Day: 3721

Days Left: 1759

Lives Saved: 20

With Cori away, Elis felt awkward amongst all of these strangers, even if they were all lovely and accommodating, it was difficult to not remember that all of them were here in The Eternal Abyss for a reason; they were all criminals, whether it be petty theft, assault, or even murder, Elis was surrounded by people with questionable morals and he was one of them, branded as such. He gave a smile back as a large tall strong man passed him, Jackson, he believed was his name, who gave a small friendly nod. Elis' smile curdled as he saw the brand on his neck, revealing his crime to be manslaughter.

They just needed to find this Eternal Abyss expert, Henry Best, and then they could find the right sector, then they would... he would finally be free. And Cori would remain here. Was that what she wanted? What was her plan after he was free? Would she remain with her sister if she was here, or would she go with him and choose her last moments, painful they would be, the magic in her body tearing itself apart from her overdose. He supposed that was another emotional and awkward conversation to have along the journey. Whatever decision she made, Elis wanted to support it. Despite everything, he still cared for her, still wanted her to live out her life, her last moments in what would give her the most peace. And maybe when he was free, he could find a cure for her, so she could see their children again, perhaps not as a full time mother again but they could work something out.

Not wanting to waste any opportunities, Elis tried to find the man called Sumit as he was one of the people that Cori recognised to have been with her sister and Henry Best last. He searched for him, and spotted his dark curly hair around a corner, in an alleyway between two buildings in the outskirts of the village, speaking with the man with a bad haircut called Kai, the older woman in the wheelchair Ivette, Talon who had the crow mask, and Klei and Wendy.

"The city got overrun," explained Sumit. "And then Corinna got attacked by The Grim Fairy-"

"What!" Kai gasped.

Ivette's hands covered mouth.

"What's The Grim Fairy?" asked Klei.

"A monster that takes people's memories," Kai said solemnly.

"Is she..." Ivette hesitated.

"No, not yet." Sumit swallowed. "She took off the door almost in time. It seems The Grim Fairy is stuck in her mind, slowly taking her memories away instead of instantly. We all decided to flee the city since we were so outnumbered, me, Corinna, Henry, Rin, Calixte, Lili, Alfreda, and Thalia, Tristan, and Valtair."

"What about the other children? Oscar?" asked Ivette.

"They were released, they should be safe."

"And where are the others?" asked Klei. "Are they heading here too?"

Sumit bowed his head low. "After we escaped the city, we made camp in the forest since it was going to be a blood moon. But Corinna fell unconscious and Calixte lost control. Rin and Alfreda went to find him since he ran off, and we were ambushed. I managed to fight off one of them, I think the others defeated one two but they were missing from the camp. I don't know what happened to them." He clutched his arm, his nails digging in as if not to stop himself from crying. "Myself and the kids, we went to search for the others and we found Calixte but not Rin or Alfreda who were looking for him. We went back to camp and waited there, waited a week and no one returned."

A long silence that hung over the group.

Elis covered his mouth, trying to muffle his breathing as he thought about sharing the news with Cori, that her sister was not freed and is missing, and the same for their hope for freedom with Henry Best and Corinna Warren.

"We'll find them," Kai spoke up. "I know someone who can help us."

Sumit looked at Kai curiously with that smile. "Who?"

Kai yelled out, startling everyone, "Dex! Hey Dex! You watching at the moment?"

Sumit glanced around at the others. "Huh? Dex? Did they send him back down?"

"Dex!" Kai continued to shout, and Wendy and Talon joined in, waving up to face the sky. They moved out into the open, waving and making a noise, Klei doing his best to shout with his crackly voice, and Ivette threatening Dex to answer or there would be trouble.

And there would be trouble if this was the Dex Elis was thinking of, the man who was present at Cori's downfall and capture, a part of the rebellion who would not be so keen to see the fake queen and king being so chummy with his friends. Elis had to get Cori, to tell her what he had found out before they did anything to her. He quickly gathered their belongings that were still by the piano, before heading over to the building where Cori and Calixte were resting.

