ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍɪᴅsᴛ ᴏғ ᴍʏ ᴅᴀʀᴋᴇsᴛ sᴛʀᴜɢɢʟᴇs, ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ғᴇʟᴛ ᴏᴠᴇʀᴡʜᴇʟᴍɪɴɢ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴇɪɢʜᴛ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ ᴡᴀs ᴛᴏᴏ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇᴀʀ, ʙᴛs's ᴠᴏɪᴄᴇs ʀᴇᴀᴄʜᴇᴅ ᴍᴇ. ᴛʜᴇɪʀ sᴏɴɢs ʙᴇᴄᴀᴍᴇ ᴍʏ ʟɪғᴇʟɪɴᴇ, ʙʀᴇᴀᴋɪɴɢ ᴅᴏᴡɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴀʟʟs ᴏғ ᴅᴏᴜʙᴛ ᴀɴᴅ ғᴇᴀʀ. ᴛʜɪs ɪs ᴍʏ ᴊᴏᴜʀɴᴇʏ ᴏғ ʜᴏᴡ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ᴍᴜsɪᴄ ʜᴇᴀʟᴇᴅ ᴍᴇ, ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ᴍᴇ ʙᴇʟɪᴇᴠᴇ ɪɴ ᴍʏsᴇʟғ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴛᴀᴜɢʜᴛ ᴍᴇ ᴛᴏ ғɪɴᴅ sᴛʀᴇɴɢᴛʜ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ sᴏᴜɴᴅ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ᴠᴏɪᴄᴇs.

"𝐃𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐞?" ᴛᴀᴇʜʏᴜɴɢ ᴀsᴋᴇᴅ ʜᴇʀ. "𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐭 𝐢𝐭." ʀɪᴅᴅʜɪ ʀᴇᴘʟɪᴇᴅ sᴏғᴛʟʏ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀ ᴘᴀᴜsᴇ "𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬, 𝐈 𝐰𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨." --- ɪɴ ǫᴜɪᴇᴛ sᴛᴇᴘs ᴀɴᴅ ғʟᴇᴇᴛɪɴɢ sɪɢʜs, ᴀ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ɢʀᴇᴡ sʟᴏᴡ, ᴜɴsᴇᴇɴ ʙʏ ᴇʏᴇs. ɴᴏᴛ ᴏғ ғɪʀᴇ, ɴᴏᴛ ᴏғ ᴄʜᴀsᴇ, ʙᴜᴛ ɪɴ sɪʟᴇɴᴄᴇ, ᴡᴏᴠᴇɴ ɢʀᴀᴄᴇ. sʜᴇ, ᴀ ᴡʜɪsᴘᴇʀ, sᴏғᴛ ʏᴇᴛ sᴛʀᴏɴɢ, ʜᴇ, ᴀ sʜᴀᴅᴏᴡ, ʟᴏsᴛ ᴛᴏᴏ ʟᴏɴɢ. ɴᴏ ᴠᴏᴡs ᴡᴇʀᴇ ʙᴇɢɢᴇᴅ, ɴᴏ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛs ᴡᴇʀᴇ ᴛᴏʀɴ, ʏᴇᴛ ɪɴ ʜᴇʀ ᴡᴀʀᴍᴛʜ, ʜᴇ ᴡᴀs ʀᴇʙᴏʀɴ. ɴᴏᴛ sᴘᴏᴋᴇɴ ʟᴏᴜᴅ, ʏᴇᴛ ᴅᴇᴇᴘʟʏ ᴋᴇᴇɴ, ᴀ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴜɴɴᴀᴍᴇᴅ - ғᴏʀᴇᴠᴇʀ sᴇʀᴇɴᴇ. ---

𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐚 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 - 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐧𝐨 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐬... ---

"𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐚 𝐟𝐞𝐰 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐬 𝐥𝐞𝐟𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞... 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠?" ʜᴀɴ ᴍɪsʜᴛɪ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴘʟᴀɴɴᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ғᴀʟʟ ɪɴ ʟᴏᴠᴇ. ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀ ᴛɪᴄᴋɪɴɢ ᴄʟᴏᴄᴋ ᴏᴠᴇʀ ʜᴇʀ ʜᴇᴀᴅ, sʜᴇ ᴋᴇᴘᴛ ʜᴇʀ sᴇᴄʀᴇᴛ ʙᴜʀɪᴇᴅ-ᴀʟᴏɴɢ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴜᴄᴋᴇᴛ ʟɪsᴛ sʜᴇ ᴡᴀs ᴛᴏᴏ ᴀғʀᴀɪᴅ ᴛᴏ sᴛᴀʀᴛ. ᴛʜᴇɴ ᴄᴀᴍᴇ ᴊᴇᴏɴ ᴊᴜɴɢᴋᴏᴏᴋ. ᴀ ғᴇᴀʀʟᴇss ᴍᴏᴛᴏʀʙɪᴋᴇ ʀᴀᴄᴇʀ ᴡʜᴏ ʟɪᴠᴇᴅ ʟɪғᴇ ᴀᴛ ғᴜʟʟ sᴘᴇᴇᴅ, ᴄʀᴀsʜɪɴɢ sᴛʀᴀɪɢʜᴛ ɪɴᴛᴏ ʜᴇʀ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ. ᴡʜᴇɴ ʜᴇ ғɪɴᴅs ʜᴇʀ ʟɪsᴛ, ʜᴇ ʀᴇғᴜsᴇs ᴛᴏ ʟᴇᴛ ʜᴇʀ ᴡᴀsᴛᴇ ᴀɴᴏᴛʜᴇʀ sᴇᴄᴏɴᴅ. ᴛᴏɢᴇᴛʜᴇʀ, ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴄʜᴀsᴇ sᴜɴsᴇᴛs, ʙʀᴇᴀᴋ ʀᴜʟᴇs, ᴀɴᴅ ғᴀʟʟ ʜᴏᴘᴇʟᴇssʟʏ ɪɴ ʟᴏᴠᴇ. ʙᴜᴛ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ʜᴀᴘᴘᴇɴs ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴊᴜɴɢᴋᴏᴏᴋ ᴅɪsᴄᴏᴠᴇʀs ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʀᴜᴛʜ? ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɴᴏ ᴍᴀᴛᴛᴇʀ ʜᴏᴡ ғᴀsᴛ ᴛʜᴇʏ ʀɪᴅᴇ, ᴛɪᴍᴇ ɪs ʀᴜɴɴɪɴɢ ᴏᴜᴛ. "ᴏɴᴇ ʟᴀsᴛ ʀɪᴅᴇ" ɪs ᴀ sᴛᴏʀʏ ᴏғ ʟᴏᴠᴇ, ᴀᴅᴠᴇɴᴛᴜʀᴇ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴜɴғɪɴɪsʜᴇᴅ ɢᴏᴏᴅʙʏᴇs-ᴀ ʀᴇᴍɪɴᴅᴇʀ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴇsᴛ ᴍᴏᴍᴇɴᴛs ɪɴ ʟɪғᴇ ᴀʀᴇɴ'ᴛ ᴍᴇᴀsᴜʀᴇᴅ ɪɴ ᴛɪᴍᴇ, ʙᴜᴛ ɪɴ ʜᴏᴡ ᴛʜᴇʏ'ʀᴇ ʟɪᴠᴇᴅ. ---

