The night, or what presumably would have been Malcolm's time to sleep, had progressed through the next handful of hours. Mabel had already been returned to her cage earlier, thrown in there like a discarded piece of trash by the man who had just finished getting what he wanted from her. He didn't even utter a single word as he shut the door and locked it – but neither did Mabel.

The dark-haired brunette simply curled into a ball and silently wept. A low murmur here or there was the only thing that she would utter. Besides that, the woman was practically motionless. Bela would look on for the next several minutes, wondering what was going through her head.

It had to have been an endless sort of hell. To be robbed of both your vision and hearing, forced to never know what was going on around you, only to be subjected to sexual abuse of the worst kind was a fate more terrible than death.

At this rate, death was anything better than what was to be endured here. Bela had tried to get rid of the thought of being killed as something so horrible. Part of her just wanted to die at this rate. This whole nightmare would suddenly be over and she would be free.

What kept her going was the fact that she didn't want to leave Edith alone to suffer. Malcolm was going to do everything in his power to keep her alive, that much was clear. He had hooked her up to so many things that would circumvent the damage that he had caused. It was a wonder that she had lasted this long, as the technology was so crude. Sanitation was lacking in all departments.

He must have had a decent supply of what was needed, otherwise, the antibiotics would run out and infection would take its course. The woman was propped up on that table like a motionless doll. She could see the world around her, but not act on it.

Malcolm viewed her as an object, and that was what he made her into.

Bela shuddered as she thought about that some more. Edith's eyes displayed the screaming that she could not vocalize. There was so much that the girl clearly wanted to tell her, but it would take too much of her strength to do so. Instead, the only thing that she concentrated on doing was uplifting the blonde's spirits.

The prayer that they had shared had given Bela some form of hope, just like Edith had wanted. However, it was not hope in the form of divine intervention. There wasn't going to be some miraculous burst of light that would cut her chains free, smite Malcolm, and allow her to escape this torture pen.

Bursts of light did not hold a good track record in her book, anyway…

No. The hope she discovered came in the form of not being alone. As long as Edith was there, she would have a person to speak to. It was just like Ethan when she was navigating those dark hallways, fighting for her life against every monster that –

Ethan. There came those bad memories once again.

She still had a hard time coming to terms with the way things ended back in that room. It had been on her mind in between the urgency of what was going on now. In the absence of Malcolm, Bela continued to think about all the ways that she had messed up. Perhaps, she thought, the lie about Rose should have never happened.

She was too afraid to be confronted about the child's fate and risk losing the only good thing that she had going for her in this realm. It only doubled down when the truth finally came to light. Maybe, if she had told him sooner, Ethan could have reacted differently. He would have still trusted her, but what did she know?

At that time, she was even more of a stranger to him than she was when the facts spilled out of her mouth. What would have stopped him from shooting her? If she was still that bloodthirsty witch from the castle, the man would have pumped six bullets into her torso before the final word escaped her lips.

There may have been no good outcome. Her relationship with Ethan was already doomed from the very beginning. Two sworn enemies could not remain friends for long. It was a decent break from delusion while it lasted, but it was time to come back to reality.

And reality was a tearful state in an uncomfortable cage. This is where the animals belonged.

This is the deserved fate of those who kill children.

Bela closed her eyes and slowed her breathing. She hated herself for thinking like this. All it did was batter her will to push forward deeper into the ground. Edith may have told her to not think negatively about herself, but what did she know?

She knew nothing of the truth. The woman beside her was a cruel murderer who had slaughtered dozens upon dozens of people throughout her life. She fed on flesh and quenched her thirst in blood. That didn't even include the multitude of victims that were kept in cages for her own sick amusement.

Malcolm's house couldn't hold a candle to what she and her family did in that castle. So many voices were silenced beyond those stone walls. Lives were reduced to mere products to be sold and enjoyed, while the denizens of that carnage factory laughed and carried on like the nobles they pretended to be.

Edith thought she knew what a monster was but in truth, she knew nothing. She couldn't even recognize when one was sitting down right next to her.

Bela debated just confessing all of her actions to the brunette right here and right now. But, as history would repeat itself, she found herself too scared to do so. Just like Ethan, Edith was someone who she did not want to lose. The only good thing left in a world of horror.

Why would she want to give that up?

So, just as she had pretended to know nothing of Rose's fate, she would not make mention of her true past. Omission was the easiest lie to tell. At least she wouldn't have to stain her tongue with direct falsehoods this time.

