"Do you guys hear all those flapping sounds?"

The group of Felt, Subaru, and Kadomon had left around an hour ago. The populated streets of the Capital were completely empty, with all the vendors closed up or missing. As it stood right now, they were about halfway to wherever it was that they wanted to drop off Subaru.

"I'm not hearing anything. How good are your ears, Felt?"

Subaru looked over to Felt and saw a puzzled look on her face. She had lived in the slums for most of her life, so she would expect to hear some noise at night from rowdy street folks. But she had never heard anything like this before. It was like a low-pitched hum that followed them wherever they went, similar to how one would feel when their ears were ringing. Whatever this was, it certainly wasn't something Felt could identify.

"Hey! My senses are way better than yours Big Bro!"

Kadomon stopped for a moment and cupped his hand around his ear. He hadn't noticed the sound at first, but it was loud enough for him to pick up on it if he really focused on it. This could be a sign that things were turning bad.

"I'll have you know, before I was living with Rein, I worked as a thief! And I was a damn good one!"

"I know already Felt! I swear it's like you have to remind me every da-. ."

Subaru noticed that Kadomon had stopped walking with them.

'Huh, what is going on with him?'

"Hey Kadomon, what's up? Is Felt onto something?"

Felt started grumbling under her breath, but Subaru silenced her with a headpat. He was more focused on the look that Kadomon was giving the two of them ever since he'd been made aware of the sound. It looked like he was trying to piece something together.

"Oi, kiddo! You've never heard a sound like this before, right?"

Felt regretfully moved Subaru's hand off her head and turned around to face Kadomon.

"I told you not to call me 'Kiddo'!"

At this rate, they wouldn't get anywhere.

"Hey, Felt, humor him for a moment. Please?"

Subaru was beginning to feel the atmosphere shift, so he wasn't going to ignore the nervousness coming from Kadomon. It had been bothering him to see the streets so vacant at this time of night. After all, every large population hub had some sort of night life, didn't it? Why was the city so barren?

"To be frank, I'm not sure what the sound is. It kind of sounds like flapping. . .I just know that it's been getting louder ever since we left! You happy?"

Kadomon reacted badly to Felt's news. The sound had been getting louder? Flapping? What could this mean? Subaru wondered to himself.

'Could the Emilia Camp be responsible for this?'

Before Subaru could continue his thought, a loud screeching erupts from the sky above them.

"Kid, Kiddo! We need to hurry! I have a bad feeling about those noises! We need to get to the Loothouse as soon as possible!"

Kadomon grabs Subaru and Felt's hands, sprinting in the direction of the slums at a breakneck pace. To Felt, this wasn't too uncomfortable due to her divine protection, but to Subaru, it was a weird sensation. He was barely able to avoid being dragged once Felt started running alongside Kadomon.

"Oi! Oi! Oi! Wait a second! I'm going to fall over! Try to keep pace with me at lea-. . ."

"No time! I can hear something coming from behind us! It's getting louder!"

They rounded a corner and were greeted with a larger main road, the one where Kadomon usually set up shop. It was completely empty, with all the windows shut.

"Damn! What the hell is happening?!"

Subaru didn't have time to turn and look at what was chasing them before he was faced with a slightly wider open road. The end of it was completely blacked out.

"What is that!?"

From a distance, it looked like a black cloud was hovering at the opposite end of the street, cutting off their escape.

"Damn it! Our escape's been cut off! This is some kind of premeditated attack!"

Kadomon turned his attention to the buildings dotting the sides of the street. At this rate, they would be encircled and caught by whatever was chasing them unless they found another method of escape.

"Felt, you are pretty nimble right?"

Felt turned around at Subaru, seemingly grasping at what he was trying to tell her.

"Go! Get Reinhard! I'm sure you can maneuver yourself out of this!"

"Absolutely not! I'm not leaving you both here to die!"

Felt gripped Subaru's hand tighter before he could manage to shake her off. The last thing Subaru wanted to see was Felt dying in front of him.

"FELT! If you don't get help, we are all going to die!"

They were running out of options. At this rate, they wouldn't make it to the slums without being caught by whatever was making the sound. Kadomon charged into one of the doors of the locked buildings. Breaking and entering could get him thrown in jail, but considering he was saving the lives of a royal selection candidate and hero of the kingdom, he figured it could be forgiven.

