The walk back to Kyia's was long, but the sunlight above offered a reprieve from the horrors of the night. Bela's bones and muscles still ached greatly from the vicious onslaught at the hands of Vikcia. As she and Ethan journeyed down the desolate streets, the blonde found her arm still around the man's shoulder as he aided her.

They had tried their hand at allowing her to move by herself, but the pain only doubled. It was best to carry on with his help, they figured.

The corpses of the many infected lay across various parts of the cobblestone roads. Burned by the intense sunlight of the three orbs above, the creatures must have had little to no time to vacate the streets before the glow of the day got to them. Some hard almost made it inside the buildings for shelter, but their charred remains could be seen reaching for the windows and doors. It made the duo wonder if the witch herself had managed to evade the skies before the night was torn away.

It would be nothing short of a miracle if she had perished, but the thought of that seemed too good to be true. There was no way that their luck could have extended to such heights.

Bela had returned her hood onto the top of her head not long after they began walking. Ethan's face seemed perplexed at her determination to cover herself up, but he offered no words, simply choosing to let it be. The scar on her head had been revealed to him – much to her disdain.

I can't believe that he had to see that. It's so ugly. Argh…what do I care what he thinks, anyway?

She gritted her teeth as they moved along. Each step and breath hurt like hell. Her throat was as strained as ever. It's a wonder that Vikcia had not crushed her trachea at all during the attack. She knew that had Ethan not intervened, she would have been seconds away from being killed. Without him, she would not be alive right now.

She couldn't stop thinking about that.

He should have run away. Why did he stay to save me? What if she killed him? Such a stupid man.

Bela stumbled suddenly as her leg momentarily gave way. Ethan was quick to pull her back up, wrapping his arm around her thin waist. "Hey," he softly spoke. "Just, be careful. Take it easy."

She grunted as she stood up. Perhaps it was from the pain. Or, maybe, she was annoyed at him.

More than likely – it was at herself.

However, as soon as she breathed out her contempt, the negativity in her heart diminished as soon as she listened to the nurturing tone of his voice. There was no need to be hostile, she thought. Why bother making things difficult with him?

"Thanks," she muttered as her eyes waved around the road in front of them. She didn't want to look at him. The idea that they were walking together like this was an insult to everything she had believed.

She remembered chasing him through the end of the dungeons. It was not so long ago that she giggled with laughter at the sight of him hanging from the ceiling. The sinister wave that she gave him before she exited the room with her family personified the intent that she always held for their castle's guests. He was nothing but food to her back then.

A mouse to a snake.

In this world, the hierarchy of her life had been shattered, and this mouse was the snake's only chance at survival. More than that; she felt an odd feeling inside of her as he helped her along. It was strange. Something that she had never felt before had been brewing within. As they headed back to Kyia's, she tried to put thought into what it was, but there was no conclusion to be reached.

It seemed that the nature of this feeling would elude her – for now. However, that did not mean that her arm would leave him.

Even when the pain had become manageable.

Ethan knocked on the door as cautiously as he could. The area around them had been checked for any signs of the watchful eyes of the infected. While it seemed that the coast was clear, they did not want to risk alerting anything nearby with the heavy sounds of fists against metal.

Bela stood behind him as she kept a lookout for the first indication that they were not alone. As she heard the footsteps approach from behind that small door, her breath grew still as it seemed that a break from this madness was within arm's reach.

I need to sit down.

The door opened and Ethan was greeted with the wide, green eyes of the pale brunette. "Oh, my…" She said as her face dropped at the sight of them. The remnants of a chaotic fight were clear as day on their clothing. Rips and stains, mostly from blood. Kyia ushered them in before she shut the door behind them. Bela immediately went to go sit down on the floor, placing her back against the wall.

As she sat there, Kyia's attention focused on Ethan. She seemed to be more worried than she should have been, visually inspecting every inch of his body as she searched for signs of damage. "You look hurt."

"I'm okay," he told her, before his eyes went down to the blonde. "She took more of a beating than I did. If there's anything that you can do, do it for her."

Bela's eyes peered up at him; brows raised in a shocked manner. She did not say a thing, only watching as Kyia's face looked down to glance at her. The brunette's caring attitude appeared to diminish slightly. It made sense as to why she wouldn't have been in such a rush to render aid to the woman who had belittled her. Nevertheless, as soon as her eyes went back to Ethan, she made her way over to a box of supplies that she kept around.

Ethan took a seat at the table, setting their guns against another chair and taking his coat off. His jacket had sustained plenty of cuts from the fights he took part in, but it was still mostly intact. Whatever this world had thrown at it had not been enough to destroy it. Bela could hear the weight of all the items that he carried inside it as it touched the floor. He cracked his neck and stretched his arms, before unzipping his hoodie to check for wounds.

