'It's dangerous to go alone. Take this!'

—Quote from the movie 'The Hero's Journey', inspired by ancient Hylian text found on the walls of a ruin

In The Shadows

~O~

Chapter 7: Your Highness

I'm still shaking by the time we get back to the police station. Even after I'd managed to stop crying, the message in Cia's journal still spirals around my mind no matter how much I try to ignore it. We briefly talked about how we'd go and give the journal straight to Impa—it's not something we're going to hide from her—and that Paya would be the one to give it to her while I spoke to Lana. I'm not ready for that conversation with Impa and there's some lingering questions left to ask Lana before she gets released later today.

As Paya heads to her grandmother's office, I make my way down to the holding cells. It's still relatively quiet in the office, although people seem to be talking a little louder than they were this morning which makes me feel a bit better. Still, I do my best to ignore them as I head downstairs the stairs to the cells and I steel myself for whatever revelations are coming.

Lana's pacing in her cell when I arrive, shifting between wringing her hands and running her fingers through her hair every few moments. I'm quick to remind myself that she isn't her murderous sister but her identical twin. She doesn't notice me at first, only snapping her head up when I clear my throat. Her eyes flash with recognition, then soften with sadness at how much of a mess I must look.

"Oh…"

"I have some questions for you before you're released," I say. "I assume you've been caught up with everything that's happened with your sister?" She nods, and I can feel an apology coming on behalf of her sister that I know I can't take right now. I cut her off before she can speak, "When did you last see your sister?"

She frowns, "I-It was about seven or eight years ago… when we finished school. She left as soon as she could to become a priestess."

"And is that what she'd always wanted to do?"

Lana shrugs, "She'd always been very devout, so I wasn't surprised when she decided to be a priestess." I can see in her eyes that she's holding something back and I'm hoping that my hunch is right.

"We found your sister's journal," I tell her. "She wrote about doing something only she was able to do. Did she ever say something like this to you?"

She draws in a shaky breath and takes a seat on the metal chair that's been provided for her. "I knew it," she breathes. "Ever since they told me what'd happened, I knew why she was doing it." Lana zones out for a moment, snapping her gaze back up to me when she notices my expectant gaze and apologises. It takes a while for her to get into the explanation, but I stay silent and let her take her time.

She tells me a story.

They grew up in the Valley of Seers, a sandy valley in western Hyrule. They were practically joined at the hip, always doing things together and rarely spending time apart. But the Valley of Seers is known for being an attractive place for underground groups who were mesmerised by the legends of the Triforce and age-old battles.

That fascination is how it all began.

They were around twelve when Cia was approached and convinced to walk off with a stranger while she was in the park. Lana had realised too late and ran after them, only to be taken too.

"I don't remember much," she says softly, her voice shaking a little as she talks. "They separated us and I ended up being locked in a room for the entire time. It'd been a couple of weeks by the time the police found us. When I saw Cia again… she'd changed. Her eyes were different and she barely spoke anymore. She started reading more scriptures but I thought that was her coping mechanism, you know? The people who took us… they were fascinated with her, but I never found out why…"

"And then what happened?"

"She got through school by the skin of her teeth." Lana lowers her head, "As soon as she could get out of school, she did. She said she was searching for holy ground to devote herself to. I think she mentioned the Forest of Spirits, but there's only ruins over there so I assume she came to Castletown instead."

I run my hand through my hair as I take it all in. Not that Lana's story can even begin to justify what Cia's doing, but it does explain why she's so adamant about continuing her hunt. To go from two close sisters to separated and traumatised siblings—one grew past her trauma and managed to find a new path in life, only to be dragged back into the past when her roommate becomes the third victim in a string of murders that her sister's responsible for.

As for Cia… it's difficult to think about how dark and twisted this web of trauma has become.

"Zelda?" I raise my head. Lana studies me with glassy eyes, conflicted over what she wants to say. But then she steels herself and whispers, "My sister… she's been doing this for longer than a few weeks… hasn't she?"

My gut twists, "Lana…"

"It would make sense," she continues before I can say anything else. "Those people that took her… I remember them talking about the Triforce. I think I… she said that they told her she was special and that it was up to her to be loyal to the Goddesses. If she listened to them and started doing this years ago…" Her eyes widen, "Oh Goddesses…"

After all I've heard today, I'm not sure what revelation takes the cake—the fact that Cia could have been doing this for way longer than we ever thought, or that she's planning for me to willingly become her next subject. And yet, before I can dwell on it too much, Groose pokes his head around the door leading back up into the main offices.