*

Eventually, Dex did answer. "Sorry I forgot to hold the microphone button again," he said, his voice travelling across the whole village, eerily disembodied.

"I keep telling you," sighed Kyle's voice.

The other villagers were confused and startled, only used to the broadcasted voice for the food drop-off or to announce that someone's sentence was over and they were to be released.

"What's going on?" Dex asked.

"Our friends are missing!" Sumit yelled out, about to list names but Dex interrupted.

"Yeah, I know. We lost track of them, and there is only so much information we can get from the other sectors."

"Are they still in Sector 39?"

"We haven't had an international broadcast yet. A few more days and maybe we can see some footage but until then I don't have a clue where they are. At the very least, they are not in Sector 38 or 39."

Kai sighed. "Sorry," he said to Sumit. "We'll have to wait until-"

"Shit." Dex cursed. "It's them..."

"What?" Kai yelled up.

"That's King Consort Elis! That woman earlier must be Queen Corinna!"

*

Elis ran into the building, finding Calixte crouching over Cori's unconscious body.

"What are you doing to her!" Elis tore Calixte away from her, the man knocking back into the wall and startling the three sleeping water nymphs. "What have you done-"

"She fell unconscious!" Calixte held his arms up in defence. "She..." His eyes fell to the silver rattle that was near her hand. "She just picked up the rattle and then she just collapsed. I swear, I did nothing. I only want to help her as she did for me."

Elis kicked the rattle to the side and as he scooped Cori up in his arms. Calixte went ballistic, almost screeching and hyperventilating, hands clutching at his thin hair and pale skin, shaking yet struggling to move.

This outburst of a reaction unnerved Elis and blocked Calixte's path, preventing him from reaching the rattle. "What did you to it?" Elis spat. "There's some kind of magic on it? On the rattle to hurt her? Or did you use your monster mask and put her to sleep?"

"What?" Calixte choked, his teary eyes darting between the silver rattle and Elis. "No! No, I- I have not done anything! I was only helping her! Please! I need it! I need-"

Elis adjusted the unconscious Cori in his arms, freeing a hand to place on his sheathed sword, prepared though hesitant to use it. "If you really want to help her, then tell us the direction to The Warren! Where is Princess Alfreda and Henry Best?"

"Alfreda..." Calixte paused, his face losing even more colour. "Alfreda..." His eyes widened, as if he just suddenly remembered something.

Elis' hand shook on his sheathed sword. "Where is she?" Elis choked, words barely audible as he saw the expression on Calixte's face. "Please, where is she?"

"She's... she's..." Calixte's eyes welled up. "She could be... she would be..."

"Where's Henry Best?" Elis pressed. "What about him? Where are the rest of your friends?"

"My..." Calixte frowned in confusion, emotions awry, as he glanced between Elis and Cori. "How do you... who are..."

When Elis heard his own name and Cori's out loud, echoing through the sky, he knew it was too late to run, but at least he was close to Cori to defend her.

Calixte stared at them both. "Alfreda's sister..."

"Where is Alfreda?" Elis said quietly, glancing around the room, looking for options to escape. "We need to find her."

"I am sorry," Calixte choked. "I know where she is, I think so, but... I could not save her, I lost control of myself."

"Is she..."

"I know where she is. I need to go back for her and Miss Rin." Calixte sucked in a breath. "She was drowned by another monster, last I saw before losing consciousness. I do not know if she still lives."

"Take us there," Elis hushed. "Help us find her."

"Yes, yes of course," Calixte sniffed. "We will find her-"

"And we cannot do so if this mob stops us or hurts us." Elis took the chance, his only chance of getting out of here unscathed and with Cori and the information they needed. He could not win a fight, to battle it out of the village whilst holding an unconscious Cori, and to leave without any idea of where to go next.