Bela's eyes glanced at his slim, yet toned frame. The black t-shirt that he wore underneath had been coated in sweat, while the skin of his arms bore multiple lacerations. The man's body was a beacon for punishment, but as she watched him, that odd feeling slowly came back.

She could not explain it.

Kyia came back with several stripes of bandages and gauze, along with a few small bottles in her hands. "Ethan, what happened to –" Her words were cut short as soon as she saw his body. Bela figured that she may have been shocked by his array of wounds, but her stares were held longer than they should have been. "What happened?"

"Vikcia." The only words that he needed to say.

Kyia's eyes closed and she shook her head. "When you didn't come back on time, I was worried that you had been trapped out there." She seemed to grow annoyed as she surveyed the injuries that the two of them has sustained. "You could have gotten killed! Have you seen what she is capable of? She would have torn you apart!"

She needs to shut up…right now.

Bela interjected, "We know what she is capable of, Kyia. Look at us."

The brunette turned to look at her again. It was that same glance of animosity that she had given her the first time they met.

The blonde spoke again, "Do you think we wanted to run into her?"

"No," Kyia replied. "But, it was still foolish of you to be out there for so long."

Bela's anger skyrocketed. "What is it going to take to get it through your thick head that we didn't want to be attacked?!" Her throat roared in pain as her vocal cords rattled every strained nerve around them. "We didn't plan for this, but we made it out. Instead of complaining, just shut your mouth and do something useful, for once!"

Kyia's lips curled as her brow pinched in scorn. Without another word, she tossed the supplies down by Bela's feet and walked away from her. "You're a grown woman, fix it yourself."

Hearing the start of yet another fight, Ethan raised his head and waved his arm in the air to get her attention. "Kyia…"

"No!" She hissed at him. "Do you hear the way she talks to me? Do you not care? I was worried about you. I do not wish to be insulted by –"

He reached out for her, which caused the woman to halt her words and settle down. "Look…we survived, that's what matters. I know we're all on edge, but, please, let's not turn on each other."

She stood still before slowly sparing Bela one more glance. A quick but low huff of her breath escaped before she nodded and returned to the blonde. There was tension to be felt in the air as the two of them sat close to one another, but Bela kept her eyes away, and her thoughts to herself – as did Kyia.

The brunette organized the supplies and displayed them to her. "There should be enough bandages to seal your wounds. These bottles contain a disinfectant that also acts to seal the exposed flesh." She handed Bela one of the bottles. "If you feel like you have any fractured bones, let me know." There was an odd softness to her voice, though none of it indicated a looming friendship on the horizon. "I can fashion a sling or anything else to keep it stable, but unfortunately, there is only so much that I can do."

Bela took hold of the first bottle and twiddled it around in her hand. She still would not look at her. "Thanks, Kyia."

The woman paused before setting the rest of the supplies down. "Of course," she said quietly before standing back up and returning to Ethan.

The man looked exhausted, but his eyes would not leave either of the two women. He waited patiently as the thin brunette in the white gown grabbed more bottles and bandages to give to him. She placed them on the table before taking a seat for herself. For Ethan, instinct took hold, prompting him to grab the first bottle and open it up. He poured the liquid over his wounds, feeling the sharp sting of the hordes of bacteria inside dying en masse.

His face winced as the harsh touch radiated across his arm, but he did not buckle. He set the bottle back down and reached for the set of bandages that Kyia had brought over, noticing that the bite from the crocodile-woman had still yet to fully heal. He paused for a second, stunned by how the baseline of his body had not been met. Kyia reared her head as she glanced at the wound.

"That is still bleeding, Ethan."

"Yeah." He poured some more liquid on it, enduring further agony as he did so. "I thought it would have healed by now."

"No." She shook her head as she stood up and returned to her basket. "That wound requires stitching. When did you receive it?"

With another groan, Ethan rolled his lips. "When we got to this world. Some long-necked bitch sank her teeth into me inside this cathedral."

Kyia's head turned around as soon as she heard that. The woman rushed back over with what she had grabbed. "That's been two days! Please, you need to let me stitch it up!"

"It should have –"

"Does it look like it's healing?" Kyia brought her chair over to him and sat back down; a needle and stitch line in her hand. She calmed herself before grabbing another bottle and opening it up. "This will destroy necrotic tissue. It's going to bubble and it will hurt, but I must cleanse your wound of it before I get to work."

