Darkness blanketed the sky, highlighted not by the moon, but by a thick coat of miasma. Cain blinked blearily through to haze, wondering just how much time had passed. He couldn't remember sensing the miasma approaching as he'd fought the Accursed, which meant he must have been out for a while.

The thought sent his body the surge of adrenaline he needed. Feeling rushed back into his limbs as he struggled to a sitting position. Every inch of him groaned in protest. All his injuries were gone as well as much of his armor. The only portion that remained was the thick gauntlet covering his relic, pulsing a steady purple glow. The body of Kemo still lay in the middle of the street, just visible through the haze of ash and miasma. A few fires could be seen the distance, the glow muted as well.

I need to hurry.

Cain pushed to his feet, joints stiff and cracking. His stomach felt especially tender. He might have marveled at the quality of his healing, but that would be for another time. Right now, his priority was Kyoko.

He could still feel the tracking spell on her necklace, just barely present in his senses. He pointed himself in the direction of it and ran, stumbling through broken streets and past fallen bodies. As he ran, he pushed his senses outward, eyes open and searching for that flicker of white belonging to his wife or that pool of darkness that marked his own kind.

He ran for a long time without seeing any signs of life. The first he came across were monsters. They ran in a pack of three skeletal undead with bloody swords and clattering misshapen bones. The group didn't glance at Cain, no doubt mistaking him as one of their own due to his dark aura. It suited him just fine. He didn't have time to stop and fight.

More strength returned to Cain. He pushed with his magic, lengthening his stride and flying past broken homes. He finally broke through the wall of miasma and out into clean air. The edge of the city was coming up faster than before.

People started appearing in the streets. They were all running, frantic and harried as their auras flashed in fear. He smelled the sharp odor of blood on more than one person as he passed by their small groupings. Then there were soldiers, carts, animals, and more. They clogged the streets as everyone pushed to make it through the city gates. It would take too long to weave through it all, and Kyoko's necklace continued to point forward.

Cain took to the roofs. He ran up the side of the city wall and up to the highest guard tower. Once there, he paused to look out across the desert.

A long line of people trailed across the dirt road and into the horizon. The light of the moon allowed Cain to make out some faint details, but nothing more. He squinted across the trail, searching for her. For Kyoko's light. He could feel the necklace pointing somewhere out there in the middle of the pack.

There!

It looked different than usual, but the prick of light magic stood out unmistakably from the others. Small and pure. That had to be her.

He searched for Setsuko anywhere nearby. Any sign of darkness. Her cloaking ability wouldn't work on his eyes. Fellow Accursed could always spot each other from sight alone.

She wasn't anywhere nearby.

His gut unclenched. Hikaru must have gotten Kyoko away in time. Maybe a few guards from the city had helped. He moved to climb down the tower and follow after her.

Screams erupted. One of the alleyways leading to the gates had become flooded with monsters. People pushed and yelled, monsters cutting them down as they fled. Members of the city guard appeared to protect them, but they were too few in number. Too spread out over the rest of the city as they fought other skirmishes.

Kyoko's words echoed in his head.

"It's what we do, Cain. You fight, lead, and protect. I stay behind and offer support through research and healing."

The screams of his people burned in his ears.

Cain hurtled down the steps of the tower toward the fighting. Kyoko was out of the city and he couldn't see or detect the presence of any Accursed. She was safe, and he had a duty to perform.

The road was clogged with civilians and broken carts left abandoned in their flight. He spotted a low hanging building, jumping onto the roof to avoid the chaos. He leapt down just in time to stop an undead from cutting into an old woman. Cain's blade flashed out, catching the monster's jagged one. With a quick swing, he decapitated the skull from its vertebrae.

"Go!" he shouted.

The woman didn't need telling twice. She picked herself up from the ground and stumbled away, holding a bleeding arm.

Cain didn't have time to see her or anyone else off. He threw himself into the onslaught, magic shots of arcane spinning around him. A blast of pure power pushed the encroaching enemy back enough to give him space to meet up with one of the other defenders.

The men glanced back at Cain, helmets dented and spear shafts broken. A ripple of shock ran through the guard.

"Form up," said Cain. "Watch my left, I'll block part of the passage and slow them down."

He was grateful the men jumped to listen, holding up shields and raising spears. Cain built a spell in his sword hilt, letting the power grow until it was enough. The monsters recovered from his spell and rushed toward them.

