All Amber could feel after Ci Nada finished telling her story was a terrible headache. Her head was pulsating painfully as if her brain was trying to escape the confines of her head.

There were so many conflicting thoughts running through her head that it felt like her brain was swelling and hitting the inside of her skull, thus causing the terrible headache that didn't allow her to focus on anything.

She could have sworn that there was a hammer in her head banging at her brain, making her incapable of reacting in any way.

Although in the depths of her mind, she felt she needed to rage, sympathize, doubt Ci Nada's story, she did none of those things. She just stood there barely holding her head up and drowning in pain.

Ignacio didn't seem to have the same problem. The fire of anger that had always burned in him was obvious from his red face and anger filled eyes. Although the volcano of his anger had been tamed, that didn't mean that the geyser of rage stopped spurting out when the occasion arose.

It was obvious to Amber that he was about to say something that he didn't think through, and she quickly turned her head towards him wanting to stop him, to calm him down. However, the moment she moved her head it felt like knives were stabbing her head from all directions.

"Don't give us that sob story!" Ignacio exclaimed.

"Even if all that is true, that doesn't justify your actions! In fighting a monster, you became one! What is the difference between you and him, anyway? Because I don't see it." Ignacio said.

"There isn't one." Ci Nada said.

Her voice was broken, and her whole posture was one of utter defeat.

"Of course there is a difference!" Avo Jana yelled.

For the first time since Amber had met her, Avo Jana sounded furious.

"The difference is that even once she embraced her dark side, she didn't stop helping me and others who needed her help. She fought against her very nature to help the ones she once called friends.

She had never hurt anyone, she hesitated. Because even after embracing the darkness in her, she was still in her core a good person.

Before you came, nothing like this had ever happened, and I feel the trauma of seeing someone who looked so similar to him, made her snap and yet she murdered none of you.

That's all the difference. Even though she wanted to murder you, even though she thought she would enjoy it, she still hesitated, made obvious mistakes.

She wanted us to stop her, she wanted me to stop her, and that makes all the difference in the world." Avo Jana said.

Amber wasn't sure if her words had as strong of an impact on Ignacio as they did on her muddled mind, but at least his face turned back to its normal color so the danger of another angry outburst subsided.

Before anything else could be said or done, Amber swayed slightly and would have fallen if it hadn't been for Ignacio's strong hands catching her.

The pain was so tremendous that she was no longer able to keep her head, nor her body, upright.

"What's wrong with her?" Ignacio asked.

"It's this placed. This side of the island is filled with dark energy, and she is not used to it. It's hurting her." Avo Jana said.

"How come the rest of us are okay?" Jade asked.

"We've brought protection. I am not sure about the three of you. Maybe she is more sensitive to the dark forces than you. We better leave." Vulluin said.

"What about Ci Nada? What will we do about her?" Royce asked.

Throughout Ci Nada's story and the comments to the said story, Royce had stayed quiet, but as he asked that question, his eyes strayed towards Jade making it obvious that his worry was about her safety.

"She is coming with us. But not to worry, my best people will escort her," Vulluin said.

"Besides, we made sure that she couldn't use her magic, so you are all perfectly safe." Avo Jana said.

"Alright," Royce said.

That was when he got up and offered Jade his hand to help her up. She graciously accepted, and they headed out.

"See you on the other side." Avo Jana said as her image disintegrated.

Ignacio scooped Amber up in his arms and carried her out of the cottage, worry creasing his forehead.

Even after being assured that she would be okay once they left the gloomy part of the island, he couldn't stop his mind from spiraling in worry. They had just managed to find each other, and he was terrified that he might lose her before they had the chance to explore the connection that existed between them.

With Mildred and Ci Nada as prisoners, the elves headed out as well towards the portal. However, before anyone stepped into the portal, Vulluin took the lead, making sure that the portal took them to the right place this time around, the closest place of goodness where they could heal.

Although everyone except Amber looked fine, they would all need to heal the invisible wounds that being trapped by darkness could create. They needed time to recuperate and return to normal, and the best place to do so was the land of the elves to which they took a direct route, avoiding the giants' land altogether.

In time they would be punished for their transgressions, but for the time being, they just needed to reach a safe place where they could settle down.

Before long, they were all in the elf castle, and after the guards led the two prisoners away, the humans were shown to their rooms, the same ones they had previously used.

Ignacio gently lowered Amber in her bed, brushing away a few loose strands of her hair. Then, he headed towards the door.

"Stay. Please." Amber said.

It was obvious that she still suffered from a terrible headache as the words were barely audible, but upon hearing them Ignacio immediately rushed to her bed laying down next to her.

Amber nestled her head on his chest and let out a sigh of relief as she once again fell into a fretful slumber. She kept startling awake and then, sensing Ignacio's presence, relaxing and going back to sleep.

Ignacio hugged her tightly and wished with all his heart that he could somehow erase the pain that plagued her. If that was impossible, he wanted to take it upon himself, anything to stop her suffering.

As her eyes fluttered open once again, Amber looked him straight in the eye with the expression that he couldn't decipher.

"Thank you. For staying with me." She said.

It was obvious that she wasn't just talking about the present moment, that she was also talking about what they went through in the nightmare, about everything they went through together.

"Thank you for not giving up on me. I will always be by your side." Ignacio said.

Kissing her forehead, he could sense her body relaxing under his touch, and finally, she fell into a peaceful slumber in which he soon joined her holding onto her even in his sleep. They were finally able to rest, knowing that they were keeping each other safe.