"Mob?" Calixte frowned. "Why would they-"

"Please help convince them to stand down," Elis said gently. "To allow us to leave peacefully and we can go save Alfreda together."

"Get away from him!" ordered Sumit, having transformed into his monster mask form as he barged into the room, wielding four swords all aimed at Elis.

But Elis continued to look to Calixte, his eyes pleading.

"They will come quietly," Calixte spoke up. "Please, let them speak before you make any consideration on judgement. They offer their assistance in finding Alfreda and Miss Rin."

"Take our weapons and masks," Elis suggested to Calixte whilst still holding Cori in his arms. "Though please don't destroy them, we will need them if we are to be of any use to you."

Doing as Elis asked, Calixte took their weapons and masks, and Elis was guided outside, carrying Cori from a large crowd of armed and dangerous monsters, all having anticipated a fight, or maybe even a bloodbath against a member of the royal family.

Elis followed instructions and placed Cori on a provided blanket in the middle of the village, the citizens of the village crowding around providing no easy escape. Meanwhile, Dex continued to explain Elis and Cori's crime into the microphone, about the curse, how it killed members of Corinna's family after regaining so many memories of Prince Osmond, about Ernest Best, and then about Princess Alfreda and how she was cast down into The Eternal Abyss under false pretences of wanting to steal the crown.

Though Elis had heard of Cori's crimes from her, and witnessed the others himself, having been a culprit too, it was odd hearing them come from someone's mouth, harder, colder, Dex did not say anything softly but blunt in his explanations. Even after two months in The Eternal Abyss, a part of Elis still felt that he did not belong here, that he should be free and hearing all of this now made him realised how entitled he was, how fortunate too if his family did free him compared to those who were thrown down here without a trial and no real sentence.

Cori eventually stirred awake, eyes blinking from the sudden exposure to light. She registered Elis nearby and mumbled, still regaining consciousness, "I had another memory of his... of my father... I think that..." She then caught sight of everyone else around her.

"I'm sorry," Elis hushed. "They found out."

There was a mixed crowd in the audience, some clearly itching to see Elis and Cori be kicked out or maybe even a fight, then to those who looked concerned, especially as Cori struggled to sit upright without support, her bad health on clear display as her fabric covering her face slipped down as she slept, revealing the prominent green veins and eyes. Not everyone knew what it meant, but the whispers of those knowledgeable eventually travelled around for the empathy of her situation.

"I am..." Cori hesitated, deciding on how to refer to herself. "I am Cori, previously Queen Corinna IX. Your friend, Mr Dex Matthews, is correct regarding everything; I am not the rightful ruler, my father was an imposter, posing as King Casimir. He was attempting to control the whole world to his ideals and I tried to undo his work and... and I did so poorly, I..."

When it was clear that Cori was unable to continue due to her sore throat, Elis continued for her in the explanation. "We take full accountability of our crimes, we will not make excuses for them, and we do not mean any harm to you or this community." Elis paused, looking around at the faces, focusing on those who seemed more sympathetic, to draw them closer. "We are in search of Alfreda, my wife's sister, to help her, and we hear she is in trouble." He looked to Calixte, then realised that this was news to Cori, and it appeared so for the others, Calixte not having had time to explain, having only just remembered after the traumatic event.

Calixte mumbled something to those nearby, Sumit standing next to him, still protectively out with four sword wielding two headed demon. Something hitched in Sumit's throat, as his swords instinctively lowered.

"Why would you help your sister now?" Ivette asked coldly. "You are the reason she is down here in the first place. You could have had her freed instead of letting her have this fate."

"I did place an order to free her-" Cori began but was quickly interrupted.

"You should have done that years ago. If you cared at all about her, or perhaps you should have just wiped her memory instead of dumping her down here!"