Cain swung his blade, an arch of magic cutting the air. It collided with the building on his right near the base of the foundation. Brick and dust burst from the impact and the tall building groaned as it started to collapse. Cain barked a warning, calling for everyone to fall back.

The foundation broke and chunks of brick cascaded down across the battlefield. Death rained on the monsters as many of them were crushed. Only a much smaller portion of the street remained open on the left, enough for maybe three undead to pass through at a time.

"Don't let up," said Cain. "Fight in rotation. Those who are injured return to the back."

They listened. They blessedly continued to listen as Cain command and directed them. He didn't know how long the city could holdout, but he'd work his hardest to get as many people out as he could.

"Was that Cain?"

Kanae glanced back toward the city where Hiroaki was staring. She couldn't see much despite the light of the moon, but there was definitely someone standing on one of the towers.

The form disappeared a second later, sinking into the night.

"Does it matter?" Kanae kept limping with the stream of people leaving the city, Twig swaying on her shoulder. City guards dotted the outskirts of the crowd, protecting them from the stray monster and cutting down anyone unfortunate enough to turn into one. Apparently, latent activations were fairly common.

They were all heading for the same place; The broken hills, a smallish mountain range that bordered the eastern land of Mosall. There was a narrow passage that ran through the range where Kuu's army was likely to be. That's what everyone said anyway. The king would save them. His men had already arrived in the city and were saving everyone.

They weren't completely wrong. Kanae recognized the uniforms of some of the men that passed them by. About time aide from the king had arrived, but it was foolishness to think the king's presence alone would save them.

Someone stumbled into Kanae, who pushed back by reflex. The man nearly fell, his body covered in dark marks of the rot. A weird smell emanated off him, like rotting vegetables left too long in the hot desert sun. His glassy eyes turned to Kanae, completely white.

Twig gave a horrified "Oh no."

The man let out a piercing shriek. Kanae clapped her hands to her ears, grunting as the force of it hit her like a blow. People collapsed in a wave around the man, Hiroaki sliding to the ground with them.

The man's skin blanched to an unhealthy white. His body stretched, grew, and contorted, the dark blotchy marks standing out stark against it. Kanae's gaze, and then her chin lifted up and up until her mouth fell open in shock.

Aw, shit.

Kanae grabbed the physician by the middle and tugged him upright, gasping as it wrenched on her wounds. Shoot. That had probably reopened half of them. She ignored the burning, pulling Hiroaki away from the mass of bone. She'd seen people turn before, but this was something different. Something worse than the others.

People around her shriveled in their clothes. Men and women caught up in the mass of magic as it pulled and pulled at the life around it. Kanae had to get out of range of the force. She could feel it pulling strength away from her and into the monster behind her.

With a final push of magic, Kanae burst out of the pull, and she and Hiroaki fell in a tumble, looking back at the monster behind them. A gashadokuro towered above the height of the city walls, a giant made of bone and cartilage. Nothing but magic held it together, the life force stolen from the circle of empty clothes around it. Then it opened its jaws.

Rather than a deep guttural cry she expected, it was silent save for a ringing in her ear. The loud high note split her skull with an instant headache. Then the monster's form started to disappear. It was turning invisible.

Twig clung to the tangles of Kanae's hair. "How, but the seed… the light magic shouldn't have let this happen."

"It's because there's too much damn dark magic and miasma everywhere." Kanae tried to get up, but her knees gave out. She sank down with a gasp of pain. "We need to move!"

Hiroaki finally managed to get his butt off the ground, grabbing her under the arm and helping her up. She bit her tongue at the moan of pain that threatened to burst from her. The magician had dug his thumb into her wound.

Everyone else was already running. Men on horseback wielding spears tore past, heading towards the gashadokuro even as Kanae and company stumbled away from it. Those spears and swords wouldn't do any good. The gashadokuro was known for its near-indestructible bones. Not that you could see it to hit it.

Kanae glanced back just in time to see three men flattened under an invisible force. The sands blew and shifted where the gashadokuro obviously stood, its form occasionally flashing into existence like an erratic mirage. Its skull suddenly appeared, jawbone kissing the ground as it swept up a stray citizen in its teeth. Both the person and the monster disappeared a second later.

"Um, Kanae," said Twig. "I think its heading for us."

Yeah, she'd noticed that too. She'd also chosen to keep it to herself lest it cause Hiroaki to freeze in shock. The man stumbled at Twigs words, nearly taking Kanae with her.