That could not be used against her if and when her charade crumbled to pieces. She'd roll the dice again. Live life with the risk of losing the last thing she had. It was all she had left and she would hold onto it for as long as she could.

Without warning, Malcolm emerged from his room and approached Mabel's cage again. It was like déjà vu when she saw him unlock it and grab her. There were no differences in his actions. No indication that he was setting her up for anything else than to go back into that room.

With a heavy heart, Bela's amber eyes followed the duo as Malcolm dragged his handcuffed prisoner back across the floor and to where he had last held her. Mabel's face was as distressed as ever, but this time, she held back on her frantic cries. She knew what was coming.

She had gone through this many times before.

The door shut – and then those sounds eventually began again.

Bela covered her mouth as she turned away and looked toward Edith. The brunette spared her a glance of her own before she shut her lids and inhaled some more air to help funnel her next words out of her throat.

"He does this…every few hours…sometimes."

Bela finally addressed the situation regarding herself, "Is that what is going to happen to me?"

Edith opened her eyes and looked at her with a deep-rooted sense of sadness. That answered the question by itself. Bela had already suspected that becoming Malcolm's wife entailed sessions of sexual intercourse, which coupled with her cemented lack of consent, would have been traumatizing on their own.

But, to see his appetite for it to be so insatiable that he would subject her to repeated instances of the act in such a short period was alarming. It must have been the shock that kept her awareness of how likely this was all going to be at bay. Maybe she was too afraid to believe it was real in the first place.

With her being the newest addition to this collection of people, she could only guess how much he wanted to do the same thing to her. Being a sexual object was something that she had always feared. Her mother had warned her on so many occasions about the ill will of men. That was why she never wanted her daughters to get too close to them.

Their bodies were as pure as could be, and no one's lust would shatter the glass of such a protected existence. Alcina would slice apart any man who even dared to try. She would have diced Malcolm up into bits before the wretch could have straightened out those circular glasses of his.

He would have been a bloody mountain of skin left on the floor in just a couple of seconds. It would have been no contest at all.

But, her mother wasn't here to protect her and that was the reality that she had such a hard time dealing with. She was mortal. There were no powers to spin the odds in her favor. And just like these two other ladies, her body was not hers to own – and that was what scared her.

She had no idea what sex was like, but she could imagine that Malcolm's actions would be as degrading as they were brutal. He would twist it in a way to suit his psychological control over her. Who was to say that another wrong guess about the facts of his religion wouldn't be cause for him to subject her to whatever act he secretly wanted to do anyway? That was the most nerve-wracking aspect of it all.

Edith only had a small piece of advice to offer, "When he does…just close your eyes…and pretend you're…somewhere else."

Bela had already cried out all the tears that she could have conjured. Her ducts were dried up. There was not a single drop to be spared. But, she still spoke quietly, far from confident, "There has to be a way out of here. I don't want to suffer this."

"I can tell you…that the best way…out is…to not end up…like us," she said. "We both resisted…and he crippled us."

"So, I should submit and do everything he wants?" Bela still could not find herself conforming to what Malcolm wanted. There had to be another way around all of this. She would not simply fold and allow him to run rampant over her body. "I can't just let that happen forever."

"I just want…you to have…a chance," Edith stated.

I get that. I know, but…argh! It shouldn't have to come down to this! I don't want him touching me! I've seen the way he looks at parts of me and I hate it! Nobody should ever have to go through this!

"Edith, are you sure that this is not a way out of here? Does he leave those keys anywhere? Does he have a routine?"

"Sometimes…he leaves the house…and walks around…the city. He keeps…his keys…on him, always."

It was a disheartening answer that smashed through the walls of her quickly thought-up plan. Malcolm must have always taken precautions to ensure that these women would still be here when he returned. After all the work that he had done, why risk losing them? Yet, he had blinded Mable and paralyzed Edith.

Had he allowed that extra level of security to whittle down his routines? Bela was fresh and new, yes, but was a lifestyle adjustment needed? After all, he did go for a walk after he brought her here, so that had not changed at all.

The walks…

"Edith, how has he not gotten killed yet? How does he avoid all the creatures outside?"

"He preaches his…devotion…as a shield," the brunette replied. "If it is as…dangerous out there…as you say…then I don't know…what is keeping…him safe."

