The air was thick with an unsettling air as Jaune found himself in an unfamiliar place. Shadows danced across the walls, and a chilling breeze sent shivers down his spine. Jaune's gaze fell upon a figure with two-toned hair, a person whose presence seemed to ripple with an otherworldly energy.

The woman with cat-slit eyes stood in the doorway. Her smile was disconcertingly sweet, yet a malevolent glint lurked behind those feline eyes. As she waved her hand, Jaune watched in helpless horror as his friends, one by one, followed her out of the door, disappearing into the unknown. It then spoke, its voice a haunting echo in the dream. A voice that Jaune loathed until his last breath in the everafter.

"Don't worry, Jaune. I will take care of them. I promise."

The promise lingered in the air, a vow that she would take care of them. Jaune's heart tightened with fear and desperation as he tried to reach out to his friends, but an invisible force held him in place. He could only watch as the two-toned haired woman with cat for eyes and his friends vanished into a doorway, leaving him alone at that entrance.

"Jaune, are you alright?" Pyrrha's voice was gentle, filled with genuine concern.

Jaune shook his head, attempting to dispel the remnants of the unsettling dream as he jolted awake. "Yeah, just a nightmare. Nothing to worry about."

Pyrrha's eyes softened, and she reached out to place a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You seemed really shaken. Do you want to talk about it?"

Despite her reassuring presence, Jaune couldn't bring himself to share the details of the dream. The images of that woman with cat-slit eyes changed by the tree lingered in his mind like a ghostly presence. He forced a weak smile and shrugged off Pyrrha's concern.

"It's just a weird dream, Pyrrha. Nothing that important. I'll be fine."

Pyrrha studied him for a moment, her worry not entirely subsiding. "If you ever need to talk or if there's anything on your mind, I'm here for you, Jaune."

He nodded appreciatively, grateful for her understanding. "Thanks, Pyrrha. I appreciate it. Let's just chalk it up to stress, okay?"

Pyrrha nodded, reluctantly accepting his dismissal of the matter. As she settled back into bed, Jaune tried to push the remnants of the nightmare from his thoughts. However, a lingering unease remained, leaving him wondering if there was more to the dream than he cared to admit.

Jaune sighed, his gaze fixed on some distant point beyond the walls of their dorm room. Pyrrha, still concerned, waited for him to speak, sensing that there was more to his unease than just a passing nightmare. Jaune, seeing her like this, gave in.

"Once upon a time," Jaune began, his voice carrying a heavy weight, "a while back, before I even came to Beacon, I found myself in a place... a place I can't fully explain."

Pyrrha furrowed her brow, trying to comprehend the mysterious nature of Jaune's revelation. "What happened there?"

"We were trapped, me and a group of friends. It was a nightmare, and we couldn't find a way out," Jaune continued, his eyes clouded with the weight of the past. "We were also with a person there who got changed by that place. Basically... my friends started believing her over me, and I became an outcast among my group."

"Why would they turn against you?" Pyrrha asked, her concern deepening.

Jaune sighed, a bitter smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "The place demanded a sacrifice, Pyrrha. To escape, we had to offer someone to the entrance of the door. At least that's what they thought they need to get out. I was the 'madman' among them, and in their desperation, they chose me as the sacrifice."

Pyrrha's eyes widened in shock. "But... why would they do that? How could they leave you behind?"

"Desperation can make people do unthinkable things, Pyrrha," Jaune replied, his gaze distant. "They thought sacrificing me would be the only way to ensure their own survival. It tore me apart, watching my friends turn their backs on me, but I understood. In that moment, I was the price they were willing to pay for their own freedom."

"You… must have hated them for betraying that trust."

Jaune sighed, a mixture of conflicting emotions playing across his features. "I did," he admitted, the word heavy on his tongue. "I hated the fact that they thought I was so lost that it was okay to give me over as a sacrifice like I was some toll fee." Jaune's gaze shifted. "It was a long time ago… As the years passed, and the fog of hatred cleared, I understood why did they it. They… had a place they need to go and at that moment I was simply a sacrifice they needed to leave behind so they can get out of that place."