"Kid! Get in there! They seem to be focused on you!"

Kadomon threw Subaru into the building and shut the door out front. He would stand guard against any attacks on the building until help arrived.

"Big Br-. . .!"

"Kiddo! Get help! He'll be fine, I promise!"

Felt grimaced to herself. Leaving behind Subaru. . .even after she swore to protect him with her life. It didn't matter if the situation demanded it, she couldn't shake the feeling that Kadomon was just telling her what she wanted to hear.

"W-What if I get back here and. . ."

"No time! I can tell you with certainty that if you don't leave now, we are all finished!"

She didn't waste any more time. Felt quickly climbed up to the roof of one of the buildings and bolted off to get Reinhard. Tears were flowing, but there was nothing she would be able to do against the enemies chasing them.

"Oi! Kadomon! Talk to me! What the hell is chasing us?!"

The room Subaru got thrown into was pitch black. He couldn't see a thing. Subaru was glad that Felt escaped, but now all his worry was directed at Kadomon.

"Kid! Looks like a swarm of-. . .!"

A deadly amount of force slammed into Kadomon before any more words could exit his mouth. Subaru heard his yelp of pain and tried to exit the building, but it looked like Kadomon had expected something like this to happen. He had pre-emptively barricaded the door to prevent any form of attack from getting through.

"Hey! Kadomon! Answer me!"

Subaru was beginning to hyperventilate. This was just like the moment before he was killed by that assassin. The pure helplessness and terror was making his legs wobble like noodles.

"Kadomon? KADOMON! Please! Tell me what's going on!"

Subaru heard some quiet chirps and screeches from outside the door. All it did was confirm his suspicions. Kadomon had died. Whatever had been chasing them had just killed him.

"D-Damnit! N-No, No, NO! Kadomon. . ."

Subaru's thoughts drifted to all of the past loops he'd shared with him. A man with a wife and children that he loved and provided for. A man who risked his own life to offer him shelter during the assassination attempt. The friend who had just given up his life on Subaru's behalf.

Subaru's eyes clouded with tears as he let out a scream of agony. The pure pain in his voice should've woken up everyone on that street, but alas, nobody wanted anything to do with him. Subaru was all alone.

"H-How can this be. . . y-you were supposed to live a happy life! You just got a new home! Y-You. . .!"

Subaru was turning delirious. Every moment that he doubted the sincerity of Kadomon's words replayed in his mind. All the times he tried to dismiss Kadomon when he went out of his way to warn him about what was coming.

'I-If I had just listened to him when he first showed up, none of this would've happened. Instead, I wasted time interrogating him. . . trying to see what he knew. I really am the worst of the worst.'

As sad as it was, Subaru couldn't bring himself to die again. He'd resolved himself to avoid using that ability ever again. The fear of what it could turn him into made Subaru look down in shame.

"I-I'm sorry. . .my friend."

Subaru's troubles hadn't ended.

While Subaru didn't know the identity of the things chasing him, Kadomon's last words indicated a swarm of some type. What Subaru didn't know, was that some of these creatures had infiltrated the buildings all over the capital, waiting for the chance to strike. They posed as regular vermin, rats and bats, and were overlooked by most of the townspeople as normal pests.

A screeching sound echoed through the dark barricaded room. It filled Subaru with incomprehensible fear. He wasn't alone in there, it appeared.

"AH! W-What is that?"

Out of the darkness, he saw three pairs of red eyes peering into his soul.

"T-These things. . .!"

Behind him were three Black Winged Rats, all larger than his torso. He would most likely lose in a battle with them. Perhaps he could take out one, but the other two would be attacking him while he tried. There was also the risk of them picking him up and dropping him. While a normal animal wouldn't be inclined to act that way, there was a fair amount of evidence to suggest these creatures were abnormal. It was very likely that these creatures were being controlled, considering they actively pursued and cut off their previous escape route. If that was the case, Subaru didn't have a chance of winning this fight.

"G-Get away from me!"

Subaru yelled out to the three monsters inside of the dark room. They didn't seem deterred by his yells.

"Anyone! P-Please help me!"

Nobody responded. All he heard was an ominous silence. Even the pursuing creatures quieted themselves.

"Why can't I. . .!"

Subaru was aggressively throwing his body against the front door, desperate to break through Kadomon's barricade to the outside. While he should've been aware that there were even more of those creatures outside, his fear blocked out all forms of rational thought. He just didn't want to be trapped in there anymore. He wanted to find someone, anyone, who could help him.