"Fine." Ethan held out his arm, allowing her to begin the process. He tried to ready himself as much as he could, but as soon as the liquid touched his skin, the man who was no stranger to pain let out a scream. Kyia jolted as soon as he did, only to jump right back into action; applying a fresh pad of gauze to help soothe the intensity.

As he reeled from the cleansing, Kyia used what strength she had to keep his arm down, her concerned glare shifted back and forth between the man and her hands. Ethan eventually felt the fiery wrath of the liquid subside, allowing him to finally relax his body. The brunette let up, removed the gauze, and inspected his bite. Once she found that it was clean, the stitching process began.

"You said you grew up in the country?" Ethan made conversation as he watched her thread his skin with the needle. It was not painless by any means, but in contrast to what he had just gone through, this was a walk in the park.

Kyia glanced up at him with a raised eyebrow. "Country?"

"Farms, pasture, nature," Ethan explained. "You didn't grow up in this city, correct?"

"Yes," Kyia returned to her stitching. "You would be correct."

"I only ask because you seem to know how to take care of people. Were you a doctor or do anything with medicine?"

She kept her eyes on his wound, tying up every open hole that she could find. "Your words confuse me. I'm assuming that is something that you have in your world. But, I did help others where I came from. I was a healer, of sorts. I tended to the sick and the injured." She cut the thread and tied it, moving to the next laceration. "I did my best, but, sometimes…that wasn't good enough."

"What do you mean?"

"Ah…" She broke her concentration as she lifted her head and glanced up at the ceiling for a couple of seconds. "People take and take, as if their actions aren't going to have some detrimental effect on those they take from – I'll leave it at that. That said; I did have a passion for what I did, and those I practiced with did so too. I miss them. I miss all of them."

Ethan continued to ask questions as the rock of her upbringing was slowly beginning to lift, shedding light on the darkness around her. "What happened?"

"I need to focus on this, if you don't mind." She returned to her sheltered ways, almost as if she did not want to speak to him. There was a sense of anger in her voice, but she eased it with a breath and a soft roll of her lips. "I'm just glad that you're okay." Her eyes turned to Bela before they lowered. "Both of you. Don't scare me like that again."

"Glad to be back in here with you," he replied. It brought a small smile across the lady's thin cheeks.

Bela, who had been listening to the conversation, found herself eyeing Ethan's legs. She still couldn't figure out how that man had managed to still run around after she and Cassandra had plunged their sickles deep into the sides of them. Anyone else would have been rendered immobilized – but not him.

How did you heal so fast from that?

She kept her thoughts to herself as she let their conversation fade away in the background. There were more important things to attend to; namely her own injuries. It hurt to move around in excess, but to her luck, Vikcia had not landed any blows. Those claws were sharp, and while they would not cut someone to ribbons as her mother's could, they were more than capable of carving someone apart.

Hell, she had seen it for herself.

She rolled up her sleeve, inspecting both arms for any sign of something dire. Nothing. She could only spot some abrasions and bruises. The rest of her body had to be worse, but she was unwilling to de-gown in front of Kyia – much less, Ethan. He had already seen her scar, but her body was just as sacred, if not more.

Why do I have these bruises? This has never happened to me before.

She opened up one of the bottles, gently pouring some of the disinfectant onto her cuts. A sharp sting, but nothing compared to Vikcia's brutality. She bit her lip during the process, hating how human she felt.

I need my flies back. What did this world do to me?

After Bela was finished, she found herself sitting there with a bunch of supplies left that had gone unused. Her ribs and back still ached. She would not be surprised if some bones had been fractured. Her legs were weak, making it a chore to move around. She was tired, drained of all energy.

I just want to sleep.

By now, Kyia was almost done with Ethan's stitches. She tied off the final strand and clipped it, before rolling a large wrapping of gauze over the wound. As soon as her scissors and needle were placed on the table, she sighed, tapping her finger against the edge of the wood. There was a pause to her, as she appeared to have been thinking about something. After a few seconds, she decided that whatever was on her mind was not important. A tisk passed through her teeth as she stewed back in her chair and turned her eyes toward the man beside her.

"Try not to get yourself hurt anymore, please."

With a chuckle, Ethan nodded and pulled back his arm. "I will try. Thanks again."

With pursed lips and a rolling set of eyebrows, Kyia glanced down at the table as the tapping of her fingers continued. "I'll hold you to that," she said; her gaze still avoiding him. The woman was a total mystery, despite her occasional friendliness. Ethan wanted to just have her drop her walls and be more direct at times, but there was no use in squandering the best – if not only – source of help that they had.

She seemed to be a decent person who only wanted to escape this madness too. If she could help them get back to their world, then she was welcome to come too. Anywhere but here would be paradise to her, he believed.

