Sylvia opened her eyes to find herself in a field at nighttime, the stars over her head glowing brightly. She was alone. A pang of despair hit her in the chest. Death had caught her. Luke was still alive. Fallen had killed her.

Silver tears streamed down her cheeks when she felt something nuzzle her shoulder. Looking up with teary cobalt blue eyes, she found a pure white wolf with golden eyes. A bright blue amulet hung on a leather cord around her neck. Large feathery wings emerged from her shoulder blades, extending to a wingspan far larger than Sylvia had ever seen.

"I am so sorry..." The wolf whispered. "Sylvia Stellward, your friend is about to join us, as well as Fallen. They've killed each other..."

Sylvia opened her mouth to speak, and her voice was timid and soft as she asked, "Wh-Who are you...? Where are we?"

"A place called the Middlegrounds. Where one goes after Death."

"W-Wait, that means the bomb victims! A-And... Oh... Terror..."

"Terror and Fallen have their own place here. I must leave to help your friend over..." The wolf disappeared.

"B-but wait..." Sylvia went quiet. The realization of her being dead hit her and tears started streaming down her face once again.

A few minutes later, she heard a rustling in the grass. The wolf was helping Luke to walk over to her. He, too, was crying. The wolf had a more solemn look in her eyes.

"I am sorry," she whispered as Luke sat down beside Sylvia. "This was never meant to happen..."

"It isn't your fault," Luke mumbled, holding Sylvia close to ease her crying. "It's those monsters' fault... Terror bombed us. Fallen killed us."

The wolf let out a heavy sigh. "My name... is Life, ironically." Suddenly, her ears pricked, and her golden eyes shifted to a violet as the fur on the back of her neck rose. "Fallen's here. He brought himself here."

"Are you serious?!" Luke cried, almost enraged.

"Shh, keep it down." Sylvia trembled. Then let out a pained cry and felt her back pulse with the stabbing feeling she'd been killed by.