Pyrrha nodded, but argued. "It's still terrible, Jaune. Betrayal and shattered trust leave scars that don't easily fade away."

Jaune sighed, his gaze distant as he grappled with his own emotions. "Maybe I was too angry, too unreasonable to listen back then. But even now, I can't shake the feeling that the one they choose to listen to had fed them lies. Maybe her promises had some truth, maybe they didn't, but what hurts the most is that they choose to believe her over me. They promised her that they can use her ability to summon a creature that they can use as a weapon... a creature that can even kill immortals. To my friends... it was a temping offer they can't resist easily."

He glanced at Pyrrha, a mix of frustration and sadness in his eyes. "Only one person really tried to pull me out of my madness. She saw that somewhere within my mental state, there was hope for recovery. It's funny really… how she tried to save the fool who she once loathed when we first met. Hell, I bet if she had her way, maybe she would have dragged me out. But that damn person they listened to. That cat-eyed bastard convinced them that madness had consumed me fully and this was the only way for me. I hate that they listened. I hate that they thought abandoning me was the right thing to do at that moment. The cat-eyed bastard truly persuaded them that leaving me behind would not only be the right choice, but also serve as the offering they needed to escape from that place."

Pyrrha's expression mirrored his somberness.

Then, as Jaune continued, there was a melancholic acceptance in his voice. "Pyrrha, my nightmare is because I can still see and hear that bastard gloating how she'd take care of them… and I right now, when I think about them and what happened. I just feel nothing… Time is cruel, but it also heals and clears the fog of hate."

He let out a wistful sigh, the weight of regret clear in his words. "You know what's the damnest thing is about it all? When my mind became clear from the rage and sorrow of being left behind. I realized they gave me a choice, a chance to take a step in and follow, but I refused. Call it a manly pride or some sort of rush that made me believe I was right, and they were wrong. I didn't want to sacrifice someone to leave like they did. I thought I was better than that, so I didn't do it."

He guarded that entrance like a fool. Mourned and loathed the friends he thought took a gamble and never returned from said gamble. Eaten by a heartless tree that recycled them into bastardized versions of themselves. A tree that needed sacrifice. Those decades of seeing afterans get taken by the tree and changed made it hard for him to believe that the tree wasn't anything other than malevolent. It also didn't help that he thought Alyx had left him poisoned and dying so she can take Lewis to the tree as a sacrifice to return to Remnant.

Perhaps his friends, urged by that cat-eyed bastard, really made them think that the only way to get out of the Everafter was to leave behind a sacrifice.

And since they he already had lost his mind, he was the perfect sacrifice. They thought just like what Alyx did to Lewis. They needed to leave behind someone so they can escape and carry on the torches of hope to a despairing world.

So when he grew old and felt his life fading away — it broke him when he found himself in that blacksmith's workshop. Finding a kindly being instead of a soul-eating abomination and learning the truth was hard.

"Sometimes," Jaune then shook his thoughts and continued for Pyrrha, "the choice isn't exactly ideal. Fear and desperation sometimes drive people to make choices they cannot stomach."

Pyrrha's brow furrowed with curiosity as she regarded Jaune. "Is that why you folded easily? Gave up the normal life in Vale doing odd jobs?"

Jaune looked at her, a hint of vulnerability in his eyes. "I guess so. I didn't want to make the same mistake. After everything that happened, I still felt lost, even now."

Pyrrha couldn't quite comprehend. "But Jaune, from what I've seen so far, you are someone who stands up for what you believe in. It doesn't make sense to me you'd just let Ozpin drag you into something if you didn't want to."

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "It's complicated, Pyrrha. Ozpin has this way of convincing you in ways you can't ignore. I thought I was doing the right thing by making the choice to fold. But that's always the case when talking to a man like the Headmaster."

Pyrrha's expression was neutral. "If you wanted to continue with a normal life in Vale, doing odd jobs, you could have. It just doesn't make sense to me that you'd willingly let someone else dictate your path seeing how you went through so much at such a young age."