Kyia glanced at the guns nearby, lifting her nose as she craned her neck and leaned back. "I never much enjoyed those things," she remarked. "Such destruction."

"Well, those things are keeping us alive," Ethan said. "Besides, wouldn't people have guns where you grew up? In my world, you expect to find a lot of them in the countryside, or, so the stereotype goes."

She raised her hand and brought her curled fingers underneath her narrow chin. The stray locks of her dark, curly hair swayed from side to side as she moved her head around. Her eyes moved to him, along with a shrug of her shoulder to accompany them. "I still don't understand your verbiage, Ethan. But, until I came to this city, I have never seen them before. My community did not possess such weapons."

Her eyes rolled down to her dress and she parted her lips with her tongue. "But, I must agree: they are keeping you alive, and that's what counts. It'll take more than those things to kill Vikcia, however."

Ethan pulled out his flashlight the moment he heard that. "Would you believe me if I told you that this is what scared that bitch away?" With a laugh, he pointed the lens at Kyia and flipped the switch the moment she fixated on it. The bright beam of light shot out and instantly blinded her.

"Argh! Idiot!" She spun around, her face shielded with her hands. Ethan quickly turned the light off, but that did not stop her from getting up and smacking him on the arm as hard as she could. The impact was weak, though he was certain a clap to the face would not have been too pleasant. Shaking the blindness off as best she could, Kyia's face continued to wince as she recovered from the scorched retinas that he had given her.

"I'm sorry." Ethan tried to reconcile with her, but it was already too late.

"Don't you ever do that again!" She was beginning to get loud, though the low growl in her voice may have been a sign that she was trying to hold back. "I can barely see now! Is this funny to you? There are black clouds everywhere I look!" She threw in a couple more swings that he blocked with his forearm.

Unfortunately, it was the arm that she had just stitched up.

Ethan grunted in pain the moment she struck his wound, curling up into his seat as soon as the impact hit. Kyia huffed a sharp breath as she looked at him. "You better hope that my vision recovers, Mr. Winters! Ignorant fool…"

"It…will…" He rolled his lips in pain, rationing that it would have been better to just take the hits and move on. Lessons learned, he decided.

Fists clenched against her side, Kyia stormed away to the other side of the room, taking her place on top of her bed, as she usually did whenever her anger had been stirred. Leaning over as she sat on the edge, she reached down and pulled her laced slip-ons off and pushed them to the side of the frame. Still rubbing her eyes, she grunted as she took her book off its nightstand, only to groan louder as she opened it. "I can't read anything, Ethan…"

"Sorry, Kyia."

"Do not talk to me."

Bela let out a chuckle, which seemed to annoy the brunette even further, though she did not address it. The blonde stretched her legs out as she looked around for something comfortable to rest her head on. The temptation of sleep was calling, and she held no hesitation to answer. Unfortunately, there were no pillows to be found – save for the ones that Kyia had for herself.

Yeah…she's not going to give those up. Hmm, I see Ethan's jacket over there. I wonder if…

"Man-thing," Bela called out to him from across the room; her voice somewhat hoarse. He raised his eyebrows as he turned his head to her. "Your coat." She pointed to the apparel that was still on the ground. "Can I have it?"

"Uh…" He shrugged his shoulders as he rolled his head, searching for the garment. "Sure. Here you go."

He tossed it over, causing a loud crash as Bela failed to catch it; the hefty contents inside struck the floor, eliciting an annoyed glare from Kyia. The brunette turned her head away and moved to lie down; her back facing both of them. She tucked her pillow under her head, still breathing deeply as her frustration continued to live on.

Bela did not care one bit whether or not the woman was happy. To her, Kyia's demeanor was insufferable. The blonde held no patience for someone of such a fragile mindset. If she wanted to carry on and be mad, then so be it. While Ethan's jacket was not the comfiest thing in the world, it was better than nothing – enough to help her sleep once before. She laid on her back as she nestled around on the ground. If there had been a couch or something similar in this room, then that would have been perfect.

I just want this pain to go away. I might as well pass some of the next few hours. I just hope neither of these two wakes me up.

She closed her eyes and tried to relax her mind, even though there were plenty of reasons to be unable to sleep. Everything that she had just endured would have kept anyone's adrenaline at its peak. The fear that Vikcia had instilled in her heart was unlike anything that she had felt before. Never had another entity brought her so close to death – besides Ethan.

In fact; the more she laid there, the more she thought about him.

Was that why she felt so content?

I wouldn't be sitting in this room right now if it wasn't for you. If I had entered this realm alone…I don't know how long I would have lasted. I don't like any of this. I'm not supposed to be this helpless. Bela Dimitrescu should not find herself at the mercy of others.