"Which one of us do you think pissed it off, huh?" Kanae yanked on Hiroaki. "Keep going. No! In that direction. Do you want it to trample more people? Get this monster out into the open."

Hiroaki managed, both of them running flat out now. More men on horseback had appeared around the gashadokuro, their red and gold insignia's identifying them as men of Kuu's army. The night was split by bursts of yellow and blue, magic pounding the monster from all sides. It was practically visible at this point, enough magic damaging the bone that the blackened broken portions outlined the monster's towering form.

Kanae pulled to a stop, spinning to face the monster. They had reached an open part of the sands now away from the main line of people. Hiroaki ran for a few seconds before noticing that she was no longer there.

"What are you doing? Run!"

"You go." Kanae pulled the spear from her back, the shaft lengthening. "Take Twig with you."

"You are not passing me off to this human," said Twig harshly. "He smells of bad eggs."

Kanae shrugged. "Your funeral."

Hiroaki's eyes flickered to the monster and men coming closer, everything in his stance saying he wanted to run.

"Go," said Kanae more firmly. "You're not fighter. You'll just be in the way."

The ringing was louder. Men sped by on horseback as they circled around to attack the monster again, yelling for Kanae to run. Hiroaki finally listened and took off, continuing to head toward open space away from the fighting.

Kanae took a deep breath, then slowly let it out. The spear felt good and firm under her fingers, tip angled toward the ground in a relaxed stance. Her body was beaten and worn out, already shaking from the exertion of running. The magic she sent through her just caused it to shake more, protesting the enhancement when it was already exhausted. But Kanae couldn't back down. She couldn't let her or Hiroaki be killed.

She could hear her master's words in her head, explaining the different monsters that lived in the sands, both the real and the mythical. He had never seen a gashadokuro. Everything he taught her came from the library in the palace. She prayed his knowledge was accurate.

The ringing was earsplitting now. She couldn't hear anything else. Not the beating of hoofs or the rush of the wind. Just one long note.

The gashadokuro was on her.

Kanae ran forward. Her magic kept her fast, the wounds on the monster placing his body. She wove through his feet and out the other side, sensing the thing stumble to follow her. Hell, it looked like it was after her. Or maybe Twig. At least Hiroaki would be safe. The monster's confusion gave the other soldiers an opening, some slicing at its legs with spears or sending another barrage of magic. While each attack was partially effective, it was all ultimately useless.

Kanae pulled a dagger from her belt, thrusting it at Twig. "I need a pure light rune, hurry!"

The dryad fumbled with the dagger, his voice high. "You need what? I don't know what that is."

The gashadokuro's legs swept toward her. Kanae vaulted over the monster's foot, just pulling back her spear before it was smashed against the creature's shin. She cursed the sand as she slipped, hating the awful footing.

"Like this!" Kanae drew a symbol in the air, the lines crooked as she kept moving.

Something grabbed Kanae around the middle. Her arms smashed against her chest as she gasped in pain, her spear dropping to the ground. She rose up as invisible fingers wrapped around her middle and squeezed the life out of her. She couldn't even scream.

The gashadokuro's skull shimmered into existence. Black empty sockets stared at her where eyes should have, swirling in a pool of darkness. The ringing was all-consuming now. Her eyes watered as she thrashed in its hold, completely caught. Its mouth opened as it pulled her closer to bite her head off.

Twig was suddenly flying at her side, holding the knife and tugging at her frantically. Through her smarting eyes she could see the rune. He'd managed to infuse the dagger.

It was not Kanae's speciallty casting magic without movement behind it. Even the most basic spells usually required some gesture to initiate it, so she used what she had available, that being her feet and her head. She thrust both forward, her magic picking up the dagger and hurtling it into the gashadokuro's mouth. She gasped at Twig, prayed he could hear her sputtering for him to activate the light magic with all the might he could muster.

The monster's jaws came down.

Kanae closed her eyes, ready for the onslaught of pain. Something thudded against her shoulders, but… that was it. What?

She opened her eyes.

The gashadokura's whole body was visible again, and it was melting. Bone oozed and bled in long runs of white as it slowly sank to the ground. It somehow smelled of burning sand mixed with meat. The ringing in Kanae's ears was completely gone as the grip around her waist slackened. With it, went all of Kanae's strength.

Oh hell.

Kanae slipped like a soap bar from a wet grasp, hurtling toward the ground. She frantically tried to slow her fall, but her runes seemed to slip from her, her magic spent. The ground came closer. Someone called her name. She closed her eyes. Let it be fast.