"No, No, No, no, no, nononononono. . ."

Subaru was unsuccessful in breaking out of his prison. As Subaru delved into a manic episode, the Winged Rats descended on him with a violent fervor.

"AGHRHH!"

Despite his attempts to knock them away, one latched itself into right arm and began tearing through flesh and muscle. The sight would've made Subaru faint if he hadn't been so full of adrenaline.

"GET OFF M-. . ."

Subaru's mouth opened, this is where the second Mabeast saw its opportunity. Biting onto his tongue and ripping it out in one move. The size of these creatures was deceptive. Similar to the Great Rabbit, just one of them would be enough to tear through a limb or piece of flesh.

"HAHGHHHH!"

In a rage, Subaru gripped the third beast before it bit him and slammed it into the wall. That wasn't enough to kill it, but he was determined to eradicate the monsters that had put him into so much pain.

"IEEEEE!"

His tongue was gone, so he couldn't speak. But even if he couldn't verbally condemn the monster to death, he could punish it himself. Subaru slammed the head of the third beast repeatedly into the wall until it was nothing but a pile of bloody flesh.

'That's one.'

Subaru's mind was so focused on survival that he'd put himself into a trance-like state. His goal was simply to eliminate the threat at all costs.

Sadly, he was too late. By the time he'd finished killing his first Mabeast, the one stuck to his right arm had fully severed it off. The other remaining mabeast had started tearing into his throat. His bleeding was profuse. Before Subaru could rip the second Mabeast away from his throat, the creature that attacked his arm changed targets. It flew straight up at him and sunk its teeth into his left eye.

'So this is it, huh?'

Subaru had nothing to say by this point. He'd begun to accept his death as simply an inevitability by this point. What scared him wasn't death, but what happens after.

'I could end up back in that bed. . .needing to redo everything! Fighting off the assassin, risking my life! My god, I never even considered that.'

Those were Subaru's final thoughts as his mind began to drift towards a familiar dark void.

The last sound he registered was a crunching noise. The noise of teeth breaking through his skull and entering his brain.

"Do you guys hear all those flapping sounds?"

"ACKH!"

Subaru fell to his knees. The shock and confusion evident on his face.

"Big Bro!"

"Kid?"

They both rushed over to help pick him up, but they were greeted with a weird reaction.

"Ha. . .haaah. . . ."

Subaru was weeping profusely, seemingly in denial about something.

"Hey, Big Bro! Are you alright?!"

Felt walked over to him and lifted his face up to look at him directly. His pupils were shrunk and his lips trembling, reminiscent of someone in overwhelming fear. Felt wasn't sure what had caused this abrupt reaction from him, but she began to think it might've had something to do with the sound.

"H-Hey, Big Bro, p-please stop making that face! Whatever's scaring you, we'll deal with it! Ok?"

Subaru slowly nodded and tried standing up.

"Kid, what happened?!"

Subaru opened his mouth, pondering what he wanted to say to them, but closed it before speaking. He already knew the consequences of something foolish like that. He would simply get punished even like he did when he returned to the mansion.

'S-So I didn't return to the mansion. . . ?'

Kadomon put Subaru's arm over his shoulder and lifted him up. As desperate as things looked, they still needed to get Subaru to the Loothouse before they were discovered. It was the least he could do after putting him in this situation.

"Kid, pull yourself together! I'm not sure what happened, but if we don't continue, you'll most certainly get caught!"

'I can't believe it updated. . . and so close to this danger too. . .'

Subaru turned to Kadomon and shook his head.

"No. N-Nobody's trying to 'catch' me. They want to ki-. . ."

A similar feeling. The coldness that comes with everything being frozen by time. Subaru had messed up. Somehow, he'd triggered the taboo without thinking. As expected, a large shadow manifested in front of him, with a black hand extending outwards. Subaru tried to move, but he was held in place by this power. He was nothing but a witness to his own body.

The hand entered his chest and squeezed his heart.

"GHRRH!"

Subaru fell over again, his arm rolling off of Kadomon's back. He tried to right himself, but the next thing he heard was the sound of violent screeching.

*SCREEEEE*

'I don't understand. I thought I had a couple more minutes until they attacked?! Why now?!'