She rolled onto her left shoulder, sneaking the tiniest glimpse of him at the table through her eyelids.

You're not a normal man. I can feel it. You don't look like you're capable of half the things that you can do. The way you fought those people. The way you pulled me from Vikcia. Why? What good have I done for you?

Her memories went back to the moments when she had done her part to prevent his death. Actions that had carried no prior thought. Even in their earliest hour in this forsaken hell, she had planted her sickle into the neck of the lady with the shark-like teeth before the beast could land another bite on the man. That was right after they had fought inside her castle, seconds away from killing each other.

What had changed?

I'll be honest with you, Ethan, even if you can't hear this. I guess I'm going to be more honest with myself, truly: I'm scared. I've been scared since the moment you shattered that window, and nothing has ever been the same since. I'm fighting myself more than I'm fighting this damn world. Every time I try to push you away, you keep coming back. I know I say to stay away, but…I don't want that. I don't want you to give up on me. Don't leave me to face this nightmare alone.

She closed her eyes and slowly exhaled the weight of the day through her nostrils.

What is happening to me?

Bela had been sleeping on the floor for the last two hours, while Ethan stayed at the table and collected his thoughts. The fight that he had just endured weighed heavily on his mind. The man pondered whether or not he was suited for what he was up against. Vikcia had proven to be a powerful foe, and with everything that surrounded them, he felt that he was beginning to lose hope.

This place wasn't some home near the bayou. It wasn't an isolated village in the snowy mountains. There was more than just a psychotic family and some molded demons to contend with. Even a horde of Lycans and several gifted individuals paled in comparison to the legions of death that populated this hellish city. Vikcia was a living virus of darkness. She infected everyone she could touch – assuming she did not tear them apart first.

He was trapped in a universe that he did not understand; thrust in the middle of a catastrophe that he should have never known. Powers were at play that were far beyond his understanding. Nothing he had faced in the past could have held a candle to the monstrosities of this torn world. Rose was still waiting for him in his home realm, somewhere. Each run-in with madness brought him closer to the belief that his daughter would never see her father again.

His eyes turned to the blonde woman asleep on the ground. She had to have some answers, but she was not telling him anything. He wanted to shake her awake and scream out his demands, but what would it serve? Did Bela know Rose's whereabouts? All the daughters must have, he figured. The redheaded witch had mentioned the child's name when he first met the trio.

That tall bitch had to have been keeping her. If not her, then one of those four freaks, or that mysterious bird-woman. "Miranda," he whispered under his breath as he cupped his hands together.

What did she want? Why did Chris murder Mia and steal the girl away? So many questions, but not a single answer to be found. His teeth clenched. He wanted to flip the table over and scream. His anger was there; raging at how shackled he felt as a father and a husband.

He had failed to protect his wife. Now, the looming likelihood that the same would apply to his only child stood to shatter the glass of the mirror that was his soul.

Ethan's fist balled, but the sudden rising of Kyia from her bed caused him to keep it still. She did not deserve to see his fury, he thought. He could only imagine what that woman had endured before they arrived here. What had she lost? It would not have been fair to her to display his emotions in such a manner. She had enough stress to deal with.

The brunette stayed quiet as she walked over to a small box and rummaged through some garments that were locked inside. Ethan only turned his head to her after a minute, where he witnessed her holding up a white blouse while staring down at the thick dress she currently wore.

Her green eyes shifted to him; her face mostly expressionless, save for the hint of uncertainty in her pinched brow. "If you have any respect for me, you will look away."

"Of course." Ethan swiftly rotated his head back to the front, staring at the wall as he listened to her get undressed. A small sigh escaped his mouth for whatever reason. Hearing her voice was a reminder that he was not as alone in this world as he thought. His attention moved to Bela, still slumbering on the ground.

Even the carnivorous blonde somehow managed to provide a semblance of comfort at times. It was a strange feeling, indeed. She was someone that he would have never expected to have interacted this much with. It was only two days ago that the condescending noblewoman was trying to tear his throat out.

He sat there, unmoving, until the sound of the chest closing and locking caught his ears. His eyes remained where they already were, until the slender form of Kyia's body passed beside him. She was on her way to the box of canned food that was kept nearby. Her new attire consisted of the same white blouse that she had been holding; buttoned up to a collared neck. She wore a long, black skirt, while the very bottom of her legs was allowed to be seen, covered in white pantyhose. The same laced slip-on shoes she had worn earlier were back on her feet, which matched the blouse she had put on.

Her dark, brown hair was still tied up in a dangling bun. If she ever decided to let it down, he thought, the length of it would likely be quite long. She was so thin, but carried a form of elegance to her. She wasn't a young adult, but was far from old. He and her had to have been around the same age, in contrast to Bela – who appeared to be in her early twenties.

Ethan watched as she dug through the food box, glancing at whatever was written on the various cans. Some were tossed aside with disgust, while others were granted some consideration. She still seemed annoyed, evidenced by her tense eyes and small scowl. It was kind of funny to watch her carry on, he thought.

His eyes briefly moved to her thin waist, which blossomed into that loose skirt. Her slightly hooked nose matched the flair of her cheekbones, softened by the skin of her cheeks. It didn't take much to display the knuckles of her boney hands as she held the cans. She embodied the image of what this city must have been before disaster struck – even if she was as removed from it as she said she had been.

Once Kyia had settled on what she wanted to eat, she grabbed another can and stood up, moving the box back against the wall with her heel. She approached the table, taking her seat next to Ethan. The brunette was not terribly close, though the circular wooden table was hardly large to begin with. She was only a few feet away, but her proximity was meaningless as her position spoke more.

She did not want to share direct eye contact with him. Yet, despite that, she still pushed the second can over to him.

With another sigh, Ethan accepted the gesture. "Thanks."

"Mhmm." Kyia pulled the top off her can and set it down in front of her, only to groan as she got up. Seconds later, she returned with two cups in her hand, and a jug of water to go along with them. The brunette sat back down, straightening her chair before pushing everything that she had brought over to him.

Ethan picked up on the cue to pour her a drink, filling her cup up before placing it beside her. She did not say anything as she took a fork from the table and stabbed it into the center of the can. The man filled his container, setting the jug in the center in case either of them wanted any more.

The was some awkwardness in the air as the two sat in silence. Kyia picked at her food after taking the first bite. She only went for a second after Ethan dug his fork in and indulged. The woman kept her eyes down on her meal, while the man next to her would occasionally look around the room. Kyia quietly chewed, washing the thick meat and breaded substance down with a drink. Ethan noticed how she kept her elbows off the table as she ate; while he sat hunched over.

As quiet as she was, the number of times her fork tapped against the metal rim of the can gave the impression that she was trying to get his attention. It was a subtle act by a woman who embodied the idea of unanswered questions. She was so distant – yet so willing to stay within reach.

"What are you eating?" Ethan asked. Kyia said nothing; eyes still looking down. Her face was pursed with some aggravation. The muscles along her brow were far from relaxed. From whatever experience he had with Mia could have taught him, it was best to say something different. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have flashed the light at you."

She set her fork down at that moment. The woman would not look at him, but as soon as she swallowed what was in her mouth, she brought a small cloth up to it and wiped it clean. "You shouldn't have."

"You know…" Ethan skimmed his fork around the vegetables and mush that his can had inside. None of the food tasted good, which was why he imagined that Kyia had deliberately picked it for him. A minuscule punishment. How petty she could be, he figured. "I only did it because I didn't think you would have gotten upset."

She cupped her hands together on her lap as she sat up, eyes still on the table. "You don't think much, do you, Mr. Winters?"

"I think our lives are pretty terrible right now," he said. Her eyes raised ahead. She still looked quite angry. "But, I think the best thing about them is that we're all together. We owe you our lives, Kyia. Not just that; you make being in this world just a little bit more tolerable."

Her eyes turned to him at that very second. Her brow was still tense, yet, somewhat perplexed. She only fell to her instincts for a second or two before she stiffened back up. "I have enough to worry about without the stress of dealing with you two."

"Could I ask you a question?"

She did not reply, but her continued glare was affirmation enough.

"How worried were you about us?" He wanted to pull her away from her negative mindset. Maybe it was all an act. Maybe it was genuine. It was too hard to be certain of which. In the end, none of that mattered.

All Ethan wanted was to see her in a better mood.

Kyia's eyelids slimmed as her stare trailed from his face down to his chest, before landing on the table. She let out a sigh and pinched the end of one of her curly locks. "It got pretty bad," she said in a low voice. "I couldn't sleep. I wanted to, but…"

She let go of her hair and ran her fingers against the back of her right ear. The woman eased up on her defensiveness as her frustrations gave way to what she had been more concerned about. Ethan could see how dark the circles under her eyes had gotten. She looked exhausted. There was doubt that she had slept in days.

"Yeah…" Ethan breathed as he rubbed his face. "I thought we were goners back there. The night just came so suddenly."

"She does that." Kyia picked up some more food on her fork. "Sometimes it takes an hour for the skies to go dark. Sometimes minutes. I felt so stupid for neglecting to tell you something so crucial." Her hands were beginning to shake. The tightness around her nostrils and brows was already growing. She could barely hold the fork as it rattled in her grasp. She set it down and leaned over, resting her elbows down and covering her face.

A long sigh passed through the sides of her palms as she sat still. "This is all my fault."

"Don't say that." Ethan did not want to see her take the blame for what was out of her control.

Kyia lowered her arms and sat back in her chair. Her head was tilted toward the ceiling. Her eyes shut. "Then what is there for me to say?" Her eyelids opened and those green irises turned his way. "Do I just ignore all my shortcomings? How do I put aside that I made such a big mistake?"

"It wouldn't have changed anything. We knew the risks when we went out there. Things just got out of hand, but we made it back. Don't kick yourself in the ass for forgetting something like that. Nothing you say or don't say isn't going to make Vikcia less dangerous."

"No." Kyia sat forward. "I don't suppose it will."

There was a bit of unhappiness in the way she spoke. It was like she bordered on talking about something else, but all she could do was rebound into her state of hesitation. It seemed like such a thing was easy for her. She may have done it a lot in the past. What did he know, anyway?

"Is everything alright?" Ethan decided to get down to the bottom line.

"Is anything ever alright, Ethan?" She looked at him with a stern glance, yet the way her eyes softened begged to differ. She made him feel stupid for even asking, but at the same time, it sounded like she wanted to know the answer.

"No," he responded, remembering all the tragedies that he had to endure in his past and now. He recalled being so heartbroken the day Mia first went missing. The evening when the phone call that was supposed to happen never came. The email that she never replied to. The following morning where there was still no correspondence. The week after where there were still no answers. More dead ends than any other road in mid-western America.

All of that, only for the first glimmer of hope to lead him straight into the bowels of Hell itself. Spat out into the dirt, covered in blood, as death hovered above him in the form of a molded monstrosity called Eveline. A long night of violence before that helicopter ride out of there put an end to it all.

All of that – just to have Mia back by his side once again.

Ethan stared back at her, certain as ever. "But, we fight until it is."

Kyia paused for another second or two before she gave a small smile in return. "You have such a way with words, Mr. Winters."

"My wife told me that on our first date," he chuckled. "A few really stupid jokes later and she was still willing to take me up on a second one."

"I don't know what a date is." Kyia flicked her eyebrows up. "But, I imagine that you must have made her quite happy."

"Yeah." He felt a big smile cross over his face as he thought about Mia's laughter during that wonderful night. "She was very happy."

Kyia sat there for a bit, taking part in the silence that permeated the air between the two of them before finally returning to the food in front of her. She picked up her fork and held it near her lips, turning a glance toward his food. "Not very appealing, is it?"

"The food?" Ethan mentally found himself back inside this little underground shelter of theirs. "Yeah, well…not five-star dining, if I don't say so myself."

She giggled lightly. "What does that mean?"

"Ugh…we'd be here all day if I had to explain it to you."

"I'm not going anywhere else." She took a bite of the food, chewing it for a moment before she addressed him again with another smile and a muffled voice, "Do explain."

Another giggle came forth from the brunette's pressed lips as she covered her mouth with the tips of her fingers. She set down her fork into the empty can, wiping her face with the cloth soon after. She swallowed what was left inside, before catching her breath. "So, this cook goes to other people's 'restaurants,' as you call them, and he yells at them until they make better food?"

"In a sense…yes." Ethan smirked as he tried to stifle his laughter, recalling the show that he and Mia often watched together during the weekends. "It usually worked."

One more contained giggle pushed against Kyia's lips as her head bobbed for a second. "Quite petty, I must say."

"Well, he knows his craft."

"As do I." Kyia got up from her seat and took hold of her empty food can. "But, I prefer to cook in peace; not in the company of some man who is yelling at me." Ethan was about to get up as well to dispose of his container, but she extended her open hand out to him.

"Allow me," she graciously offered.

With a nod and a smile, Ethan handed her everything he had. "Thanks."

"Of course," she said with a smile as she walked away toward a bin where the empty cans were to be stacked away and sealed. Kyia set the utensils away in a separate box, where they would later be cleaned. As soon as she was done, the woman did not hesitate to return to her seat, next to the man who she had just shared her meal with. "Your world sounds…most enticing, Ethan. If I am to make it out of here, I would love to witness all these things that you have told me about."

"Like I said; this world and my world look just the same, except this one isn't as modern." He shrugged his shoulder. "And with all the monsters, and the shadow-witch, and all…"

Kyia continued to lean back in her seat, her hands cupped against her lap, as she often kept them. The woman spanned her gaze around the room before she tucked her chin and took a breath. "It just sounds so much better. I hate it here. I always have. I just want to live in a world without violence – for once."