"𝐈𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐟𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭." ғɪᴠᴇ ᴅᴀᴛᴇs. ᴛʜᴀᴛ's ᴀʟʟ ɪᴛ ᴡᴀs sᴜᴘᴘᴏsᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ. ʙᴜᴛ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴇᴀᴄʜ ᴘᴀssɪɴɢ ᴍᴏᴍᴇɴᴛ, ᴇᴀᴄʜ ᴜɴsᴘᴏᴋᴇɴ ɢʟᴀɴᴄᴇ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏ ᴜɴɪɴᴛᴇɴᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟ ᴛᴏᴜᴄʜ, ʜᴇʀ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ ʙᴇɢɪɴs ᴛᴏ ᴄʀᴀᴄᴋ ᴏᴘᴇɴ-ʟᴇᴛᴛɪɴɢ ɪɴ sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴛᴇɴᴅᴇʀ, ᴡᴀʀᴍ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴛᴇʀʀɪғʏɪɴɢʟʏ ʀᴇᴀʟ. ʙᴜᴛ ᴋᴀɪʀᴀ ʜᴀs ᴀ sᴇᴄʀᴇᴛ. ᴏɴᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴄᴏᴍᴇs ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀ ᴅᴇᴘᴀʀᴛᴜʀᴇ ᴛɪᴄᴋᴇᴛ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀ ᴅᴇᴀᴅʟɪɴᴇ. ᴀɴᴅ ᴡʜᴇɴ ɢᴏᴏᴅʙʏᴇ ғɪɴᴀʟʟʏ ᴀʀʀɪᴠᴇs... ᴡɪʟʟ ғɪᴠᴇ ᴅᴀᴛᴇs ʙᴇ ᴇɴᴏᴜɢʜ? ---

"𝐊𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐚, 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞'𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐤?" ʜᴇ ᴀsᴋᴇᴅ ᴄᴀsᴜᴀʟʟʏ. ʜᴇʀ ᴇʏᴇs ᴡɪᴅᴇɴᴇᴅ ɪɴ ʜᴏʀʀᴏʀ. "𝐌𝐮𝐭𝐞!" sʜᴇ ʜɪssᴇᴅ, sʟᴀᴍᴍɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴜᴛᴛᴏɴ ᴏɴ ʜᴇʀ ᴋᴇʏʙᴏᴀʀᴅ. "𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠?" sʜᴇ ᴡʜɪsᴘᴇʀᴇᴅ ғᴜʀɪᴏᴜsʟʏ. ᴊɪᴍɪɴ ʙʟɪɴᴋᴇᴅ ᴀᴛ ʜᴇʀ, ᴄʟᴇᴀʀʟʏ ᴄᴏɴғᴜsᴇᴅ. "𝐆𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭?" --- ᴋᴀɪʀᴀ's ʟɪғᴇ ᴛᴀᴋᴇs ᴀ ᴍᴀɢɪᴄᴀʟ ᴛᴜʀɴ ᴡʜᴇɴ ʜᴇʀ ɴᴇᴡ ᴘᴜᴘᴘʏ ʀᴇᴠᴇᴀʟs ᴀ sʜᴏᴄᴋɪɴɢ sᴇᴄʀᴇᴛ-ʜᴇ's ᴜɴᴅᴇʀ ᴀ sᴘᴇʟʟ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴛʀᴀɴsғᴏʀᴍs ʜɪᴍ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴀ ʜᴜᴍᴀɴ ᴡʜᴇɴᴇᴠᴇʀ sʜᴇ's ɴᴇᴀʀ. ᴀs sʜᴇ ɴᴀᴠɪɢᴀᴛᴇs ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴏs ᴏғ ᴋᴇᴇᴘɪɴɢ ʜɪs sᴇᴄʀᴇᴛ, ᴅᴇᴀʟɪɴɢ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴊᴇᴀʟᴏᴜs ᴀɴᴛɪᴄs, ᴀɴᴅ ᴜɴʀᴀᴠᴇʟɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍʏsᴛᴇʀʏ ᴏғ ʜɪs ᴄᴜʀsᴇ, ᴋᴀɪʀᴀ ʀᴇᴀʟɪᴢᴇs ᴛʜᴇ ᴋᴇʏ ᴛᴏ sᴇᴛᴛɪɴɢ ʜɪᴍ ғʀᴇᴇ ᴍɪɢʜᴛ ʟɪᴇ ɪɴ ʜᴇʀ ᴏᴡɴ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ. "ғᴜʀ-ᴇᴠᴇʀ ʏᴏᴜʀs" ɪs ᴀ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛᴡᴀʀᴍɪɴɢ ᴛᴀʟᴇ ᴏғ ᴜɴᴇxᴘᴇᴄᴛᴇᴅ ʟᴏᴠᴇ, ᴍᴀɢɪᴄᴀʟ ᴛᴡɪsᴛs, ᴀɴᴅ ғɪɴᴅɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏᴜʀᴀɢᴇ ᴛᴏ ғᴏʟʟᴏᴡ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ ᴀɢᴀɪɴsᴛ ᴀʟʟ ᴏᴅᴅs. ---