"The chief wants you."

I nod and turn back to Lana, "Thank you for talking to me."

"I-I'm sorry about your friend!" she calls before I can leave. I stiffen and refuse to look over my shoulder at her, "I hope you can find him and stop my sister." I leave before I overthink her plea, slamming the door shut behind me and following the red haired officer up the stairs.

"I thought I'd update you on the way," he says. "We looked into the guards patrolling the Temple of Nayru like you'd asked. The two guards at the entrance were Granté and Astor. We talked to Granté and he said that Astor thought he saw someone lurking around so Granté went to check—but he didn't see anyone. That was the only time he left his spot."

I look up at him, "Was it in the window of time when the body was most likely placed in the temple?" Groose hums.

"Right in the middle of it."

"Have you talked to Astor?"

He sighs, "That's the thing: no one's seen him since, and he hasn't clocked in for work either. We're just about to head to his place and see if he's there."

I shove my hands into my pockets and snap, "And why didn't we do any of this sooner? It's been over a day since we found the victim's body at the temple."

"Everything was pretty up in the air with us looking into the victim's background," he's quick to defend. "And by the time we'd spoken to Granté… all that happened last night." And, just like that, my anger drains. I shouldn't be so irritable, especially to those like Groose who are just trying to help.

"Sorry," I mumble. "It's been a long few days."

"S'all right, you don't need to be sorry." Just before I can walk into Impa's office, Groose rubs the back of his neck and says, "I'm sorry about what happened, by the way. I know you will've heard this a lot," he adds when I go to speak. "But all of us here are pretty stunned by it. I just wanted to say that we're here for you, Zelda. He's… I don't give him enough credit—or you, for that matter. You don't deserve this."

I smile and thank him, and he seems to feel pretty awkward by the exchange because he quickly excuses himself. I scan the officers working hard in front of me, noticing the way they catch my eye with a sad but comforting smile. Even though Link and I don't technically work here, we've always been welcomed whenever we've come to help them out. And Groose's sentiment, even if it was rather awkward, is definitely shared by the other officers.

And after all that we've been through, I head into Impa's office with a smile.

That smile, however, is quickly wiped off my face.

Paya rises from her seat as soon as I come in, though it's clear from her expression that this isn't going to be a fun conversation. Impa doesn't even look up from the journal sitting open on her desk.

I swallow thickly and remark, "Groose said you wanted to speak to me."

"Yes," she muses. "Take a seat, Hark." I look over at Paya, who merely shakes her head as she sits down too. My heart starts to beat faster as I take my seat and try my best not to grip the chair arms.

"So you've seen what we found at the temple."

Impa nods and finally looks up. Her crimson eyes are scarily stern as she says, "Yes, and so you'll no longer be an active member in this case."

Well, I wasn't expecting that.

"What?" I can't keep my voice level and they notice it too. We can all hear the anger dripping from the single word and I don't care. "You can't force me away from this case just because of a taunt."

Impa straightens and glances over to her granddaughter, "Say, did I make it out like there was a choice involved?"

Paya pales, realising that she has to choose a side and I know what she's going to say before she even says it. She lowers her head and stammers, "N-No… you didn't." From her shaky tone, I can only assume that Impa said something to her before I got here and I want to find out what it was.

As Impa returns her attention to me, she continues, "To protect your life and the outcome of this case, you will be escorted back to your apartment and assigned a guard to protect you. You will not be allowed to leave unless I personally tell you otherwise or Cia has been caught."

Like a princess locked away in her tower, I think to myself, unable to ignore the poetic irony of Cia's message and Impa's demand.

"You just think I can just sit in the comfort of my own place while you do all the hard work?" I scoff, feeling Paya's eyes on me and silently telling me to stop talking. I ignore it. "I'm staying whether you like it or not."

"Absolutely not."

"Why the hell not?" I retort, instantly getting to my feet and gesturing angrily to the journal on the desk. "You've seen yourself how deep this goes. You need every person you can get on this case unless you'll have another body on your hands."

If she's surprised at how I've just talked about Link, she doesn't show it, "Which is precisely why you'll still be working on the case, but not out in public. You can work from your apartment where you're safe."