Could there be something on him that is warding off the monsters? Is that even possible? If so, then perhaps I can use it to end this for good. Maybe, the next time he goes out, he'll be caught by Vikcia or any one of those beasts. I remember seeing a strange man looking at me when I was all by myself on those streets before. That must have been him! He couldn't have been surviving on just pure luck, not with all those infected out there. Vikcia would have smelled him in a heartbeat! This could be my way out!

"Does he keep anything on him that you've seen? Something special, perhaps?" Bela was desperate to be pointed in a direction. She looked at Edith like a hungry child, eyes wide at that first plate of food that was taken off the counter. There had to be an explanation.

"Not that…I know."

Damn it! I'll have to find out on my own…

"Thanks, Edith." Bela blew out a sigh before she rested her head against the metal bars of her cage. The disappointment that she felt come over her was heavy, but with the woman next to her, it wasn't as bad as it would have been had she been the only one in the room, forced to figure this out all on her own.

She could have only pictured the kind of suffering that Edith must have gone through by herself in the first days of her capture. The blonde wiped those thoughts out of her head as soon as they formed. She didn't want to think of it at all.

It was too horrible to consider.

It wouldn't be long before Mabel was brought outside of the room and returned to her cage. Even with her blindness, the young woman attempted to conceal her exposed breast with the torn top that had been pulled over her. She looked more distressed than before, but her whimpers were hushed under the metallic clanks of the locks and bars.

After he twisted out the key from the padlock that sealed the door, Malcolm straightened out his undergarments before he briskly returned to his quarters, not saying a single word as he did so. The man had gotten what he wanted for the night. The rest of the women, Mabel in particular, could only hope that it would satisfy him for the foreseeable remainder of the night.

Bela couldn't sleep, nor could Edith. The brunette's baggy eyes signified the constant lack of rest that she had to contend with. The blonde was just too stressed to even relax her mind. There was no way that she could drift off now. The adrenaline inside her body could likely power her for days. Mabel wouldn't sleep either, that was a no-brainer.

It seemed as though Malcolm would be the only one who could slumber well after everything that had transpired. Bela wondered what kind of man could do so after violating a woman so mercilessly. That was when she began to think back to the way she and her siblings would torment and beat the servants, only to carry on with the rest of their evening like nothing had happened.

Daniela would read a book. Cassandra would eat. For Bela, a glass of wine or a stroll around the hall was a nice way to kick back, not caring one bit about the girl whom she had just stabbed. She would sleep like a baby; her only concern being the next chore that needed to be done, or what it would take to find herself in her mother's good graces.

The sheer desperation and pain that those poor women had to have been in…

This is what I've been doing to people. I didn't have a care in the world about what they had to go through. This is fitting. They finally get their revenge today…

She licked her lips as she crossed her arms, trying to not think about the irony of this anymore. What was done was done. No amount of suffering would ever bring those girls back to life. Even if she had lived a good life, she would have still ended up here at some point. Innocents like Edith and Mabel had not been spared such cruelty.

At least one monster got what they deserved, she thought.

Edith tried to smile at Bela as she looked down at her from the edge of her table. "Where are…you from?"

Bela hesitated. She didn't know how she was going to answer that. Should she just tell the truth that she was from a different world? Monsters running around the streets already sounded as far-fetched as things were. Why not add more realms into the mix?

"I grew up in a castle," she replied.

"A castle?" Edith raised an eyebrow. "So…you're not from…Serpenmoor?"

"No," she left it at that, choosing not to divulge any more information. What would a young lady like Edith know about the world beyond this place? Likely nothing.

"I've always wanted…to see a castle," Edith said with a broader smile as she recalled those childhood fantasies of hers. "It must have…been so nice."

Bela kept her eyes down at the ground. "Yeah, it was."

"Are you royalty?"

She hesitated again, curling her lips as the answer spun around in her head. "I thought I was."

"What about your…father?"

"I only have a mother."

Edith's eyes opened just a little wider. "Oh, a queen?"

"A Lord," Bela corrected her, albeit without much drive. It didn't matter what she was or where she came from. None of that applied anymore. Not here.

"Did you have…loyal servants?"

The next thing that she saw in her mind was the bloodied corpses of every woman who had ever been hired there. All young ladies, drawn to Castle Dimitrescu with the promise of safety and a dream. A way that they could serve and provide for their families back down in that shanty little village. They walked in with caution and smiles, hopeful that they could find a place there.

The façade of friendliness would only last for so long before the rampant abuse began. She could tell that most of these girls had never been hit before. It was evident from the shock in their eyes. The gasps of fright in response to the daughter's shouting were fear at its purest. The ones who had been there for a couple of weeks knew to walk around with their heads down and their mouths shut.

It was no secret what would go down behind closed doors. The staff surely told each other of what to expect if one were to mess up considerably. Punches and slaps would turn to slashes, if not a trip to the dungeon below.

It didn't have to be a big mistake, either. At some points, the daughters were just looking for excuses to send them down. There, it would just be them and their prisoners. A stone fortress away from reality, where they had free reign to torture those unfortunate souls as much as they wanted.

It was the rule of nature, wasn't it? If someone in that position deserved so, their master could just carve up their body and inflict untold amounts of pain. They weren't anything that mattered.

It wasn't like people outside those walls loved them or anything. These weren't the mothers who promised their children that they would only be gone for a month or two. Parents had no reason to think that their beloved daughter was shackled to the ceiling, crying their names in the dark.

They were nothing to the daughters because that was what everyone always told them.

The only ones whose lives mattered were their own.

Sitting in this room, chained in the same fashion as they had been, Bela couldn't stop thinking about what a lie that all was. This was heartless cruelty and she hated herself for never thinking about the truth sooner. She had been more blinded than Mabel. At least that woman had not lived her life believing she was something beyond mortal.

It was so easy to dispense death when someone imagined they would live forever.

The reality check that Bela was currently going through offered new reasons why she was wrong at almost every turn. Her past was a treasure-trove of things to pay for.

Now, this is where fate would come to collect.

She answered Edith with a subtle response, "We took in good people."

"I used to…read about castles when…I was younger," she said, glancing up at the ceiling above her. "I would dance around…telling my father that…he should marry a…queen, so I…could be a princess."

Against all her despair and sourness, Bela found the corners of her mouth breaking into the smallest of smiles. It was a cute little story; one that reminded her so much of her sister Daniela. "Did he ever marry one?"

The brunette pushed out a low laugh, "No…never. No castle for…me. I was so young…back then. So…foolish. I miss being…a kid."

"How old are you?"

"Eighteen."

She is so young! She is just a kid!

"I thought you were older." Bela glanced up at her, but the woman's condition was misleading. Her physical state had rendered her body so clammy and pale that a youthful glow would never be seen. Her eye sockets were so tinted and slightly sunken in. All that torture had stripped her of those qualities that she so rightfully should have carried.

"I wish," Edith remarked. "I would love…to get older."

She knows she won't…

"Getting old doesn't sound like much fun." Bela tried to play it off, hoping to steer the conversation away to something else.

"How old are you?"

How old am I? I've never counted before. Mother told us that we were ageless. We never had to concern ourselves with the rank of years. I know my life has spanned decades. I'm as youthful as ever. She's not going to understand a thing I say if I tell her the truth.

Bela parted her lips and pinched her brows at another thought.

Why are we like that? I never asked before, but what made us so special? I wasn't even a kid! I was born as an adult. We're not human. The flies…

"I never knew my real age," Bela answered. "How old do you think I am?"

Edith inspected her with those blue eyes of hers, scrutinizing every single detail that she could pick up on. "Hmm…twenty-five?"

"Then I'm twenty-five."

The brunette giggled under the pain she felt everywhere. It ended with a slight groan as she moved to relax and steady her breathing. Too much talking or laughter would aggravate her nerves. The tubes that went into her body festered with a flaring sting, likely more bacteria creeping into her bloodstream. Malcolm's use of antibiotics had slowly been increasing over the weeks. It would take more and more to keep her afloat.

One of these days, there just wouldn't be enough.

Edith kept her eyes closed and spoke with just a whisper, "You're still…so young. I hope I…can look like you…when I get older."

Bela's hand drifted up to the scar on her left temple. That undying wound. The greatest blemish that she and her siblings could have ever been graced with. It was no wonder why her mother wanted them to wear those hoods throughout all hours of the day. As much as she adored their faces, she had said that those scars were unsightly and needed to be hidden away.

All three of them obeyed her command without question, as they always did. The hoods would stay on and those craters would be seen as nothing but a gross crack on a perfect sculpture. How anyone could look at it and see it as beautiful was beyond her understanding.

"You don't want to look like me, Edith."

The brunette's eyes still would not open. "Your hair is…such a fair color. Not many women here…have hair like that. Your eyes look…lovely. Your nose. Your lips. Any man…would love to…have you."

The hand that caressed that massive scar fell down and studied the very nose and lips that Edith had said were worth pursuing. Bela and her siblings had always thought of themselves as the most beautiful women that had ever existed in their region, but for the eldest daughter, there was always the underlying feeling of never being good enough.

In the pursuit of one day being as gorgeous as her mother, she lost confidence under her shadow. Nothing was ever about her in the grand scheme of things. The compliments always went to Alcina. Yes, the matriarch would often call the girls 'lovely' or beautiful as well, but it wouldn't take away that very same feeling.

As long as that hood had to remain on her head, she would never feel beautiful.

Bela decided to open up and confront the obvious, "How can anyone want me when my head and hair look the way they do? Is it not hideous?"

"Anyone who loves you…would not say that." Edith finally opened up her eyes and set them back on the blonde. "Do not…put yourself down. You are…beautiful and…deserving."

She is so kind.

"Thank you, Edith," Bela sighed with a slight smile. "You're beautiful too."

"Thank you, Bela."

Mabel's whimpers could still be heard in the background. Bela wished that there would have been some way that she could communicate with the woman, but sadly, it appeared that the damage had been done. She would be forever doomed to live in darkness. If she could not be reached, then the most that could be done was to comfort Edith, just the same way she comforted her.

"Did you grow up in this city?" It felt like a stupid question, but asking it was the best thing she could do to get the conversation going. It was a much-needed reprieve from the nightmare that surrounded her.

Edith gave a gentle nod, as much as her severed cervical spine would allow. "On Cavelt Street," she said. "I spent…all of my days…there."

"Did you like it?"

"Oh, it…was fun." She forced her cheeks into another smile. The woman wanted to express the way she felt so badly. She may not have been kept in a cage, but her body had been transformed into one. "Me and my…dad would…play on the walk…beside the road. The shops…always had something…worth looking at. We were poor…so we couldn't…afford much. The church…helped us out…at times. My father…took me there…quite often."

Her father took her to the church? Oh, no…

"How –" Bela gulped as she danced around on asking the question at all. "How much did you like the church?"

"I loved it," she said. "We'd pray…every day, together. I met…so many nice…people. I never…met my mother…so the women there…treated me as…their daughter. Father saw...how happy I was."

Bela shut her eyes and exhaled a reflection of sadness from her lips. It made her think about the lives of all the women whom she had harmed over the years. The blonde had not a single clue as to what kind of situation their home lives must have been like. Maids who worked as hard as Luana or Sorina never spoke about their families, but they must have thought of them constantly.

She thought about the last of the servants that her kitchen would see before the great slaughter. Bela recalled the times when she would hit or pummel someone as strong-willed as Luana, not giving a single damn about how it affected her.

Luana…you and Edith are so similar to me, somehow. I don't know why she reminds me of you the way she does. You never stopped trying. Not even once. You were always there for Sorina. Just like Edith is here…for me.

Bela sighed again, feeling even worse about herself this time around. "I'm glad you and your father got along so well."

"He was…the best father…I could have ever had." Edith's dried-up lips curved and revealed her white teeth. Even in her crippled state, that was the smile of a young woman who had everything in life that she could have ever asked for – even when she didn't have much at all.

She then made another statement that sent a shiver down Bela's soul, "I hope he…is still out there…somewhere."

Bela's lips rolled in as she shrugged her shoulder, knowing that the outside world was so torn asunder that there was no way he could have still been alive. "I hope so, too."

"I just want…to see him…again."

That was when Bela asked the most dreaded question of them all, "How did you end up here?"

Edith's stare melted down to a dreary drift. She went through a few of those slow breaths of hers before her lips would even be ready to form words. Before she answered, her jaw twitched slightly, as if she trembled at the very thought of it.

Bela had already regretted asking it. "Look," she said, "never mind. I don't need to know."

The brunette chose to not allow her demons to stay inside. She was glad that somebody had finally asked. At least there would be another person in this world who would know – someone who could still talk back to her, that was.