ᴛᴀᴇʜʏᴜɴɢ ʟᴏᴏᴋᴇᴅ ᴀᴛ ʜᴇʀ, ʜɪs ɢᴀᴢᴇ ɪɴᴛᴇɴsᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ғɪʟʟᴇᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʟᴏᴠᴇ. "𝐈 𝐨𝐰𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐊𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐚. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐞 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧." ᴋᴀɪʀᴀ sᴍɪʟᴇᴅ, ʜᴇʀ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ ғᴜʟʟ. "𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐞 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞, 𝐢𝐧 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬, 𝐢𝐧 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬." --- ɪɴ ᴀ sᴇʀᴇɴᴇ ᴠɪʟʟᴀɢᴇ sᴜʀʀᴏᴜɴᴅᴇᴅ ʙʏ ᴇɴᴅʟᴇss ʟᴀᴠᴇɴᴅᴇʀ ғɪᴇʟᴅs, ᴘᴀᴛᴇʟ ᴋᴀɪʀᴀ, ᴀ ʙᴏʟᴅ ᴘᴇʀғᴜᴍᴇʀ sᴇᴇᴋɪɴɢ ғʀᴇᴇᴅᴏᴍ ғʀᴏᴍ ʜᴇʀ ᴘᴀsᴛ, ᴄʀᴏssᴇs ᴘᴀᴛʜs ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴋɪᴍ ᴛᴀᴇʜʏᴜɴɢ, ᴀ ʀᴇᴄʟᴜsɪᴠᴇ ᴀʀᴛɪsᴛ ʜɪᴅɪɴɢ ғʀᴏᴍ ʜɪs ᴏᴡɴ sᴄᴀʀs. ᴀs ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴇʟɪᴄᴀᴛᴇ sᴄᴇɴᴛ ᴏғ ʟᴀᴠᴇɴᴅᴇʀ ᴡᴇᴀᴠᴇs ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ʟɪᴠᴇs ᴛᴏɢᴇᴛʜᴇʀ, ᴛʜᴇʏ ғɪɴᴅ ʟᴏᴠᴇ, ʜᴇᴀʟɪɴɢ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏᴜʀᴀɢᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛᴇ sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴇxᴛʀᴀᴏʀᴅɪɴᴀʀʏ. ʙᴜᴛ ᴄᴀɴ ᴛᴡᴏ ʙʀᴏᴋᴇɴ sᴏᴜʟs ᴛʀᴜʟʏ ʙᴜɪʟᴅ ᴀ ғᴜᴛᴜʀᴇ ᴀᴍɪᴅsᴛ ᴛʜᴇ sʜᴀᴅᴏᴡs ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ᴘᴀsᴛ? ᴅɪᴠᴇ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴀ ᴛᴀʟᴇ ᴏғ ᴘᴀssɪᴏɴ, ʀᴇsɪʟɪᴇɴᴄᴇ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴜɴᴅᴇɴɪᴀʙʟᴇ ᴍᴀɢɪᴄ ᴏғ sᴇᴄᴏɴᴅ ᴄʜᴀɴᴄᴇs. ---

"𝐦𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞, 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧'𝐭 𝐭𝐨𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐠𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬-𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐨𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮."