A/N: Above is the photo of Krista, but with lighter hair color and left eye-patch :D

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The horrors of dream engulfed Zoe as darkness claimed her, granting her the passage to a void of never ending silence. Stone stairs painted in white stretched in all direction like a maze. She had been going up and down for as long as she could remember, which strangely didn't tire her.

"Damn," she said with inaudible voice.

She had no idea how she got here, but the fact that she hadn't met a single soul scared her out of her wits. She ran anywhere her feet could take her, not feeling the cold stone beneath her bare feet. At a time like this, she resorted to calling every name she could muster, yet to no avail. Her voice was simply muted. Or perhaps she had gone deaf.

Zoe trudged through the steps, her heart thumping heavily on her chest. She reached the top of another platform only to be surprised that this time it didn't branch out. A single staircase much wider than the others welcomed her. She continued on her walk, hoping the lone path was her way out.

When she arrived at the end of her endless wandering, she was greeted by huge bar doors the size of two story building. It was a dead end, only a cage filled with shadows. All her hopes ceased and were replaced by confusion. She whirled around and gazed at the series of stairs, thinking the exit must be on the other side.

Then a muffled cry came.

Her white dress whipped around her as she turned, eyeing the massive prison cell. Her feet instinctively moved backward, just when another cry echoed from the cage, rising and falling with the person's every drew for breath. She squinted her eyes, noticing the unknown words decorating the cell doors for the first time.

"Hello?" Zoe said, but her words were shut behind her lips.

Suddenly, the crying stopped and followed by the sound of hastened footsteps. She furrowed her brows while staring into the thick darkness inside the cage when two pale hands grabbed the bars, causing her to gasp more epic than a pantomime.

"Zoe," the woman said, sadness and longing laced her word. Her voice was familiar, yet she couldn't recall who owned it.

"Zoe," the woman repeated. "You actually came."

How did she know her name?

The red haired girl found her feet plodding on their own, allowing panic to consume her. She forced herself to stir away, but her own body betrayed her. She watched in horror as the woman offered her hand, slim and grayish arm with fingers nails the color of the night.

"I've been waiting for you." She said and Zoe's arms moved to meet her open palm. Fear struck her to the core when her vision peered at the silhouette behind the bars. "I've been meaning to talk to you. I have something important to tell--"

Her azure eyes opened, blinking a few times as they adjusted to the coffee-colored ceiling. Beads of sweat dribbled down the nape of her neck as ragged breaths escaped her mouth, accompanied by the strong beats of her heart. She licked her dry lips and started contemplating her dream when a familiar face blocked her view.

"Zoe," Darcy said, his golden eyes searching her pale face.

Startled, she pushed him and sat, the mattress creaking on her weight. "What I'm--" Her voice came out raw and hoarse that even a crying llama would laugh. She started coughing and covered her mouth at the feeling of sandpaper rubbing her throat.

Loud footsteps against the wooden floor echoed from the hallway, making them turn to its direction. Her heart slammed on her chest to see Krista leaning on the door frame, intently gazing at her. For a moment, judgment reflected in her right eye, as though Zoe had made the most horrible mistake in the entire history.

Ty arrived with a glass of water, his hands dripping with the liquid. The moment he handed it to Zoe, she emptied it without checking the water, which she usually did. For the seventeen years she had lived, this was the first time she ever felt so thirsty and experiencing this kind of sensation brought joy and fear, for it was the cue on her long expedition in the unknown lands.

She heaved a sigh and inhaled as she set down the glass, filling her lungs with the scent of old wood and floral laundry soap. Her eyes instantly averted towards the small window, meeting the rising sun across the sea of clouds. She always hated seeing it every morning, but today was different, she was thankful to face its brilliant rays.

She turned to the group's sharp shooter and mustered a weak smile. "Thank you."

Ty chortled and started rubbing the side of his blushing chubby cheeks. He turned to Darcy then to Krista and back to Zoe, flashing them a complete set of white teeth.

"You're welcome, Miss Zoe The Heroine," he said, making Darcy chuckle.

Zoe bit back the urge to hit him with the glass and replied, "Just Zoe is fine."

Ty was taken aback. "Your name is Just?"

The young bodyguard snatched the glass from her and shoved it into the young man's hand. "Thank you, Ty. Now go to the kitchen and help those two prepare the food. We're leaving after breakfast."

He smiled to Zoe one last time before turning to leave. The fading sound of his clacking bow and quiver told the three that he was down the hall.

"As I was saying," Darcy said, calling Zoe's attention. His hands were on his waist as he moved in front of her, his towering figure made her crane her neck. "What were you thinking, attacking the Serosuriel like that?"

"You told me not to fight upstairs, so I did my own battle downstairs!"

"I left you there so you won't engage in any battle."

"But I can't just stand there and watch. What if you guys get killed? What do you expect me to do? I don't even know where I am. Besides, you didn't say anything about not using that gun-thing."

"Avalon," he corrected.

"Whatever."

Anger boiled inside her at the mere thought of defending her actions. Her lower lip trembled and for the first time, she found the strength to defend her beliefs, even just for a moment. It was tiring to keep listening to what others had to say, telling her how she should act and behave, as though they knew what was best for her.

"I only wanted to help and I'm capable in my own way!" she yelled, her hands now balled into a fist.

"Can't you see? You're not a trained knight." He paused, his gaze sliding to his sides and back at her. "You are on the real battlefield and not some kid's play. You will only get yourself killed if you keep pretending to be one of the lions, even though you're just a kitten wearing a coat. "

"I am not a lion because I'm The Heroine!" she snapped. "It's my duty to save and not cower in fear because I'm not capable! And just so you know, I'm still breathing."

"You may be The Heroine, but that doesn't make you immune to death." He said, his brows in the brink of a collision. "Even trained knights die. But they have a higher probability of survival compared to you, who hadn't even wielded a sword or killed a living being."

"Surviving a battle doesn't always rely on wielding a sword or killing someone. If you are meant to die, you will die, no matter how many training you had! And--"

"Bullshit!" Krista spat and the two turned to her in unison. "Cut it already! It's early in the morning and the two of you keep bickering about your beliefs! It's nothing but bullshit!"

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Dedicated to -moiety-

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XOXO