"Pl… please, Zelda," Paya soothes, reaching out to touch my hand. I jerk it away before I can think about it. "You'll… you'll still be helping… b-but you can't deny that you're in danger."

I whirl on her, "And what about Link? Isn't he in danger right now?" Her gaze softens a little. I would regret my words but I'm too frustrated. "You saw in that journal what she's doing to him. Why are we wasting time trying to protect me when it's him that's already suffering? Goddess above, we're running out of time!"

"We aren't wasting time because the matter is already out of your hands," Impa steps in before Paya can reply. I turn to her with a blank expression. "An officer has already been sent to your apartment to secure the premises ahead of your arrival. Your car has been fixed and returned as well." I narrow my eyes at her.

"You can't get into my flat."

"Oh, we can. Your landladies have already agreed to let him in."

I scowl. Koume, Kotake… you witches…

My hands are effectively tied here and they know it. Even if I'll still be able to work on this case from a safe space, it doesn't change the fact that there's a feeling in my stomach that I can't shift—a feeling that I won't be able to solve this case if I'm not actively out there doing something. Maybe it's just the rebellious part of me that wants to be physically working on the case, but I've learnt to trust my gut and it won't fail me now.

But… I also know what fights I can and can't win. And this one is the latter, for now at least.

"Fine," I huff, deflated. "But you better give me every damn update you can, starting with the search on Astor's place."

She nods firmly, "Of course. Paya will drive you home." I refrain from sighing as Impa dismisses us and I leave her office with Paya close behind, still seething but focusing on what I can do rather than what I can't do. The young Sheikah closes the door behind her as I slump against the wall.

"S-She's right, you know," she mumbles, "We… need to look after you."

"I know," I agree. "I just don't want to fail him."

She doesn't respond initially, probably because she can't promise that we won't fail, but then she perks up and says, "Let's grab some files to take back with you." I hum and follow after her, but my mind's elsewhere.

I'm coming for you, Cia… whether they like it or not.

A lingering tension remains between us as Paya drives me home. I doubt the tension will leave until this case is over and done with, though it's not helping my already low mood. As we go, I realise that the last time I was at my flat was when Vaati left that bogus riddle for me to solve. I remember how scared I'd been to just walk up to my flat. Back then, though, I had Link on the other end of the phone—this time I don't have his comforting presence, just an empty void.

As if my mood couldn't get any worse…

Despite my protests, the young Sheikah walks me into the foyer where an old, angry yet familiar Gerudo lady waits for me with her hands on her hips impatiently. As soon as she spots us coming in, she jabs a bony finger at me with fire in her eyes, the blue crystal hanging above her brow glittering in the flickering lights.

"You!" Kotake explodes. "Koume warned you about bringing trouble here and you ignored her!"

"I didn't ignore her," I counter. "It's just a precaution."

The small but spirited woman crosses her arms, "Whatever it is, it better not last long; I have tenants to worry about!"

I wave her off and turn to Paya, "Thank you for bringing me back. I'm all good now."

"Oh leave the poor girl be," Kotate snaps as Paya shifts her weight uncomfortably. For once, I'm glad to have her here. "Her little guard is upstairs waiting and if anything happens, then I'll take care of it." I smirk at the thought of Kotake taking on Cia with her bare hands.

"I'll be fine," I assure her. "I'll call you if anything happens." With my small smile and Kotake's glare, the Sheikah is forced to retreat. She hands me the files we picked up from the station and says goodbye. As her form shrinks into the distance, I turn back to find Kotake eyeing me suspiciously, "What?"

"Where's that other boy of yours?"

"Busy," I mutter as I head towards the staircase. "Why should it concern you?"

I hear her scoff, "Because the one time that boy's not attached to your side, you have the police coming to guard you. Plus you look like a sad puppy who's lost its way when he's not around."

"You just miss someone to flirt at," is all I say (it's not like Link ever did it back). I hear her make a sound like a bark of laughter she's trying to hold back, but I don't stay to see if she says anything else.

As I head upstairs, I can't help but think of how many people have been affected by Link's disappearance. Of course his family is anxious to come and see him—I can't even remember the last time they were all together—but even Kotake, who couldn't care less about me unless I'm causing trouble, even asked about him. A part of me wonders if there would be people who'd ask for me if I disappeared, but I quickly banish the selfish thought.

