Meanwhile, a figure trudged through the forest, towards where Vanessa was.

He had certainty and determination in his stride... and he knew where he was going.

"I'm sorry, Ashley." he said quietly.

"You were so genuine to me... you honestly saved me... you protected me... even though you don't like me." he went on, shaking his head.

"But I can't stand it." he went on.

"I have to go to her. I have to see her again." he mumbled.

"I need to do this." he finished, knowing that Ashley would NOT be pleased when she woke up.

As he walked, he found where all the others had died... their bodies had been tossed into a room unceremoniously, it seemed.

"...." he was silent, before sighing.

A bit later, Vanessa was still studying the room, when she heard faint footsteps.

And they were coming close.

When she decided to investigate, she found that Chris had come back, looking pathetic.

"...Vanessa?" he asked when he saw her.

"I'm... I'm back." he told her.

"I mean, what you did was just another test to determine my loyalty, right?" he asked.

Chris reeled from the orb of mana as it hit him, and shakily clutched at his chest.

"...wh... why...?" he asked.

"Vanessa... why?" he asked her.

"I... I dedicated my life to you." he said. "I did all you ever wanted. I WILLINGLY did it." he continued. "I even volunteered to be the guinea pig for your drow transforming procedure, so we could be together..." he went on.

"Is... all that... is it nothing?" he asked further, as he started to fall to the floor, but leaned against a nearby wall to keep himself standing.

"Was... I really... nothing more to you than a lackey... like all the others?"

"....." Chris was silent for a moment, before sighing. He then looked at her, a sense of resignation, and relief in his expression.

And that was when Vanessa felt something very sharp pierce right through her chest... her very heart.

When she looked down, she saw that a sai had gone through her... but it was laced with the crimson red mana of a drow.

"Then I guess this decision was the right one." Chris said from behind her, the body in front of her collapsing in a heap, the mana being used to disguise it as Chris dissipating.

"I was nothing but a pawn to you." he said.

"But even a pawn can take down the Queen."

"What do we do now?" Ash asked, the entirety of the group having gathered at Vincent's manor to discuss what had just occurred. "We need to get to them before something more happens." he said.

"Them?" Jaden asked.

"Vanessa." Ash responded. "You know the little weasel of a lickboot probably went back to her to beg her to take him back." he said further.

"We don't know that for SURE." Lindsay countered.

"And even if he did, she'd probably just kill him there, right? I mean, given what happened before..." he said further, trailing off some.

"What if that was an act?" Rene asked. "We can't deny that there's a chance this was all some elaborate ruse." he said.

"...that's true." Lindsay admitted with a sigh. "We have to-" he started to say further, before he suddenly paused, seemingly short of breath... and then let out a heavy exhale.

"What's wrong?" Ash asked him.

"That was weird..." Lindsay said. "I wasn't feeling particularly stressed or anything... but I suddenly felt like there's been a burden relieved from me." he muttered.

Chris, still holding the blood-soaked sai, looked at Syraene as she appeared and said what she did.

"...." he was silent, before sighing.

"I accepted that a while ago." he replied.

"If I turn myself in, I'll be put to death anyway." he said. "Doesn't matter what I just did, I was complicit in a long of bad things in the past." he went on.

"Besides... I have no reason left to live, anyway." he then said.

"Vanessa was my life. And I've learned that it was all a lie. So what do I have to live for?" he asked her.

"Nothing." he then answered.

"It's why I've just stayed here in this cloud of death." he finished.

Chris started to chuckle lightly when Syraene mentioned the mist wouldn't kill a drow.

He looked downwards and continued to chuckle some more, before he stopped.

"I know." he replied. "I know." he repeated.

He then looked back at her, as she saw tears streaming down his cheeks.

"I may be an evil wretch, but I at least lived for someone... genuinely lived for someone." he told her. "But I guess this was my ultimate punishment." he then said further.

"And only one person knows what my punishment will be in the afterlife." he mumbled.

"If you make it peaceful, that's up to you and how generous you feel." he told her. "I think we both know it's more than I deserve."

Chris just sighed again, as he leaned up against a wall, and slid down into a sitting position.

"And so... it ends." he said, letting the sai drop from his hand.

"Make sure Ashley gets that back, ok?" he asked Syraene, looking at the weapon.

"And tell her thank you." he said further.

"What I did here was... well, mostly for me. But it was partially because Ashley treated me with more respect than I deserve." he told her further.

"Well.... guess it's time." he then finished, before he closed his eyes, and let the darkness overtake him.

"Eh?" Ash muttered.

"Wait, where did she go?" he asked.

"Why did she leave?" he asked further.

"That WAS very odd..." Lindsay admitted. "I did find myself wondering what had happened." he said further.

"Hm." Vincent mumbled.

"You say she's back, but where IS she?" he asked Ashley.

"....I dare say there are some people that might agree with your assessment." Lindsay mumbled.

"Indeed." Vincent said plainly.

Meanwhile, outside, Syraene was still recovering from what she'd been through, when she suddenly felt a presence behind her. The appearance of the individual was quiet and had NO flourish at all... but it was clear he was there.

"So." he said.

"It seems you're here." he commented.

"That's a problem, you know." he told her.