"Young age, huh," Jaune barked a hollow and bitter laughter at that. Oh, if only she knew…

"Maybe I thought it was the right thing to do. Ozpin gave a hard choice, made it clear that I had no way out unless I want to go in a direction he thought I wouldn't be able to stomach. The Headmaster understood humans so well, saw through my stubbornness. So he relied on threats rather than kindness. I guess he believed that I'm not easily fooled by promises of funds and more likely to believe threats and deals. He saw me like that."

Pyrrha listened, absorbing the weight of Jaune's words. "It sounds manipulative, Jaune. Why would he use threats instead of trust and understanding? He is the councilor too, right?"

"He is. But he doesn't exactly have much pull and he can be quite passive. But Headmaster Ozpin… operates in shades of gray," Jaune mused. "He believes sometimes that the ends justify the means. Maybe he thought that kindness and trust wouldn't be enough to convince me and that I needed to see the harsh reality of the choices before me."

And other than that, Jaune knew Ozpin was desperate to fix Amber. So Ozpin did everything he could to recruit him.

A shadow crossed Jaune's face, a mixture of frustration and resignation. "It worked, in a way. The threats felt more real, more immediate. And I thought I was making a sacrifice for the greater good of the kids who'd be dragged into my mess. And I couldn't stomach dragging them to legal troubles after what they went through"

"Threats or not, it's crucial to stand by what you believed in. But… I understand where you are coming from."

Jaune nodded. "But there's always a choice, and at that moment I thought I need to make the right one that would satisfy myself too. So I folded instead of relying on stubbornness."

"You… have been through a lot, Jaune. For someone at our age… I can't imagine going through all of this…"

Jaune took a deep breath at the mention of age. "The thing is, Pyr? There was no tragedy in what happened to me. Just stupid choices and stubborn beliefs. So because of that, I'm in Beacon now… somehow."

Pyrrha then smiled weakly. "Well, despite everything, we've met and now we're teammates and friends."

"And that makes me happy. Pyrrha, being under your leadership has been the best result of my recent choices."

Despite the smile he gave, Jaune's thoughts turned bittersweet. Internally, he couldn't help but reflect sadly. The time he spent with Pyrrha in another life was too short, too few. Even the sash he kept as a token and a memory of her faded alongside the time they spent. It was tragically short, and yet here he was, sitting with her again.

He looked at Pyrrha, gratefulness filling his heart despite the potential troubles that loomed in the future. "

For that being teams with you alone, I'm thankful that I made the choice to be in Beacon."

Pyrrha's smile widened, and she leaned in with a thankful glint in her eyes, as if she just thought of throwing away all of this heavy stuff to the bin.

"I'm glad we had this talk, Jaune, and that you'd let me hear this even though it feels heavy listening to it."

"I'm sorry for speaking like this early in the morning. I promise you, this would be the last time I would."

"No, it's cool... I appreciate you considering me a friend you can trust enough to hear this."

"Thanks."

"Oh, by the way, Jaune… I think Ren made pancakes! You want to try them. They're absolutely delicious," she said in a sing-song voice. "Maybe it will help with your mood? That made me really hungry."

The mention of pancakes somewhat shifted the mood in the room, and Jaune couldn't help but chuckle at Pyrrha's masterful attempt to switch on heavy topics.

"Ren made pancakes, huh? Well, I suppose I can't resist the promise of delicious food. I'd change then?" he replied, a genuine smile now lighting up his face.

As Pyrrha left the room to allow Jaune to change, Jaune found himself alone with his thoughts. A sense of reflection settled over him as he lamented silently and looking at the door.

"I haven't seen this side of her until this life."

In his thoughts, Jaune couldn't help but contrast the Pyrrha Nikos he knew from a different life. The Pyrrha he remembered seemed worried, burdened by a sense of responsibility. She hid her worries so she could watch his back. But in this time, she was light-stepped, carefree, and relaxed. She was not lacking. There was no need for Jaune Arc to be in her life to have friends when Ren and Nora, who are such wonderful friends already, were with her. After all Her pleasing personality made it easy for her to climb over the walls of fame and made her find genuine connections among other people.