"Malcolm was…a Peak Bishop…at my church. My father introduced me…to him as…one of the choir singers. I…met him when I was…ten. Throughout the…years, he would watch…me grow up…and sing with the…other children. By the time…I was a late…teenager, he would…approach me and…offer me room for…extra prayer and…readings. At first…I was happy that…a Peak Bishop would…allow me to study…under their oversight. But…I quickly learned that…he just wanted to…be closer to me. He'd…touch me as we read…together. I tried to…tell my father…but I was too scared. Malcolm…held a lot of power…and I did not want…to be thought of…as a liar. Most of…all, I was scared…about upsetting my father."

Bela gripped the chain that was around her neck. It was a physical shackle, just like her cage had been. Edith did not need to be confined to such things, she thought. Malcolm did not want her to have any form of control over herself. That was why he rendered her the way he did. He thrived off of the power that he already had. Even when she could move her body, before she wound up here, she was already his prisoner.

Locked in the dreadfully tempting grip of the truth, Bela wanted to know more, though she knew the knowledge of it would only cut her apart inside. "What happened after?"

"One day…I threatened to leave," Edith said. "I had…had enough of it. It was just…me and him in…the church. He grabbed me…and beat me so…severely that…I could not stand…or remember anything after. I…woke up in his house…chained just like you. He must…have been planning this. I can tell…you everything that…he did to me, but…the worst thing that…he did was tell me…that my father did not…want to see me again. I know…that it was a lie…but, I sometimes believed…him. I miss my father…so very much."

Her story made Bela cover her eyes, as the blonde had scrounged up an additional tear that she could shed. It was a heartbreaking recollection of someone whose life had been robbed from them. Edith never got a choice, and worst of all, she had been taken to a place where she once felt safe – where no one should have been able to hurt her.

Just as Bela missed her siblings, this woman yearned to one day see her father again. That may have been the only thing that kept her going throughout this entire ordeal. Her conviction had proven stronger than anyone else's, as any normal person would have thrown in the towel and submitted to utter hopelessness.

Having somebody else to talk to must have been the greatest thing in the world to her right now, and Bela wanted to be there. The blonde took a second to think about her concern for the woman, as she had never felt this way before until she got here.

Had she lost more than just her powers when she crossed the rift between realities? Was there something else that attached her to such evil that could only be broken by the severance of everything that once was? It was a question too great to be asked, but she believed that she already had the answer.

There was something different about her. Ever since she breathed that first breath of this world's air, she could feel the warmth inside her body. The cool air was no longer her greatest foe. She felt pain. A connection to the environment in ways that only a human could have felt.

Was she human? Had she been human once before?

Questions that she had never asked herself were beginning to pour in like a tidal wave of revelation. Things that made sense in the past now sounded like pure madness. Others that had been previously regarded as impossible were now more real than ever. It wasn't just the change-up from the role of 'bloodthirsty witch' to that of 'helpless captive' that had inspired this thought process.

It had been her interactions with Ethan. The bond that they had formed throughout their many battles against the vicious lifeforms that ran rampant here. By the end of the day, nestled up in those dark rooms with only him to find comfort from, she had discovered the potential for herself to care about someone she did not know.

She could find solace in their presence, desiring it as much as she desired the attention of her mother. It was enough to elicit jealousy whenever someone else received it; in her case, Kyia. That was the sign that he was something she wanted more above all else – and she had never wanted a man before in her life.

Was it…love?

She pressed her eyelids at the mere consideration that something like that could have been the case. Love? With Ethan? It wasn't right. That was something that she felt should never be.

But, the blonde could not ignore the way she felt when he lashed out at her.

Owning up to what had happened to Rose had frightened her in many ways. To answer for a murder that she herself had not committed and to be attacked for it had been cause for her to withhold such information. She had also considered his mental stability time and time again, as only a true psychopath would have been able to carry on just fine after learning of their child's passing.

For her, even thinking that any one of her sisters could be dead worried her greatly. Maybe, she thought, she wasn't a psychopath, either. She could love her family. She knew love. That was why his comment to her after their argument in Serpenmoor's streets had gotten to her so much. She was not the kind of monster that he thought she was and subconsciously, there was always a part of her that wanted to prove that to him.

But, why? Why prove it to Ethan?

The only answer for that came from the way she felt when he put his hands on her – she wanted him to care. Somebody out there had to care. He was the one she had picked because he had given her a chance.

That chance was only taken away once the truth dismantled whatever remaining control that she had. She was not in charge of fate's hands. She hated herself for even trying to be. He was the one thing in her life that had been so unorganized. A project that she could never complete, but one that she had dedicated her time to doing so.

That's what love was: An endless road that two people would have to forever work on together if they were to walk upon it.

She wanted to walk that road with him, and without him, she felt lost. Had she always been lost?

Yeah, she thought, she had been. That was why everything had suddenly made sense and yet, it didn't.

Bela silently drew in air as she put those thoughts to the side. He wasn't anywhere near her. The man may as well have been happy to hear that she was finally being punished for all her horrible deeds. It wouldn't bring his daughter back, but it would avenge her. At least one member of the Dimitrescu family finally paid for their actions.

"Edith, your father loves you more than you will ever know," she said. "He's still waiting for the day that you come home, and one day, you will."

The brunette glanced over at her with a glimmering stare. For the first time in what could have been forever, she appeared to be genuinely happy, despite everything else around her. "You are kind…Bela. Thank you."

I'm kind? Am I?

She nodded as soon as she could get her mind straight. "You're welcome."

Following what had been said, Edith's face retained that semblance of happiness as the girl sat there quietly. Her eyes would scan around the room, likely moving with the flow of her mind as she replayed the better times of her life. Bela would glance over and see it for herself, but unwilling to tear her away from the bliss, she kept her words to herself.

Edith deserved to be okay.

At least she feels a little better –

At that very instant, something unusual was beginning to occur within the left side of Bela's skull. The most pounding headache humanly imaginable came to fruition. The sudden throbbing of its contents rocked against the bone, shaking her to her very core.

What is happening?!

Bela groaned loudly as she clutched the sides of her head and began to sway from side to side. The brunette nearby had seen what was going on and called out to her, "Bela?"

My head…it hurts so bad!

The headache fluctuated like a rhythmic drumbeat. Something was happening, but she could not tell exactly what. It felt like her brain was a wave of particles shifting about, jumbled between the fabric of time and reality itself.

That was when she heard an assortment of voices, all speaking in sequence.

Ethan's shuddering words, "Goodbye Rosemary." She could hear his desperate breaths. They were certainly those of a person with just seconds to live.

Another man, who sounded more aggressive by nature, "Mia, sit down and strap in

That was when the particles shifted around again, spinning wildly, as if they were repeating themselves.

She only heard the aggressive man again, "Lobo! Get us higher so I can press the detonator!"

Then everything went to black.

.

Bela's mind had drifted to a blank state. Everything had gradually turned blurry in the span of what felt like minutes, if not more. Like dust in the wind, her mind was as dispersed as could be. For a split second, she believed that she was back to a horde of flies.

That would have been perfect. She could just escape this place and never look back.

But, no. She was still trapped in that cage of hers. The room around her was dark. It was as if most of the lanterns around her had dimmed to a faint, orange glow. So many setting suns to bring about the foreboding mood of a room where women were senselessly abused by a madman. Her amber eyes fluttered around, taking note of what was around her.

Where are Edith and Mabel? Are they gone?

The women were nowhere to be seen. Edith's table was unoccupied; bags and tubes were unbolted from the sides. Mabel's cage had a closed and locked door, but no prisoner within its confines. Surely the sound of her being removed would have woken Bela up, right?

Was I…sleeping?

Her eyes scanned around some more. This room seemed almost empty, like a shadow of what it once was. Was Malcolm even here at all, either?

The iron collar was still fastened around her neck, the chain still hooked onto the loop in its center. Bela was still just as trapped as ever, but the feeling that washed over her was not one of anticipation, but one of focus. She could sense that somebody was watching her, though they did not seek to cause harm. It was a strange sensation. She could not be so certain of how she knew what their intent was before she even saw them, but as soon as her head turned around to check by Malcolm's door, that was when she noticed the blonde woman sitting in a chair just a few feet away.

Luana.

What is she doing here? How is she alive?

Bela reached over and gripped the bars of her cage, her chain rattling as she leaned forward and rested her forehead against the intersecting barriers. "Luana?"

Still dressed in her servant's gowns, the cook that she so often had loomed over and tortured was now in the same chair as the man who was abusing her. It was a dramatic shift in irony, but one that warranted an explanation.

Luana had never appeared so calm and content before. There was not a single ounce of fear to be found in the young lady as she eyed Bela through the cage. "Bela," she replied.

The eldest daughter grew fidgety, unable to remain still as her breathing picked up and her eyes darted in all directions around them. "You have to help me, please!"