Ethan's expression loosened as he found a heavy truth that he had to break to her. "I'm sorry to tell you, but my world is still full of violence. Not like this, but it can still find you."

"Ah…" Kyia nodded, somewhat dismayed. "My optimism was always my downfall, I suppose. Foolish of me to think otherwise."

"Hey, it's not that bad of a world. In fact, there is a lot of beauty to be found in it. Mia always told me that we can't concentrate on its worst aspects. She said that we have to look for the good at all times."

Kyia parted her lips with a flick of her tongue as she nodded again. "You remind me of myself when I was younger. Silly little Kyia always thinking the Sp – Sheer Orbs would rise over a pleasant field, filled with colorful clouds, overlooking a world with no more problems."

"I've seen the sun rise over a world without problems once," Ethan said to her, thinking back to that helicopter ride out of Louisianna. "It took the second-worst night of my life to remind me that a brighter day would happen eventually."

"Then my optimism may yet stand." Kyia gave a smile. "I just want to escape this world, Ethan."

"We'll get out of here together," he replied. "I promise."

Kyia's smile grew faint for a moment, though it did not waiver until she exhaled and lowered her eyes. "Forgive me for the way I acted earlier. I recognize that I have an anger problem. It's one of my shortcomings; one of the hardest to control."

He could see the sincerity in the way she spoke. The brunette was far from happy with herself. While she may have held onto her irritation for an extended period, it all seemed to go away once she got some closure. After that – it left nothing but a regretful lady in its wake.

Ethan understood apologies quite well. He knew that this may not be the last time he would witness her in such a fury, but the fact that she wanted to address the way she was had taken away any negativity that he could have felt. On the contrary, he had already felt none to begin with. "No worries. Everyone gets mad now and then."

"But, I caused you pain." She eyed his arm.

"I've had much worse." Ethan laughed. "Stilling kicking."

His reaction to it all was enough to allow her spirits to lighten up. Kyia's smile returned as she crossed her arms and pushed herself back; the tip of her foot against the center column that supported the table. "I'll do better, next time. Thanks for making me feel better, Ethan."

"Thanks for everything, Kyia."

Bela awoke from her sleep. A sudden spark of energy had been enough to disrupt her rhythm, though she remained tired as ever. It would not take much for her to fall back under, but in that minute when her consciousness had been powered back on, she opened her eyes and glanced at the two as they sat together at the table. Kyia's smile was the first thing she noticed, followed by the same expression on Ethan's face.

Her heart stilled for a second as she tried to depart from the world of the awake. It was not long before her wish was granted, but until the opportunity came, she found herself thinking about the scene around her – and the odd feeling that it commanded.

Just go back to sleep, Bela. What does it matter? As long as they're quiet. Huh… I don't know why I even care. It doesn't matter, anyway. When I get home, I'll have my mother and my sisters. It's just…what makes him want to talk to her?

NOTES:

So, not a lot of Bela/Ethan in this chapter, but more so, Kyia and Ethan. This strange, yet, helpful woman offers more to this story than simply a possible love interest, or competitor for our favorite blonde. I wanted to give her a little more depth, but only so much.

Like Bela, she does have a temper, though it usually comes around sooner or later. Does Ethan have any feelings for her? She's a source of comfort, that's for sure. In such times, I don't think we can blame someone for gravitating toward to smallest sense of normalcy.

Bela seems to have come around a bit, but following Vikcia's attack, she doesn't have the strength to rage at anyone too much. There is plenty of development ahead for her, but I wanted to turn the spotlight onto the other two for now.

Where do we go from here? No one is stepping outside just quite yet while the night rages on, so some more interactions between Kyia and them, and maybe even a glimpse at what happened at Castle Dimitrescu when Ethan Winters was never found…

And don't worry, horror fans, we'll get back to some more action. Safe houses aren't forever in this world.

The next chapter will come a bit later than usual. I'm going to be putting some extra effort into Fragmented Flies, as I wish to release a few chapters from that story at once. So, shoot for three weeks or four (at the very most, which I doubt). I promise that when that story concludes, these chapters should roll out weekly. Check those emails! In the meantime, if you have read Flies yet, I recommend it!

These two stories are not as far apart as you may think 😉

Anyway, thanks for checking out this newest chapter! You guys have been awesome as ever and I am so glad to have you as readers. There are so many more things that are about to go down in this story, and they're coming pretty soon! Hope you all have been enjoying your lives! Seriously, thank you so much, and stay safe out there! 😊