By the time I've reached my floor, my mood has completely soured. I pull my keys out of my pocket as I reach my door, which is unlocked and doesn't have an officer stationed outside. I suppose it makes sense: the officer's probably inside and waiting for me. I just hope that whoever this officer turns out to be is someone I know and trust. My flat's silent as a tomb as I walk in and shut the door, tossing my keys and phone onto the sideboard and hanging my coat up on the hook.

"Is anyone here?" I call out as I pull off my shoes and throw them off to the side, searching the flat for any sign of that officer. I peer into the kitchen, "Hello?"

And there he is.

The officer—oh Goddesses, it's Pipit—lies face down and out cold on the floor, my heart dropping at the sight of the bloodstained tiles. I gasp and drop to my knees, pressing a hand against his back as I fumble for his neck. A wave of relief crashes into me when I feel a pulse drumming against my fingers—he's alive… thank the Goddesses…

But who attacked him?

Better yet, are they still here?

He would've got here not long before I did, so it's very likely that whoever did this is still nearby, and since a target's now on my back they're probably lying in wait for me. I grab a towel and press it to the wound on Pipit's head, turning him into the recovery position to keep pressure on the cut whilst I look for the person responsible.

I rise to my feet and grab the nearest thing I can (which turns out to be a rolling pin, Goddess save me) and head back into the living room. My ragged breath is the only thing tearing through the silence and I pray that no one else can hear my pounding heart. I hone what I've learnt and make sure that my back is facing the walls so no one can come at me from behind, staying alert as the setting sun casts long shadows across the ground and put me even more on edge.

After a full search of the flat, I find no one else here.

I sigh and lower the rolling pin as I turn back to the kitchen. I need to make sure he's okay… and call Paya, I think to myself, realising that I hadn't called for help in the panic of it all. As I make my way back towards my phone on the sideboard, I spot a figure in the mirror's reflection ahead of me.

I react instantly. I duck as the figure rushes me, dodging their weapon and twisting around to smack their knees. They recoil but stand firm, grabbing my wrist as I jump to my feet and squeezing it enough so I drop the rolling pin. My lips part as I meet a pale-faced man with dark eyes, struggling to figure out where I remember him from.

Then it hits me.

"Astor," I whisper, unable to keep the fear out of my voice. He smirks at me.

"Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Your Highness."

Bolstered by how terrified I am, I say, "I have a name, you know. Do you want me to scream so everyone can hear it?"

"If you do, then you'll face the consequences."

I scoff, "Like hurting me? I think you've forgotten that Cia needs me alive and well to be a suitable test subject. You can't touch me."

"I can't hurt you," he agrees. "But if you force me to flee, then your only chance at finding the hero will disappear with it." I try to hide the shock, though Astor's smile grows and I know that my face has clearly betrayed me. "Now, why don't we take a seat and have a proper conversation?"

I have little choice but to comply, using all my strength not to attack him and run as he releases my wrist. My jaw clenches as he produces a zip tie, turning me around to bind my hands and pulling me towards the sofa. I try not to focus on him but my breathing instead, taking steady breaths to keep calm and failing to block out flashbacks of when Sakon attacked me.

In… out… one step at a time.

Astor takes a seat opposite me and simply studies me and, despite my calming breaths, it quickly riles me up. I grit my teeth and bite out, "Why are you here? She wouldn't just send you here to give me clues—it's too risky."

"Well observed," he praises, twisting the blade in his hand. "You're right, Your Highness: I didn't come here to give you clues. Your hero's failing, and soon enough we'll need his replacement. Cia sent me here to speed up the process of your retrieval." I clench my fists until they shake.

"Then why are you stalling?" I demand. "You could've finished the job by now."

"Ah," he says, raising the knife to punctuate his point. "Now where would the fun be in that? Cia only allows me to retrieve the bearers of Wisdom, so I rarely have the chance to have some fun of my own."

I raise a brow at him, "That seems unfair. Why would you let her give you so little to do?" Astor chuckles.

"Nothing in life is fair. As long as we both get our fixes and serve our purposes to the Goddesses, then it's a win-win." He laughs at the glare I give him. "It's been a while since I've seen such fire in someone's eyes. Well, save for the hero, though it's been a lot of fun to watch that be crushed."

He strikes a nerve perfectly and his eyes glitter with so much triumph that I have to close mine and turn my face away. It sounds like how Sakon described his glee at watching the light drain from his victim's eyes. My chest heaves with emotion. I desperately try to squash down violent, unwanted images as they tear through my mind relentlessly, something I imagine greatly pleases Astor. My nails start to dig into my palms, though it's enough to give me something to focus on instead of the images. I open my eyes and stare him down.

"You won't succeed," I sneer. "If the Goddesses wanted to reunite the Triforce then they would just bring the piece bearers together and I have the history books to prove it. They wouldn't have people like you do their work for them, so why do you think you were chosen to do it?"

My words don't even faze him, "The Goddesses communicate in different ways. They brought you—the princess and the hero—together, didn't they? And then they brought you both to Cia and I. Surely that's a perfect twist of fate as you describe?" I grind my teeth. His logic isn't wrong, which is frustrating. But no matter what has set all this in motion—fate, destiny, or pure coincidence—there's only one thing, one person, that my mind constantly goes back to.

Steeling myself, I force myself to show my weakness and quietly ask, "How long does he have?"

His eyes shine with what I can only describe as delight. Going back to turning the knife in his hand, he muses, "Cia's kept our hero well entertained while you've all been stumbling around for clues. It's usually another few hours before the wounds become infected, and that's the final descent unless his piece awakens and dispels the infection." I try to look away, but Astor's quick and uses the flat of his blade to stop me. "But he's different, you know. He's driven by his princess, as every hero should be. Not an hour goes by when he doesn't mention you. He keeps faith that you'll find him, alive or dead, and end what Cia and I have started."

A sentiment that should spark determination in me only fills me with dread. Link doesn't care if I save him—he just wants Cia and Astor caught.

I will end this, but I'll save Link first.

"He has his faith in the right place," I tell him coldly. "At least he doesn't assume the will of the Goddesses to justify killing people."

He lets out a bark of laughter, short and sharp, "His faith will leave him dead at the feet of a Goddess statue." I choke on my retort. He lowers the knife. "But it doesn't matter. You'll see how long he lasts when you—"

My phone rings.

My heart flutters with hope, praying that it's Paya calling to see how I am or it's Impa with an update on the case. Goddess above, it better not be Urbosa.

Astor pays the phone no mind, so I quickly say, "I need to get that."

He scoffs, "No you—"

"They purposefully assigned me an officer to protect me," I cut in, my gut twisting as I suddenly realise that Pipit hasn't made a sound since I found him. "If I don't pick up, they'll know something's wrong and be here in minutes."

I hope so anyway…

Astor's eyes flicker over to the kitchen before narrowing his eyes at me and rising to get my phone, "If you say anything about what's going on—" I roll my eyes.

"Like I'd be that stupid. I'll reassure whoever it is and then we can go." Either I can warn someone about my situation or I'll be on my way to wherever Cia is—I just pray that either outcome will lead to the right result somehow. I breathe deeply as he returns with my phone and pulls his seat closer to me so he can hold the phone out with one hand and the knife against my throat with the other, its cold edge brushing against my skin.

"Zelda?"

I try not to slump against the sofa with relief at the sound of their voice. Thank Hylia…

"Paya," I breathe, clearing my throat when my voice starts to shake. "Is everything alright?"

"We… we wanted to give you an update on our search for Astor," she says. "Y… You're not busy, are you?"

I look Astor dead in the eyes as I reply, "I'm stuck in my flat on my own. Trust me, I'm swept off my feet with activities." She chuckles, and then I realise what she said. "Wait, 'we'? Who's 'we'?"

"Paya and I," Impa clarifies, and I'm not sure if I should be glad or worried that she's there too; I'm not sure I could lie to her effectively. "We searched Astor's apartment but came up with nothing. He seems to have taken off right after we found the victim at the Temple of Nayru. It's not much, we know, but we thought we'd update you at least."

"Thank you. Have we got any closer to finding where Cia might be?"

"We're going back through her journal to look at any places she may have mentioned, so we'll keep you updated." Impa's response is cryptic, though after how long I've known her I'm not surprised—she's usually cryptic in her responses until she's certain. "We've assigned plain-clothed officers to the Temple of Time as well."

Astor grows impatient, making me instantly inhale when he pushes the knife closer to my neck. But there's one last thing that I need to do before the call ends. I'm not going to just reassure them and hang up like Astor wants, though I'm also smart enough not to just say something at the last second, especially with Pipt nearby to be used as potential leverage against me.