She thudded onto something surprisingly soft, yet hard. Her injuries jarred in protest, but otherwise she was fine. Just how?

A warm, nearly laughing familiar voice greeted her ears. "Falling for me again, Kanae?"

Kanae opened her eyes to see the grinning face of Shin. She blinked several times, wondering if she had actually died and he'd been sent to annoy her. Then she realized they were on a horse. He must have caught her as she fell!

The beginning of a bruise was forming under his eye and his usually haphazard dark hair was messy from dirt and blood. The glee in his dark eyes suddenly faltered. "You're hurt. Holy hell, where did you get those injuries? We need to find a physici— hurmph"

The man was silenced as Kanae grabbed hold of both sides of his cheeks and yanked their lips together. It wasn't until she saw his stupid face that she realized how much she'd missed him. How much she'd come to rely on his good humor to lift her spirits. All the pent-up anxiety she'd been carrying due to Kyoko's illness and everything in the caves just melted as she poured it into the kiss. Judging by the surprised happy sounds he made, he wasn't opposed to the treatment.

She suddenly pulled back, scowling in irritation. "Where the hell have you been, jerk? You're late!"

"Sorry, sorry." He didn't seem sorry, not with that glazed look on his face. "We came as quick as we could. Though I would have come quicker if I knew this was how I'd been greeted."

He moved in for another kiss, but Kanae put a hand to his face and pushed him away. Now was not the time.

"I found Hiroaki," she said, looking around. "There he is." She tugged on the reins, taking over Shin's horse. "Hiroaki!"

She could see the physician in the distance, waving his arms at Kanae to let her know he was okay. He'd better be. The man had a mission to accomplish.

Shin wound an arm around her waist from behind, the other hand shifting the clothes around her shoulder. He let out a hiss. "You really need to have this looked out. How are you still functioning? You're as bad as Kuon."

Kanae scoffed. "No, only Kyoko is as bad as he is. I'm fine."

He hummed in apparent disbelief. "I have no doubt of tha— what the hell?!"

Kanae spared him a glance, his mouth slack in utter shock. In examining Kanae's wound, he'd uncovered the humanoid Twig still clutching to Kanae within the folds of her cloak. The dryad gave Shin a narrowed glare.

"Who is this human?" said Twig. "I don't like him."

"You don't like anyone," scoffed Kanae.

"I'm going mad," said Shin. "How is there a dryad here? In the desert."

"It's a long story."

Dull pain was slowly creeping in, no longer being held back by adrenaline. A deep breath brought a sudden spike of pain, and Kanae flinched. She tried to cover it up, but Shin noticed.

"Later," he said. "We need that physician."

"We can't stop." Kanae nodded toward the city walls, a good mile away but still too close for her comfort. "We won't be safe so long as we're near this place."

"Then just stay with me." Shin kicked the horse, motioning to the other men around him on horseback. "We'll escort you and Hiroaki to the king's encampment."

Any other day, Kanae might have scoffed at his offer to help, insisting that she could walk and didn't need a horse to bring her there. But it honestly felt so good to finally stop. To finally take a break.

She slumped against Shin's chest, letting him hold up her worries as she closed her eyes.

"Don't try anything funny," she grumbled. "I still got my knives on me."

His laugh rumbled near her ear, warm and throaty. "Rest well, I've got you."

It was well into the night by the time Itsumi and her guards made it to the broken hills. The few monsters they'd met on the way had been easier than usual to take care of thanks to the close presence of the inhibitor. She was grateful for that fact, realizing that most of her citizens didn't have that blessing.

She paused at the top of a large rock, looking back. The shaded city was no longer visible, a trail of people pointing to its location. Her people walked with heads down, sometimes slumped with supplies but most often clutching only each other. A few carried dead family members on makeshift stretchers or in carts pulled by hand. Those with horses had passed Itsumi's group a long time ago.

She pulled her shawl close, turning her back to the city. An encampment sat at the base of the mountain range, tent poles sticking out of the dirt and rock surrounding the hills. The terrain was a welcome respite from the drag of the sand that sucked out her strength with every step and it would stabilize the tents. The red and gold flag of Ashuron flew high in the center of the camp, the phoenix surrounding the Ashuron sun. That was where the commander's tent would be.

A man came striding toward her, wearing polished armor with the image of the phoenix adorned on the chest piece. The moment she recognized who it was, she ran to meet him halfway, he doing the same.