The sound boosted his adrenaline once again, giving Subaru the focus needed to stand up.

"Kadomon, Felt, RUN!"

They looked at him with bewildered faces, but they obeyed his command and followed after him.

'Damn, Damn, Damn, Damn, Damn! I don't think I'm going to get away. . . I need to at least figure out what is going on. I'm not sure who these things are targeting, so if I have us split up, then I should know for sure. But. . . if they are targeting me, I'll be helpless. . .'

Subaru was running through the possibilities in his head while the swarm of Winged Rats began to dive-bomb towards the fleeing trio of people.

'Not to mention, if they are targeting someone else, they'll be as good as dead!'

Subaru didn't want to entertain the idea of sacrificing someone else on his behalf. But at this point, he didn't have any clue what was attacking them.

'I don't understand why I returned to that moment and I can't guarantee I'll return there again. But, if I'm going to die, I might as well gain some information.'

"Everyone! Split off! I'm not sure who they are targeting, but if they let you go, please find help!"

Subaru gave a very impulsive order to Felt and Kadomon, which they both hesitatingly followed. Subaru broke left, Felt to the right, and Kadomon turned back the way they came. It was clear he was willing to give up his life if they were after him.

"Kadomon!"

Felt turned around and saw his reckless choice. It really annoyed (but also secretly uplifted) her that others were so quick to lay down their lives for her. Subaru, Reinhard, and now this person that she'd only known for a couple hours.

"Go! I'm the least likely target, so its only natural I take the largest risk!"

Kadomon was right. Luckily for him, the Winged Rats had already changed targets off him. Felt could see the massive black cloud moving in the direction of Subaru.

"Big bro! Watch out!"

Subaru was too far away to hear them. He was desperately looking for any means of escape. From a glance, Subaru could see about two dozen Mabeasts chasing him, which they wouldn't be able to handle by themselves.

"Anyone!? Is there anyone who can help?!"

Subaru was running through the empty streets with no idea on where he was going. He knew it was a matter of time until he ran into a dead end, but he did his best to put that thought into the back of his mind. The goal was to find someone who could help him deal with the swarm. If he could just find a crowd of people, they'd be enough to deal with this! Even if it meant hiding amongst innocent people, Subaru would do it to avoid dying in that horrific way again.

He rounded a corner and that was it.

A dead end.

'What an apt name. I doubt that whoever thought of that name expected it to be used for this. At least I can find something to laugh at in this torment!'

He steeled himself for the inevitable pain that was about to rip through him.

But it never came. . .

Instead, he turned around to find the shadow of a giant figure looming over him.

"Never thought I'd see you again boy!"

"Tch!"

Meili seemed annoyed about something, but most, if not everyone, were distracted by the extravagance of the Astrea Manor. They hadn't expected to find miasma in here of all places! Even Wilhelm couldn't stifle the surprised expression on his face when he had learned the news.

"I apologize for the wait. Master Reinhard will come out to speak with you shortly."

Lilia bowed her head at the crowd of guests seated in the Main Hall of the Astrea household. Normally, she was very warmhearted and indulgent with visitors to the Manor, but today was the exception. She could see the stress Reinhard was under, along with the lack of courtesy shown by the guests for showing up at this hour. She didn't like it.

'Lady Felt and Subaru are missing and these people show up out of nowhere?! Something is fishy about them.'

"I can't believe the Mabeasts led us here. . ."

Ram was the first to break the silence. She thought that Subaru was laying low to avoid detection. But this, hiding in plain sight. . . When she thought about it, this was exactly the kind of absurdity that she'd expect from him.

"I don't know. It doesn't feel right to barge into Reinhard's home like this, even if we reeeeally want to."

Emilia was feeling betrayed. She didn't want to accuse Reinhard of hiding Subaru from her, but the evidence was pointing to it being the case. Now that she was in his home, she was beginning to get cold feet. Reinhard had been a large supporter of Emilia's after Subaru's death. He'd been there to cheer them up and give them hope. He even offered to go on another expedition to the Sage's Watchtower to see Subaru's wish fulfilled. If he really was harboring Subaru, what right did she have to criticize him?

'T-This isn't right. If Subaru is avoiding us, then this. . . but I need to apologize. . . but he doesn't want to see us.'

Emilia's mind was bouncing back and forth.

"S'not our problem. Th' Cap'n is here."

