She wore her dark hair in a bun and glasses that slipped down her nose. Tears pricked my eyes at her question but I blinked them back.

"I...did know him once, yes," I admitted, the memory of our talks and the kiss we shared flitting through my mind.

She smiled in obvious relief.

"That's good. Because he needs you right now," she told me.

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion.

"What are you talking about? Jack's dead. I-I saw him die," I said, sadness tinging my voice.

"No, darling...he didn't. Almost but I was able to save him," she informed me.

My mouth dropped open slightly and my brown eyes widened. Could-could it really be true?

"That-that's not possible... It was a long way down... How could he possibly have survived something like that?!" I asked in shock.

She hesitated a second before answering.

"He survived but...not in the way you'd expect. You could say he's a changed man now," she said, clearly choosing her words carefully.

My heart pounded in my chest and it felt like a weight had been lifted. Jack was alive! He was okay! I briefly glanced back at the castle. Tip still needed to die. But at the moment, I needed to see Jack.

"Can you take me to see him?" I asked her, relief and joy seeping into every part of me.

She nodded, smiling.

"But we need to hurry," she said, already beginning to walk back the way she'd come at a brisk pace.

Running after her, I stirred up clouds of dust with my Converse.

"Why?"

"Because we're going a trip. I'm Jane, by the way."

It felt colder somehow than before as we made our way back to Ev. We walked quickly through the streets before stopping at a small shop. It was night and the roads were deserted around us as she stepped inside, me following closely behind. The store was filled with various mechanical equipment I didn't even know the name of. Clicks and clangs resounded through the room as Jane trudged through the shop. Suddenly, I heard someone grunting and panting followed by the sound of metal thumping on the floor.

I rounded the corner after her and was met by a sight that shocked me to my core. Jack stood before me. But he was half metal.