Itsumi pulled him into a hug, relief washing through her. "Brother! It's so good to see you."

Tsuyoshi returned the hug with none of his usual stiffness. Her brother had never been great with tokens of affection for her, but she supposed near-death experiences would make one less awkward.

"I heard you were on your way," he said. "I was afraid you hadn't made it out."

Itsumi pulled back, surprised at how easily she smiled. She meant to retort with a barb but faltered when she noticed his face. There were tear tracks on either side of his cheeks and his eyes were still rimmed with red.

"Are you crying?" she said. "Sorry I worried you. I'm fine."

"Ah, no. It just won't stop." He dabbed at his watering eyes, the motion ultimately useless as another tear replaced it. "Don't worry about it. It's not because of you."

She gave a dry laugh. Another day she would have teased him about being calloused, but she didn't have the energy. He looked worn out himself. As one of Rosa's champions, he had likely been up and down the line of people, helping and fighting monsters when he could. Good for him. He had always felt like he belonged on the battlefield rather than a desk.

"I made sure the inhibitor was protected," she said, gesturing to her men. "I didn't want it falling like it did at the palace."

"A good idea," he said. "Except you're trash at fighting. What use would you have been?"

Itsumi pouted, folding her arms and sending him a glare. She hated it when he made her feel like a child. "I wouldn't have fought, nitwit. My guards would have defended it. They did defend it. We met more than our share of monsters."

His gaze was instantly searching. "Did you get hurt at all? We have a medical tent set up for anyone that is hurt. We'll take you there."

"No, I'm fine."

"It will only take a second."

She planted her feet in the ground, gesturing to her men. "Show my men where it is then. Councilor Okasaki was hurt pretty badly. He needs aid. And we need to find a place to set down the inhibitor. Can you arrange for it to be brought to the other one, or should I?"

He blinked at her in surprise. "No, uh, I'll take care of it. Just rest a second, Sis."

Looking a little shell shocked, Tsuyoshi directed her men to the sickbay. He ordered other soldiers to come and take the inhibitor from them and move it to where the other would be. She sat on a patch of rocks as she waited, only now realizing how tired she really was. Her feet hurt and her shoes had holes in them. The thin soles were not built for perilous treks through the desert. A pair of good boots sitting in her closet back home would have perfect for her current situation.

Loss suddenly welled up inside of her. It was a silly thing, a pair of shoes, but she found herself desperately missing them. She missed everything about home. Her bed. A hot bath to scrub away the sweat. The sounds of her father pacing back and forth inside his study, sometimes conversing with another council member. How she wished she could be back home again. Back in her room, idling away the time with a painting of the fig tree.

I wonder if it has all been destroyed. She'd meant to give the painting to her brother as a gift, so he could always remember home even when he was gone doing whatever it was a champion did. She wiggled her toes inside her shoes, one of them poking through the satin and pressing on the earth. From her pocket she could feel the present she and Hikaru had purchased for Kyoko. At least this gift she could give.

Panic suddenly shot through her as she stood up, clutching her head. "Oh my gosh! I totally forgot about Dad."

Her dad, who she'd put into prison along with half of the other council members and many many other people, had been locked inside during the chaos. How had she completely forgotten about him until now? Just the thought of her father withering away in a cell made her sick.

Tsuyoshi suddenly rocked up, raising a brow in surprise. "Dad? He's fine if you're wondering."

"What?" She was so thrown it made her dizzy.

Her brother just nodded. "One of the other council members had been assigned to lead all the prisoners out in case of an emergency like this. I thought you knew?"

She hadn't.

Itsumi sank to the ground as her strength left her. That had terrified her. Dad might be close-minded sometimes, but he definitely did not deserve to die. Not like that. Trapped as the life was sucked from his body.

"Thank the gods," she said. "I wasn't thinking about him. About a lot of people actually." She wondered if her old friends had made it out, people who had fallen out of friendship since the whole ordeal with Cain and Kyoko had started. It was likely some hadn't.

"You were busy with the inhibitor," said Tsuyoshi. "Most people were just busy with themselves. It's hard to think of everything in a situation like that."

She sighed. "Thanks, Tsuyoshi." She appreciated him coming to her defense, even if she wasn't sure she deserved it. To be honest, she'd mostly been thinking about Hikaru and Kyoko during the whole thing. She hoped he had found her and gotten out.

"We have a tent set up for you," said Tsuyoshi. "I'll show you where it is."

