I feel myself slowly wake up, lying on my side. I can only imagine that I'm on the mattress. I have been every other time. My head is spinning and my ears are ringing. Heart racing, vision blurry.

I lie there for a minute, stretching in place to wake up.

The ringing in my ears begin to fade, my heart slows to normality, vision clearing and my body warming up. 

I look up, to see something peculiar. "Mark?"

In the corner of the room, he sits crouched into a ball, hugging his legs and looking down away from reality. He barely responds, but I see him shift a little. My mind begins to run, freaking out a little.

"What did Schneeplestein do to you?"

"I, don't know." His voice is deep and low, not much energy. Not that expressive. I feel chill run down my spine.

"I, feel broken. Lost. What is fiction, what is reality?"

I get this strange feeling from him that I can't describe, not a good one. Silently, I crawl away from the mattress and sit in a similar position beside Mark. Schneeplestein said this would happen. For a couple days, Mark will feel like this, broken. But what concerns me more is the full effect thing. What's going to happen to Mark when that happens? What did he do to him? 

Was, was he even in control?

My body shakes with fright, and I lean my head against him.

"I'll be here for you Mark. If you need anything, just ask. Please."

"I don't know, if I really need anything after this? I just don't understand, anymore..."

I sigh, shutting my eyes, my voice shaking. Mark is completely broken right now, and there's nothing I can do to help him. I just want to sleep, and never wake up. Why did we have to be in this scenario?

"How did this even start? When will it end? Why, we don't deserve this."

Mark's low, drained voice pains me inside. My heart aches. I know what my goal is. If there's a way to end this, I have to figure out how.

This isn't just for Jack and Signe, but Mark and the others too. I can't let Anti hurt us. Hurt them. Mark's broken spirit is damaged enough, but Anti wants to do more. Hasn't he done enough?

"̷W̴h̴e̷n̷ ̷w̷i̷l̵l̸ ̸y̶o̵u̴ ̴m̶o̷r̷o̶n̶s̴ ̷s̷t̵o̸p̷ ̴m̶o̶p̶i̵n̸g̴~̶?̴"̴

I look up startled, I haven't seen Daiishu in a while and I forgot about her, yet there she is. She eyes me down and I look away, hugging Mark tightly.

"̶H̷e̷ ̸c̶a̴n̵'̷t̶ ̶h̴e̶l̴p̷ ̷y̷o̷u̷,̵ ̴h̵i̷s̶ ̵p̸o̵o̴r̷ ̵s̷p̵i̶r̶i̴t̴ ̸i̴s̸ ̵b̶r̴o̷k̵e̵n̶.̷ ̴I̶n̴ ̴t̵w̷o̷ ̴d̸a̵y̷s̶,̶ ̵h̵e̴'̷l̸l̶ ̶b̴e̴ ̴f̸i̸n̶e̵.̵ ̷H̴e̸ ̶j̵u̷s̸t̶ ̵n̴e̴e̸d̴s̸ ̷t̶o̴ ̸r̴e̸c̸o̴v̵e̴r̶,̵ ̸i̴s̶ ̴a̸l̸l̴~̴.̶"̷ Daiishu purrs.

I feel a single tear run down my face, and I look up at her with firing anger.

"What was in that? What did it do to him?!" Daiishu giggles with delight, clinging to the doorframe for support.

"̴I̶ ̶t̸h̷i̵n̸k̷ ̴i̶t̷'̵l̸l̵ ̴b̴e̵ ̷b̶e̵t̵t̵e̶r̷ ̶t̵o̸ ̸n̴o̷t̶ ̸t̶e̷l̷l̷ ̴y̸o̵u̸.̷ ̵Y̴o̷u̵ ̷w̸o̵u̸l̴d̴n̶'̵t̸ ̵l̴i̶k̸e̶ ̵i̶t̶~̷.̶"̸

I shiver in the cold, holding Mark for comfort. "Then, why are you here?"

"̷I̶ ̴n̴e̴e̷d̸ ̴y̶o̵u̴ ̶t̸o̵ ̶c̵o̶m̷e̷ ̵w̴i̵t̵h̷ ̵m̴e̴.̴ ̵A̵n̷t̵i̸ ̶n̴e̸e̵d̴s̸ ̸y̶o̷u̶~̴.̵"̵

She leaves the room at that and I have no choice but to go. I can't really do anything else... I hate this feeling.

With a heavy breath, I let go of Mark and stand tall. I slap both cheeks with my hands and I feel them get warmer. For all I know, there could be tons of people in trouble, and if there's anything I can do about it, the determination that keeps me going is that I know at some point, I'll rescue them and end this. Whenever I can.

I walk down the steps and into the lounge, where Anti and Daiishu are waiting.

"̵T̵o̴o̸k̷ ̴y̴o̷u̵ ̵l̵o̶n̵g̶ ̵e̵n̸o̶u̸g̵h̷.̷"̶ Anti snaps. 

"̴P̵a̸t̶i̷e̶n̸c̸e̸,̶ ̷t̴a̷k̵e̶s̴ ̷t̴i̵m̷e̵~̸.̷"̵ Daiishu purrs.

It flashes in the back of my mind, the first day I was here. Everything seemed so strange, dad and Bonnie were fine, but now it's the exact opposite. Everything I know has turned to custard.

"So, what do you want now?" I hiss, crossing my arms.

"̵H̸o̷w̸ ̸l̵o̶n̷g̶ ̷i̶s̵ ̷i̴t̷ ̷g̴o̶i̷n̴g̵ ̶t̶o̵ ̵t̵a̴k̵e̸ ̸f̴o̷r̴ ̶y̵o̴u̷ ̸t̶o̵ ̸g̵i̶v̴e̵ ̸u̸s̶ ̴w̶h̴a̵t̸ ̸w̵e̶ ̵w̷a̵n̶t̵?̷"̶ Anti growls with anger, pointing the knife in my face.

Don't be afraid, remember your goal...

"As long as it takes, nothing is easy after all." I push the knife down which surprises both Anti and Daiishu. Me too. But I have to be braver than that if I want to fight through this. 

"̷Y̶o̷u̶'̵r̸e̶ ̵n̸o̸ ̵l̵o̵n̸g̷e̶r̸ ̸a̴f̴r̶a̸i̸d̵ ̵I̵ ̶s̷e̶e̷,̶ ̶s̸o̸ ̵I̷ ̴g̶u̴e̵s̴s̶ ̵w̴e̷ ̷s̸h̴o̷u̶l̵d̸ ̸p̴u̵l̶l̸ ̴o̸u̶t̸ ̸t̷h̸e̶ ̴b̷i̷g̸ ̷g̵u̴n̵s̷~̷.̸"̴ Daiishu's words give me an odd feeling in the pit of my stomach. 

"̴I̴ ̷t̴h̴i̷n̴k̴ ̷w̷e̷ ̴s̶h̸o̴u̶l̶d̵ ̵t̴o̴y̸ ̸a̷r̴o̵u̷n̶d̸ ̶i̶n̵ ̵t̷h̶e̷ ̷b̷a̷s̸e̵m̶e̸n̸t̵ ̶a̸ ̷l̴i̴t̵t̶l̸e̷ ̴l̴o̶n̶g̵e̷r̸,̶ ̶d̵o̷n̸'̷t̷ ̵y̴o̵u̴?̵"̷ 

I know exactly what he means by that and sends a bullet of dread through my body. Before I have the chance to run away I feel Anti pull me close and taze me. I scream with pain, the shock is too much. The electricity against my head sparks something I've never felt before.

As soon as it turns off, I feel drowsy and my vision is blurry. The electricity that went through makes my head feel heavier, and my whole body becomes lightweight and cold.

I feel the wind brush past me as I fall, and my body has become too numb to feel the pain of the landing. 

"̴N̷o̷t̷h̸i̴n̵g̴,̶ ̴i̴s̵ ̵t̵o̵o̵ ̴e̵a̸s̴y̶ ̸I̸'̷m̷ ̴a̵f̶r̷a̵i̸d̸.̴"̵ Is the last thing I hear in the back of my mind as everything slowly turns black and foggy.

* * *

I don't know how long I've been down here, in this basement. I look down as I sit in the chair. My body is cold, and cuts, bruises and burns cover my skin. They've tortured me so much that I can't even keep track of the days gone by.

My soul feels broken and the pain of these marks don't even bother me. Why can't he just kill me? Wouldn't that be easier?

Screw my goal, I've had enough. I'm trapped in this chair for god knows how long, just so I can suffer. Is there even still a point to progress?

I hear the door creak open but my head remains down. He'll hurt me again, today will never end. It'll keep going until I truly decide to give it all up.

I hear a gasp and loud, fast, pacing footsteps. What..?

"Jada, oh my god you look terrible!"

I look up weakly to see a man crouched down in front of me. It's Mark..!

"Let me get you out of here!"

The last time I heard his voice, he was negative and hopeless. Just like me. And it feels like forever since I saw him, I almost thought I never would, since I was ready to give up.

"Aw no, please don't cry!" 

It seems I was crying without even knowing it as the tears run down my face. I begin to break, and I end up sobbing as Mark wraps his arms around me.

"C'mon, let's go. Let's get you out of here." Mark holds me and I yelp started when he picks me up bridal style.

"Don't worry, it's okay." Hearing Mark's voice again and positive really is calming me down. If at all.

"I'm sorry I didn't get to you sooner. I looked for you everywhere today, but I should've looked here first. It should've been obvious."

I'm shaking with fright, but I trust Mark. I shut my eyes and lay my head on his chest.

"God your shaking so much. I'm here now, relax. It's okay. Let's get you cleaned up."