Luana rested her elbows against her knees and dragged her palms down her face, pulling down on the bottoms of her eyelids as those blue orbs flashed open and gazed at her. She withdrew them at the leadership of a strained breath before her eyes closed and she shook her head. "Dead women aren't going to help you here. You remember that, right?"

"I…I'm sorry! I didn't know –"

Luana cut her off right there and then, but not with aggression, "Stop. You're wasting time."

Bela's hands tightened around the iron bars. "Please, tell me the way out of here!"

Luana rose from the chair and slowly lowered herself onto her knees, where she and Bela met at eye level. The servant reached her hands into the cage and softly held the chain that shackled her former master to the floor. With gentleness, she shifted the chain around, listening to the sounds it made along the way.

The maid's face was as neutral – if not focused – as ever. "It is a terrible feeling, isn't it?"

Bela let go of the bars and brought her hands down onto Luana's, only to find them to be ice cold. The woman in front of her was still expressionless, only glancing at her with the most fixated stare. "Please don't leave me here, Luana…"

The blonde servant broke a sigh as she wrapped her fingers around the chain. "What do you intend to do when you escape?"

"I'll go anywhere else!" Bela pleaded, surrendering herself to whatever it took to be free. "I'll be a better person, I swear! What I have done to you was wrong and I see that now!" Tears began to fall down her cheeks as her voice crumbled, "I am so scared."

Luana nodded as she stood up. Did she believe her? The former cook looked like she was nothing but a projection of a woman who once was. That was when the cold chill of death ran up Bela's neck. It felt like this room was occupied by only dead women – except one of them didn't know they were dead at all.

"If you honestly wish to do better, then that is something you must strive for," she replied.

What…what does that mean? How does that get me out of here?

Luana spoke again, as if she had read Bela's mind, "Wanting to change means doing everything you can to ensure that happens. Don't give up on getting back home and setting things right."

"Is this what this is all about?" There was an eerie sense of self-awareness that presided over this exchange now. The world around her had spoken so loudly that its voice echoed and reverberated across every inch of her. Bela was beginning to piece together the puzzle, as was her mind. "Am I supposed to set things right? Is that why I'm here? Can I still save you?"

That was the cue for this dream to end, just like any other. Luana's body was beginning to fade away into dust, but her gaze fixated on Bela until the very end. She stood there like a living corpse, watching her aimlessly as blood poured out from her nostrils. Shadows were beginning to form all around her, darker than those of Vikcia herself, enveloping the room in a gradual swoop.

"What is happening to you and your sister is not because of my will, but you two are free now because of it. Everyone is dead, Bela. You can't save us."

My sister? Which one? What is happening?!

Luana soon disappeared into the pitch-black darkness that now surrounded them. Yet, her voice could still be heard in the abyss.

"But, in the next universe, you may get the chance to."

NOTES:

Deeper into the abyss we go.

I wanted to develop Edith's character a little bit more in this one. Now, we know where she came from and how it ties her to Malcolm. There is still more to learn about this vile man, but this arc is steadily taking shape. Bela is not only questioning her past actions, but her attachment to Edith has also caused her to consider the way she felt about Ethan.

Piece by piece, it is all coming together.

Now, the ending is a bit of a strange one. There are some clues scattered in there, but if you had read Fragmented Flies, this wouldn't be the first time we saw this happen. There are no spoilers attached to this, as it was the destruction of the Megamycete in Bela's timeline that caused the fainting to occur.

Now, this is where the mystery comes in for any sleuths what is on the horizon. Luana does appear as a hallucination in Flies, albeit in a short dream. Is she an inter-dimensional traveler behind all this craziness? No, not one single bit. In Flies, she was just a reflection of Cassandra's guilt.

Flies began with a simple shift in the original timeline that saw Cassandra die and go to a different realm, while the rest of the game is 100% the same as what we saw.

Fears changes it from Ethan's encounter with Bela, leaving the future as a what-if sort of event without him.

I'll leave it at that 😉

So, when is the next chapter? Well, tomorrow, actually! My holiday gift to you all!

Expect to see what comes next for Ethan and Kyia as this story moves closer to where we are heading next.

It has also been a year since this story began and we are inching closer to the end! Still a perilous journey ahead, but thanks for all the support that you have shown since it started! I invite you all to stick around for future works related to this series! Either way, you inspired me to go this far.

I'll see you all again very soon, so until then, stay safe! 😊