"No." She stood up, combing her fingers through her tangled hair with the hope of making it somewhat more presentable. "Who oversees the camp? It would be great if you could take me to them. I need to get an update on what's going on." She was the Duchess of the Broken Hills after all. It was her duty to oversee her people and their needs.

Tsuyoshi studied her with a critical eye. "You sure you don't want to wash up and rest first? You have one of the few basins in the camp and some water would do you good."

She stared him down, ignoring the part where he implied she looked a mess. "No. Save the water for those that need it."

"Okay then."

He inclined his head and she stepped up beside him, walking straight for the flag in the center of the camp. The tents surrounding the area were spread out in a precise uniform pattern, likely the resting quarters of the soldiers. Refugees filled every space between, huddling under makeshift forts or spilling out onto the streets using cloaks as pillows. People darted in and out of them, the camp buzzing with movement. The energy was slow and muted though. A hopeless air blanketed the camp punctuated with the cries of a child or the moaning of the injured.

"Is there enough space?" she said. "Do we have enough resources?"

"I have no idea," he said. "That's something you'll have to ask Duke Takarada."

"Is he the one in charge of the camp?"

"Yeah. The king stayed behind with the main force but since there's no point in a pincer attack without the city, he may lead his forces through the pass to set up base here."

She nodded as if she understood if even she really didn't. Military tactics was a subject she was woefully ignorant of, but she thought she understood the desire to stay put and not move more than they had to. Too many of the people they passed looked sick or hurt for her liking. The miasma couldn't have been good for those still dealing with the rot.

Not for the first time, she blessed Kyoko for finding a cure. As the Duchess, she had been one of the first healed by the new rune circle, and she was feeling the advantages of that privilege.

Tsuyoshi wiped at his eyes again, catching her attention. It was so odd. The last time she'd seen her brother cry was when he was like, twelve. And here he was openly crying.

"Are you sure you're okay?" she said, trying to be sensitive without being overbearing. He hated looking weak in front of her.

As expected, he prickled a little at her question. "I told you, it's fine. A champion thing. The crying hasn't stopped since —"

He cut off, giving her a concerned look.

"Since what?" she said.

"Nothing," he evaded.

"Don't nothing at me, brother. Since what?"

"You're not really supposed to know," he muttered angrily. "But it doesn't really matter anymore."

"What doesn't matter?" Her voice cracked with the strain of already too-tired emotions. "What aren't you telling me?"

He stopped on the outskirts of a tent larger than any of the others. The tarp was pulled closed and she recognized the runes set into a lamp hanging by the entrance. The space was warded to keep sound from exiting. If that hadn't marked this as the commander's tent, the flag waving overhead would have. Rosa's glorious form flew high enough for all to see no matter where they were in the camp.

Tsuyoshi shifted his feet. "I didn't always hear all the information between Mosall and the king. But I got the idea that you were close to The Prince and his concubine."

She suddenly felt lightheaded. His evasiveness made her instantly think the worst. But that couldn't possibly be it.

"Wife," she heard herself saying. "I married them just… yesterday, I think."

His worsening expression did not help.

Itsumi strode forward, dodging her brother's arm as he tried to stop her. She threw aside the tent flap and stepped inside.

The gloom of the night meant her vision didn't need to adjust much to the dim glow of the lanterns illuminating the space. She ignored the presence of several people and the conversation she'd obviously interrupted, instead zeroing in on the two people laying on a blanket in the middle of the floor.

Twinkling gems covered most of Kyoko's body, her lips as pale as her skin. And next to her, just as pale but also covered in dried blood, lay Hikaru.

And we finally get to see Shin again!

Oh dear, I don't think I've had that many people curse at me after posting a chapter. * Laughs darkly yet nervously * I apologize to your poor hearts. To be fair, mine has been breaking for like, months while knowing I was going to write their deaths.

As always, life is not capable of sitting still. Neither is my son who is now crawling like a freaking champ from room to room and up our two stairs. I am now finding out how NOT baby proof the house is. But he's cute so I'll forgive him. Hope you are all staying well and thank you all so so very much for your support and love. I still call Imouto to gush over reviews and feel so humbled by your years of support.

-BW

Fun fact, if you listen to some calm somber soundtrack music while reading Cain's section, it totally changes the vibe. Like in a movie, while fighting is going on, but all you hear is music, while the commotion is going on around him.

Hope you guys are all well, and that you can bear the wait for the next chapter.

-Im0ut0