no supplies, no flints or anything. I went back to Hiashi to ask for a few weeks to have a training exercise outside of Konoha, and on the way I ran into Naruto. I figured that it would be logical to have Naruto with us, considering his fighting abilities and his knowledge of Otogakure and its army, so we spent the rest of the day gathering weapons, supplies, sleeping bags and anything else, along with the horses. I didn't mean to startle any of you. As Naruto said, it was difficult to track you three. We all should probably get back into the hut and try to rest before setting out, though. It won't do to have exhaustion plague us the whole way to Otogakure."

They all agreed, and, tired, walked back inside.

"We'll set out in a few hours. Until then, rest," Neji told the group, lying down on a spare futon.

.:{*}:.

When the sun was shining above the tree line, the group left the small hut. Sakura and Neji shared one horse, while Naruto and Sasuke shared the other. A small pack horse that had previously been left around the front of the cottage ambled amiably in their wake, generally staying close to Juugo who had refused to ride.

"Only the largest of horses can hold me," he had explained. "It would be cruel and dangerous to ride any of these ones. I am happy to walk." His long strides meant he could easily keep pace with the horses, provided that they didn't go faster than a trot.

Sasuke and Neji generally avoided talking to each other while on the road. Sakura could barely fault them for it, and was far more glad that they hadn't resorted to arguments or blows, even. It was still incredibly tense between Neji and herself, a fact that she mourned. Though she never once entertained the idea that they could be close again. Not as close as they had been, at any rate. That time seemed so long ago, that when she looked upon it, it was like viewing it through a dream. She was just glad that Neji seemed to have forgiven her as much as he had. That was more than she could have asked for.

Along the way, Neji relayed his plan for the group, along with his suspicions regarding his father. "I don't think my father killed your sister," he said. "If anything, I believe that my father was caught in a plot. Possibly the plot that you think is happening now, Uchiha. I have been thinking this over and over, and it is the best explanation I can come up with. So right now our plan is to get to Otogakure, offer our aid in defeating anyone that could pose a threat to Oto, and if there is no plot then delivering you to them and working out a peace treaty between our nations."

It was a simple plan, but hopefully one that would work.

The journey to Otogakure was a lot smoother than the journey from, Sakura mused idly. With plenty of supplies and horses, it took a mere four days to arrive at the large city, by which time Sasuke had healed completely and all were in good health.

Afternoon was in full motion when the group rode up to the gates. Sasuke sat tall and proud, so that any guards couldn't mistake him for an outsider.

But there were no guards manning the gates.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes and scowled suspiciously. "Where is everyone? This gate should be guarded heavily at all times."

Cautiously they made their way into the city, keeping an eye out for any sign of life.

But there was no one.

"I don't understand," Sasuke said, looking at Juugo. "Do you have any idea where everyone could be? Even if the city has been overtaken, no one would compromise Otogakure's safety by leaving the gates unguarded."

Juugo shook his head. "I don't know, Sasuke-sama," he replied.

Sakura cold feel the back of her neck prickle, and could have sworn that they were being watched. She felt almost ill with foreboding.

"Sasuke," Neji said, and everyone looked at him. "The plot that you believe was going on before you came to Konoha – what happened?"

"We caught the three main instigators, and they were killed soon after," Sasuke replied quietly.

"Was the leader killed?"

"I don't believe so."

The group felt a collective chill run down their spines.

"Who is the leader, Sasuke?" Sakura asked; her tongue felt thick.

"I don't know. He slaughtered Orochimaru, Karin, Kabuto and two guards before I left. If the city has been taken by him, I fear for everyone within."

Sakura closed her eyes and looked away from the group.

A shadow darted at the back of an alleyway, and disappeared as quickly as it appeared.

"Did anyone else see that!" she exclaimed. "I saw someone. I saw a shadow down there!"

The group stopped and Juugo moved to investigate. "I can't see anything, Sakura-san. Maybe your eyes were playing tricks?"

Sakura's brow creased. She could have sworn that she had seen someone. "Maybe," she acceded, and continued to move with the group.

A half hour later the group were standing before the castle. No guards stood there either; it was as deserted as the streets they had just walked through.

"Everything feels so wrong," Sasuke said under his breath. "Where are the people? Where are the guards? Where is Itachi? This whole situation makes no sense. I wasn't even gone a month."

"A lot can change in a month," Neji muttered. "We should go inside. If we're to find any answers, it'll be in there."

The group agreed silently and began to climb the steps, constantly alert for any sign of danger. They left the horses standing outside as all five of them silently entered the palace.

It was as silent and deserted in there as it was in the streets.

"There could be people in the throne room," Sasuke suggested, and led them all deeper into the palace. "That's where everyone goes when they're here."

Within minutes they were all standing inside the giant hall. It was much the same as when Sakura had first arrived there. The floors and columns were white marble with blue veins running through them, while the high ceiling was a beautiful midnight blue. Even the golden throne was the same.

The only thing that was different was the man sitting on that throne.

He stood and began to walk towards the five people. And with every step he took, recognition began to hit Sakura in the gut.

She knew him. From months and months and months ago. And the fear she had first felt upon seeing him hadn't dimmed a bit.

Sasuke stiffened beside her, and she could feel anger pulse from his body.

"You."

Ooooh, cliffhanger! I can't promise that I will update very quickly. With such an unpredictable schedule, it honestly is impossible to say when I'll update next. But I'll try and do that as soon as I can. Maybe if you review it'll give me a bit more inspiration...? Yeah, I'm bribing you. I feel horrible doing it, but guys I spend a lot of time and effort on writing these chapters. Just a few seconds of your time to leave a review is so appreciated, you don't even realise. Literally hours is spent writing, reviewing and editing each chapter. Just a small review left at the end means so much.

Thank you very much for reading, and I'll catch you next chapter!

Much love, SapphireRivulet xoxox