"...I'm not surprised you're already in the know." Ash responded.

"And yes. I do." he said.

"Kelly is my daughter. Evan and Sammy are my nephew and niece." he continued.

"The guardian parent inside me is screaming at me to go and rescue them." he told her further, before just pausing and sighing.

"But I understand that this needs to be handled delicately. We can't screw this up." he admitted.

"So if you don't think I, or Ashleigh, should go. Then I shall abide by that decision."

Ash just sighed. Heavily.

"...and I can't promise my emotions won't get in the way and cloud my judgement." he admitted. "I can say they won't, but... well... I don't know. I don't trust myself to not give in." he admitted.

"You're right. It's... it's probably too dangerous for me to go, at least." he lamented. "As loathe as I am to admit it." he added quietly.

"All I care about is that Kelly and Evan and Sammy get home safe." he told her.

"...and, to a lesser extent, what she did to break the contract." he then admitted.

"Because I can't believe she did something to void it."

Ash looked extremely confused at that statement.

"Uhhhh..." he stammered.

"Right, whatever." he said.

"That answered the question but didn't at all." he muttered.

"Sooooo whatever." he mumbled further.

"Look, as long as this gets the kids home safe." he then said to her. "...yes, they're adults, but they're still our babies!" he exclaimed, but then froze for a moment.

"...and I just proved beyond a shadow of a doubt I shouldn't be going..."

"...what?" Ash muttered.

"Ashleigh, you understood that?" he asked.

"...damn it." he then mumbled. "I hate not getting things." he sighed.

"Anyway, I guess the archangels know?" he asked Emelie, changing the subject.

"And will be be just them doing this, or will this be a joint effort between up and down?" he asked further.

"...because either way, that's going to be quite something."

The statement hit Ash like a brick in the face.

"...." he was silent, and she could see him seething with rage.

"Unforgiveable..." he snarled, before snapping to a brief moment of lucidity.

"Explains why the contract was broken." he said.

"Well, then." he said further, standing up.

"Don't know whose life she ruined with that stunt of hers, but I'm pissed enough that I'm going to start punching my brother's heavy bags downstairs until my knuckles bleed." he told them bluntly.

As she turned a corner, she saw a ghastly sight. One that she actually hadn't seen before, mostly because this was a recent thing.

She saw Chris. He was sitting against a corner, barely clinging to life. He was covered with wounds so grievous that it looked like he'd been the victim of several attacks. Which wasn't far from the truth.

She'd heard that he was being punished for his recent failure, but... she had no idea that it was THIS bad. She also saw that he had scars all over his body, too. This wasn't the first time he'd been brought to this point.

That's when she realised that Vanessa had been doing this to him on purpose. Bringing him to a state where death would be preferable, and release him from his suffering, but she wouldn't grant him that.

He slowly looked up at her, before flinching slightly, afraid she was going to hurt him... and then wincing from the pain that shot through his body from the flinch.

"..." he was then silent, before slumping back down and awaiting more pain.

Chris was silent for another moment, before a few tears trickled down his cheeks.

"...thank you." he said.

"She's been moved. Holding cell 16." he informed her.

"..." he didn't say anything more, before just biting his lip.

"I don't know what you're planning, but if it's escaping or stopping Mistr-..." he continued, before stopping suddenly. "...Vanessa..." he corrected himself. "... then try and save Ayla as well." he told her.

"She doesn't deserve to be here..."

Chris just nodded.

"Do so." he told her.

"...and fast." he went on.

"I don't know how much longer the other two will survive down here before they're both completely broken." he warned, referring to Evan and Sammy.

They then heard footsteps in the distance, and Chris looked a bit alarmed.

"Hurry!" he whispered.

"It'll be too suspicious if you're just hanging around me!" he finished, before slumping back down to his previous position, to make it seem like nothing had just happened.

Azari was shocked and scared for a moment, but looked angry and defiantly at her... just as the blade seemed to react on its own. Her dark elf mana was coming off the blade, but it then seemed to pool right at the spot where it was touching Azari's throat, and seeped into him.

She watched as his pupils started to shake and quiver, the elf trying to fight it off.... before they turned a crimson red.

"..." he was then silent, before looking at her.

"...yes." he said.

"I will do so." he told her in a blank tone, moving to do so, and scratching his neck a little on the sword.

Azari didn't say anything, and just continued to walk... with her following.

They continued to walk, and they were passing Chris... who looked at them, and then spoke to the one that was in charge between the two.

"...show no mercy." was all he said, and quietly.

"Just don't hurt Ayla. Please." he begged.

"She's as much of a victim as you and your cousins."