"I-" Cori was lost for words, her own motives and emotions for keeping Alfreda down here too complex to paraphrase, especially if they were running out of time. "I was not there for her before, but I want to be now, I have to, please. We need to go now, let us go with Mr Calixte to where she is and I will save her... and your friend Miss Rin."

"We don't know if we can trust her," Kai hushed to Calixte but Cori could easily read lips.

"You only have my word, yes," she said. "And no, you do not necessarily need our help to save either of them, but you do need my help to save Corinna."

"Corinna?" Sumit's eyes widened. "You can help her too? You know about The Grim Fairy?"

Cori hesitated, that was not what she meant but perhaps she did not have to reveal the deal she had made Corinna, especially since she could release the contract right now if she wished, but that would leave her without a bargaining chip for Elis' freedom. "Yes, I know of the monster mask," which was true. "My sister was afflicted by it and so I sought to research it in order to help her however by the time I learnt of its design and innerworkings, my sister was free of it and did not require my assistance."

"Can you really help?" Sumit asked softly, all hostility from before seemed to fade away when his friends could be saved, perhaps after hearing that Rin and Alfreda were likely dead he was clutching tightly onto any hope of saving someone.

"Yes," Cori said as confidently as she could.

"How?" Ivette asked, sceptical. "You cannot cast magic down in The Eternal Abyss."

"With the assistance of Henry Best's monster mask, I can help Corinna even here."

There was a pause as the group looked at each other, and the rest of the crowd were beginning to be restless from a conversation most of them did not understand.

"Fine, you're coming with us," said Sumit. "We'll pack what supplies we can and then leave immediately. We don't know how much time Corinna has... or Rin and Alfreda."

"I know where they are," said Calixte. "I can lead us back-"

"You need to rest-"

"I will rest along the way," Calixte said firmly. "I am going that is final."

Sumit was about to object but then huffed, realising that there was little he could do to dissuade the man.

"I'll go too," said Kai.

Talon glanced at the ground, fidgeting with their metal bracelet around their wrist.

The three imps shouted something in their made-up language, their hands shooting up in volunteer and Ivette immediately shut that down.

"You three are staying here!" she snapped, waggling a finger. "Do not even think about it!"

With that decision, Cori and Elis were free from the threatening circle and helped pack supplies.

"Well, that could have gone a bit smoother," Elis chuckled a little aside to Cori. "How are you feeling?"

"I will tell you later," she hushed back. "On what I saw." She glanced over at Calixte who eventually caught her eye and gave a polite wave in return.

Kai did a headcount of who was going, ignoring the three imps' pleas to go but allowed them to help pack and say goodbye, and Kai was still hesitant to let Calixte go when he needed time to recover. Himself, Calixte, Sumit, Cori, Elis...

Ivette was going to stay with the imps, claiming that she would slow them down, especially as she still needed to wait for her new mask. Klei and Wendy led the village and though they both expressed their hopes for everyone's safety, they had a responsibility for everyone here. Wendy did suggest that they take a weird chicken-snake monster thing called Terry and said he would be useful, but Kai took it as a joke and Terry continued to wobble around blindly around the village.

Talon cleared their throat as they approached Kai. "I want to come too."

"Yeah, that's great. Appreciate that." Kai patted Talon on the shoulder, and Talon flinched. "You alright?"

"Yeah," Talon swallowed. "Yeah, I'll just get my stuff."

In a few minutes, the group quickly packed and ready for the journey, given provisions by Klei and Wendy, and said their goodbyes.

Sumit looked around the village for the last time, wondering what it would have been like to live there, how simple it seemed, where his previous self lived, the people he did not know that remained here, Klei, Wendy, and Jackson. Even if it was just for just a brief moment, Sumit had stepped into his past and was glad to be leaving it so quickly, to not register it fully, that reminder that he was not himself but someone new. Eventually, he would come back when he was ready, to face the other Sumit, but not yet.

The odd assorted group finally left the village, leaving with weighted minds concerned for their friends' wellbeing's, from haunting memories, and unanswered questions.