In this life, she was a leader, responsible for all of them, but not burdened by Jaune excessively. She had time to take care of her own problems and maintain a clearer mind. A weaker teammate did not hold her back and Jaune sincerely believed that this Pyrrha would never resort to extreme measures, like throwing a teammate into a rocket-propelled locker to keep them safe. She will protect her teammates, to run away if necessary with them, ensuring their safety without resorting to desperate and drastic measures because she was the leader. And because she's the leader… she wouldn't fall easily.

And perhaps this time around, they could navigate the challenges of this life together without the team losing her again.

"Pyrrha never got to graduate and become a huntress in that life," he muttered to himself.

The weight of her unrealized dreams echoed in his thoughts. Jaune couldn't help but confront his own motivations, admitting, "I guess… maybe I was hoping someone or something would throw me onto this path. It wasn't Ozpin's threat… I could have run to another kingdom. Abandoned the kids if I want to… but maybe… I just thought I could justify it as having no choice." he palmed his face. "Hah, damn it, deep down, I knew it was a selfish desire, something I desperately wanted to see. I shoved it in the back of my mind… but it was there. Lurking."

He looked back at the sights he had witnessed in his journeys, the strange yet mesmerizing landscapes, the unique flora and fauna, the two suns, and the breathtaking night skies filled with myriad galaxies in the Everafter.

But at this moment, there was no sight that Jaune Arc wanted to see more in this life than seeing his friends graduate. Pyrrha achieving her dreams of becoming a full-pledged huntress with a smile on her face.

Pyrrha's presence made it easier for Jaune to remember who he was a long time ago. Her companionship provided a sense of grounding, a reminder of the Jaune Arc who faked his way to Beacon… the Jaune Arc who dared to become a hero despite how utterly naïve and out of league he was.

As Jaune finished donning his uniform, a sense of purpose settling over him as he prepared for the day ahead. As he glanced around the dorm room, he noticed Pyrrha, her expression thoughtful.

"Hey, Jaune," Pyrrha inquired, "any idea what Team RWBY is up to?"

Jaune took a moment to listen for any sounds coming from the neighboring dorm room, but it was silent. He shrugged and turned back to Pyrrha. "Not sure. Maybe they're busy with something."

Pyrrha nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that could be it. They always have a lot on their plate. We'll catch up with them later, I suppose."

As they left their dorm room. Jaune looked at Team RWBY's dorm. He… has personal issues with them… but he also knows that if those four get into trouble. His team would probably assist them. Risk their lives to keep them safe and sound.

His team always had their backs, even when they lost Pyrrha. Ren and Nora crossed continents for Ruby. In Haven, Argus, and Atlas, they risked their lives and faced danger instead of running away. But they didn't.

Jaune… had lived a long life… tragic or not. It was still a lifetime. And so he wished his team didn't have to carry the weight of the world in this life, too. Ren, Nora, and especially Pyrrha, didn't deserve that kind of hardship. Jaune, of all people, knew they could take it. Pyrrha would practically charge at it if no one would.

Jaune knew how brave and strong they were in the face of adversity. And because he knew this, that he felt they deserved better than being pawns in Ozma and Salem's games.

As for what Team RWBY was up to, he could roughly guess. But at the moment, he only wished Pancakes and more time with his team, more than ever.

So far, this is all I've written for this fic since it's been sitting in my folder. I'll continue to update this when I can, as I have relatively more free time lately. So if you're asking why I can post chapters regularly up to this chapter, this is why.

Just to note. The way I will try to describe Jaune's fighting style here is essentially modeled after his combat style in Grimm Eclipse(with a bit more grace and experience) where his ultimate ability is called natural leader. I just think that's how he'd fight or use his Semblance at his peak mastery. And since I kinda liked the idea that he can use his Semblance to be deadly, nimble, or invigorating. I'm blatantly using it.

Anyway, thank you for reading this fic!