Garfiel tried his best to reassure Emilia, but it was clear his words were only making things worse.

"Ah, it appears I have some guests."

Before anyone could react, Reinhard had already entered into the Main Hall with several of his maid staff. It all seemed to be going ok until he saw Wilhelm.

"H-Honorable grandfather, it is nice to see you."

A silence overtook them. Wilhelm's eyes softened, but he didn't know what to say, so he instead nodded his head, trying his best to signal some form of respect.

"What is the reason for your visit?"

Reinhard gave his practiced smile to the Emilia and Crusch Camp. He was selling the act quite well.

"Please! Let me speak!"

Rem spoke before anyone else could say anything. Emilia couldn't bring herself to stop her. After all, Rem was the only person who hadn't been involved in Subaru's betrayal.

"Have you or Felt-sama seen Subaru-kun?"

Reinhard was lucky. The phrasing of this question would allow for a clean misdirect if he worded himself carefully. Truly, he was beloved by the world!

"I assure you, Felt-sama would inform me if she saw Subaru."

He spoke nothing but the truth, but was able to imply his and his lady's ignorance. Divine Protections were not easy to fool. However, Reinhard knew that he hadn't triggered Crusch's ability due to his own. He would've been able to feel the wind of untruth blowing off him if he had lied.

Crusch looked to Rem and simply nodded her head, which brought down the blue-haired maid's mood significantly.

"You don't seem surprised about Subaru."

Otto went and said something concerning.

"Why would I be?"

Reinhard had prepared for situation too. Shrewd types like Otto would be able to see the weird phrasing of his answers.

"We've heard reports that Subaru has been spotted roaming the Capital."

This would be another deciding moment.

"Excuse me?"

Reinhard didn't play dumb, but his answer could be interpreted as surprise. After all, Subaru was confirmed dead. His body was six feet under! If Reinhard focused on the guilt (which he still felt) from that situation, there was a chance they'd drop this line of questioning.

"What we mean to say is-. . ."

"Otto. Please don't be so blunt."

Emilia came to Reinhard's rescue. He was clearly uncomfortable talking about all the events that had led to Subaru's betrayal. It was something he'd never be able to forgive himself for. The look in his eyes wasn't fake.

"I-I apologize Emilia-sama. This topic is still a bit rough for me. . ."

"Umm, Reinhard. I know this might sound accusatory, but please understand that we aren't here to interrogate you! I-It's just. . .if there's any possibility of seeing Subaru again. . .i-if there's any way to make things right. . . we have to see it through."

Emilia had done her best to placate Reinhard's worries, but it ultimately only served to make Reinhard even more guilty. While nobody could discern the reason, to Reinhard, keeping them away from Subaru was cruel.

'It was pure chance that I ever got to apologize to Subaru for my sins. What right do I have to deny them their penance?'

"R-Reinhard?!"

Reinhard was too deep in thought to realize that his reaction had been unnatural. The silence only served to reignite suspicions held by Otto and Garfiel.

"O-Oh, I'm sorry about that. Please, if there is any way I can help, just ask."

Emilia nodded and bridged into her main question.

"Reinhard. . .umm. . . when we tried to locate Subaru, we searched for traces of his. . .m-miasma. . ."

This was a sore topic. After all, his miasma was responsible for them making the biggest mistake of their lives.

"W-Well we found that your home has a lot of latent miasma."

Emilia was afraid to ask him the question.

"If Subaru isn't here, why is there all this miasma?"

He had made it past the worst of it. Luckily for Reinhard, he had the perfect excuse for something like this.

"To tell you the truth, there are multiple possible reasons for the Witch's Scent being present here. The only one I can speak about is one of my Divine Protections."

Everyone seemed surprised to hear that Reinhard was the source of the Miasma.

"Y-Your Divine Protection?"

"Yes, it is a byproduct of my Divine Protection of Magic Manipulation."

Meili's attention was grabbed and directed at Reinhard. While the Emilia Camp was familiar with this Divine Protection, they never expected Reinhard to possess such an ability.

"Hey! Knightly oni~san, what was the ~name ~ of that divine protection?!"

"Ah, yes. The Divine Protection of Magic Manipulation. I imagine you know a thing about that?"

Meili didn't expect Reinhard to know about her Divine Protection. She felt like she had been completely outwitted!

"Huh ~? Oni ~san, how did you know?"

"Oh, I apologize. It was through my Divine Protection of Judgement."