"Hey, Paya?"

"Yes?"

Astor raises a brow at me as I roll my shoulders uncomfortably. Glancing at the darkening skies outside, I say, "Thank you again for today. It's dangerous to go alone, so I appreciate your support."

The line goes silent before the young Sheikah collects herself and replies, "O-Of course, Zelda. I'm always there." It sounds like she understood, so all I can do is wait and hope. We say goodbye and Astor hangs up for me, regarding me sceptically—he's not sure if something's wrong. "She's supported me in more ways than one since you and Cia decided to make this personal. I was saying thank you; don't overthink it."

Now I just pray that they get here fast enough.

Until then, I have to stall for time.

He tosses my phone off to the side and lowers the knife, seizing my arm and hoisting me to my feet, "Now that we've had our fun, it's time to go." He smiles when I don't react. "Cat got your tongue, Your Highness?"

"No," I counter calmly. "Just readying myself."

Before he can react, I knee him in the gut as hard as I can.

I send a prayer for Pipit's speedy recovery and start towards the door, straining against the binds as I go. Deep down, I know I'm not going to get out of the building or even the flat before Astor's on me. My hands are bound, the door's shut and Astor would be stupid to think I wouldn't fight back.

Of course I want to get to Link, but I'm no use to him in Cia's hands. I'll end up as leverage and an easy next victim.

Just as I'd thought, a pair of hands grab me from behind before I can reach the door and throw me against the wall. Astor's on me instantly, pressing his arm against my chest to effectively pin me in place.

His eyes widen, looking slightly crazed as he whispers, "I prefer it when they fight."

Goddess above, he's actually enjoying this.

"Until you drug them like a coward," I toss back with a grunt. He's purposely not using his knife against me and, to make matters worse, he also lets me go after a few moments. I shove past him and ram my shoulder into his in an attempt to disarm him, but his grip is too tight.

"It was a simple way of retrieving the potential bearers," he says simply, twisting his grip so the pommel of his knife is aimed at me. "But those who are defiant of their fate are much more interesting to break!"

He leaps at me with amazing speed and slams the butt of the weapon into the side of my head. I cry out and crumple to the floor, tears welling up in my eyes from the shock of it. I roll onto my side with a grunt, only to be pulled back onto my feet by my arm. I sway as he lets me go, failing to blink away my blurry vision as Astor throws me to the floor again.

I skid across the floor and slam hard into the front door, breathing hard as Astor kneels down at my side and snatches me by the throat, not hard enough to cut off my air but enough for me to wince.

"A part of me hopes you don't have the Triforce of Wisdom," he purrs. "Or maybe I do. I can't wait to break the Princess of Destiny."

"How very devout of you," I croak. "When did you stop wanting to do this for the Goddesses and started doing this for your own blood lust?"

A commotion downstairs cuts him off before he can reply, and through my blurred vision Astor's eyes seethe with fury, "I knew it, you little witch." He pulls me up partially so he can slam my head hard against the floor so hard that my vision goes white for a second. A whimper slips through my lips as he drags me onto my feet and hisses into my ear, "We have a date with destiny, princess."

I stumble along as he pulls me out into the corridor, gripping my arm so tightly that I can feel it bruising already. The sounds from downstairs grow louder, making him curse—blasphemous, I'm sure—and starts leading me away from the main stairwell. Despite my failing vision, I can only assume that he's trying the fire exit staircase as his escape. Tears start to leak out of my eyes as I trip over myself and into Astor, who makes a disgruntled sound and pulls me closer to him.

He swears suddenly and I realise that the noises aren't getting any quieter. Please be help, I pray as I trip again on a step. Please be help…

And it seems, mercifully, that my prayers are answered.

"Stay where you are!"

We jerk into a sudden halt, the world taking a moment before stopping with me and sending a wave of nausea through my body. I sag against Astor and weakly strain against my binds as if it'll make a difference. Voices start up, shouting so loudly that my head starts pounding and I have to close my eyes. I feebly ask them to shut up, but to no avail.

The voices grow louder and louder until I'm suddenly shoved forward, careening down the stairs and into another pair of arms. Whether they're going to help me or not, I slump against them, relief coursing through my veins as someone holds me close.

There's a few more sounds followed by a cry but I'm so drained that I can't make any of it out.

I give into the darkness and black out.