The idea that the man who attacked her older sister in the capital had her divine protection infuriated Meili, but there was nothing she could do about it. She made a mental note to avoid this guy in the future.

"O-Oh, I see! Meili has that ability too and she has a slight scent too!"

Emilia was feeling embarrassed for ever doubting Reinhard's veracity. They'd inconvenienced him in the middle of the night and threw accusations at him. It truly was an shameful misunderstanding.

"I-I'm sorry Reinhard, we'll let you get back to sleep!"

Emilia turned around and began marching towards the exit. She was feeling discouraged about the whole thing.

"Rem can't accept this!"

Rem broke out into tears. She'd believed that they would finally see Subaru again. She'd allowed herself to hope that he was still alive. To have that hope shattered wouldn't do. It may have been willful, but the rumors couldn't be wrong! They couldn't. . .

"Everyone, I apologize if I have crushed your spirits. . . please, stay the night. I wouldn't send you all away at this hour."

Reinhard put an arm on Rem's shoulder and gestured to the remaining scavengers to remain there. It was bad enough that he had lied to them. This would be his small act of penance.

Otto and Crusch didn't seem to buy his act, but at the very least, he could keep Subaru safe.

'They will see him again. Once we get all this sorted out, they'll see him. . .'

He repeated this promise in his head. It was the only way he could justify his actions. This hope.

'Subaru, I hope you are ok.'

"I can't believe you're alive!"

The giant old man wrapped his arms around Subaru and lifted him into a big hug.

"H-Huh? Oh, uhh, it's nice to see you!"

Subaru was still in a daze. After all, he'd just been cornered by nearly two dozen flying hellspawn. What happened?

"I saw all those beasts chasin' ya, but one swing of my club scared them off!"

The giant let out a hearty laugh and a wide smile. He looked like he'd been given the news of a lifetime.

"To think. . . you were alive! Boy, I wish you would've told me earlier!"

Subaru was about to ask the guy's name, but before he could, he was tackled by a gust of wind in the shape of a young girl.

"Big Bro! I-I thought that I-I'd never see you again! Stop all that heroic stuff! I-I'm serious. . ."

Felt appeared to be crying into his shoulder, which made Subaru feel a bit ashamed, but there was no avoiding it. He would much rather die before Felt than after.

"Felt-chan?!"

Felt turned around and a large smile formed on her face.

"Old man Rom!"

She roped him into their hug and pulled Subaru up off the ground. It was still a surreal moment for the giant, as he processed his reunion with the boy who saved him that fateful day.

Felt's face turned from joy to anger before Subaru could register what happened.

"Old man Rom, how could you leave us!?"

Subaru was surprised to hear this news. Rom had lived at the Astrea Manor? Why did he leave?

"Felt-chan, I told you I would still watch over you! I just. . . couldn't go along with that. Understand?"

Kadomon rounded the corner and saw the three of them staring at each other with blank stares.

"I-I know. . .but I missed you!"

Felt kicked Rom in the shin, but due to his size, the kick ended up doing more damage to Felt than him.

"Ow!"

"Haha! I guess this kiddo can command respect from everyone!"

Kadomon thought about the amount of influence held by the random young girl. She had the loyalty of the Sword Saint, Lugunica's greatest hero, and one of the last remaining giants. What an odd cast of characters!

"Hey, but first things first! Subaru, how did you survive?"

Rom looked over to Subaru with an expectant gaze in his eyes.

"Uhh w-well I-. . ."

"No use asking him. He's got no memories."

Kadomon and Rom's jaws dropped.

Author's Note

How'd you like the chapter? This death was by far the worst one he's been through yet. There will definitely be long felt ramifications. As for now, Subaru is just relieved to be able to escape from that situation. He's also gained a valuable piece of info: his checkpoints update. This attack will definitely have a role to play when Subaru does eventually reunite with the Emilia camp. I won't spoil how far away that is, but I'd keep on your toes the next few chapters. As always, criticisms and comments are appreciated. I struggle a lot with action scenes and I'm going to need to get a lot better at them by the time I get to the later parts of my other fic. I hope the characters weren't OOC and I hope that the chapter was a worthwhile payoff to most of the buildup!

I'll probably write my next chapter for this fic before I continue The Secret. This will allow both stories to be at interesting parts when I am regularly updating them. Thanks for reading!