"Improved" chapters 23 and 24 of Part 2

Chapter
 Twenty-Three

	″You!″ I spat out. Sappho and Nicolette were standing next to each other, watching the bodies of Darren and I crippled and on the ground. Sappho was wearing a smirk that reminded me of a cat, whereas Nicolette bore a more serious expression, one filled with determination.
	Sappho shook her head while continuing to smirk. ″You didn't answer my question,″ she crooned.
	I was sick to my stomach, and I was unable to distinguish whether it was because of my injuries or her presence. Rather, I think it was the fact that the presence of the witches of the west and my injuries were no coincidence.
	″You were hoping we would kill each other so you two would be the only ones left, is that it?″ I demanded to know.
	She reeled back and her smile faded into a look of disgust. ″Please! You two should be thanking us. If we didn't get here when we did, yes, you two would have killed each other. We weren't about to let that happen. So today, I declare that nobody dies!″
	″So all that talk with you that night? You saying that you would surrender? Did any of that really happen or was it really just a dream?″
	″It really happened and it was just a dream. Oh, Rudy. Did you really forget my siren's ability?″
	Right. I had been so foolish. What I couldn't wrap my head around was how many of my dreams were invasions from her and how many were products of my own mind. While I was left to contemplate, too weak to be able to get up and confront her physically, shuffling was heard nearby and from the corner of my eye I caught Darren managing to get up.
	He tried dragging his feet and club toward the girls, determined to strike them down after how they humiliated him.
	″I've worked too hard to lose to the likes of you!″ He shouted while poised to take them down.
	However much rage he had in his system, it was his undoing as they noticed him right away and acted accordingly; Sappho pulled out her spellbook and chanted the same phrase that trapped Madalina and I in the southern castle.
	The ground rose up in front of Darren's feet. Any further and his body would have been torn apart by the rock shooting up. As it stood, what I heard was a loud thud. His face must have hit the dirt wall hard. He was still tapping on the earth that encased him when I turned back to face Sappho and her cohort.
	″Boys...″ she shook her head. ″They really are quite the nuisance.″
	I could make out the slight muffled shouts of Darren despite him being trapped.
	″This isn't fair!″ He complained.
	″You want to talk to me about fair?!″ She hissed. ″You of all people? Besides, under your own logic, aren't the strong the ones who should win? Well from my point of view, you look rather weak.″
	As much as it pained me to admit, I felt sorry for Darren. He really did give it his all thinking that once I was done for, he would win it all, only for Sappho and Nicolette to hijack our battle. Ever the theatrical ones, they were.
	Sappho and Nicolette were chatting amongst themselves and unlike the muffled voice of Darren, I could not make out what they were saying. Their voices were too low. It looked like they were going over their grand speech and not wanting to get any of the details wrong. For all I knew, that might have been exactly what they were doing. I may not have been able to do much, but I could stall them.
	″You two never had any intention to surrender, did you?″ I interrupted their whisperings.
	″That's not true,″ Sappho turned to me. ″We really were ready to when I met you in your dream. It was only after that we decided to stay in the game.″
	″Don't lie!″ I argued. ″You planned this from the very beginning, didn't you? You deceived us!″
	Her face turned sour. Long gone was the image of a devious cat.
	″It's called being pragmatic! Look it up sometime! We had a plan, yes. Our intention was never to let anyone die, though. Things happen and we had to adjust accordingly to achieve the next best outcome. Now here we are.″
	This time it was Nicolette's turn to speak. She stepped up, as if to address an imaginary audience along with her beloved. She gazed in the direction of Darren, then met my gaze.
	″Here's what's going to happen,″ she explained. ″You two are going to live. However, we must hear a declaration of surrender for the two of you so that we may be declared the victor. Understand?″
	Yes, I did. Maybe not so much Darren.
	″Screw that! Mark my words, I will break free, and when I do --″
	″Ugh,″ said Sappho with a gagging gesture, then faced where Darren was trapped at. ″Hey! Shut up, will ya?″ She shrieked.
	″I didn't get this far just to be beaten so easily!″ He added anyway.
	She let out a deep sigh and shook her head. ″I really would like to kill him, but that wouldn't be very nice, would it?″
	Nicolette walked up to me and picked up my weakened body by the cuff of shirt.
	″What do you say?″ She interrogated. ″It's clear you're in no position to fight back, so there should only be one answer.″
	″I'm afraid I can't do that,″ I rasped.
	Metal claws materialized on both of her wrists and she scratched me across the face with one, blood trickling down my cheeks. My eyes squinted and I yelped out in pain.
	″What about now?″ She grimaced.
	″No!″ I gasped as snot, blood, and tears filled my mouth.
	She dropped me back to the ground and I felt the impact as the ground once again embraced me.
	This time, Sappho walked on over, and the two of them hovered over me.
	″Listen here, you little shit. Here's how this little game ends: you and Bran Flakes over there surrenders peacefully and everyone goes home, wounds all healed and the world a better place. If you don't, we will continue to beat you until you're practically begging for surrender. Even if you two are at but an inch of your lives, we won't let you die. Because that's just how merciful we are. Capisce?″
	″It doesn't matter how many times you hurt me, I can't!″ I told her.
	″Why not?″
	″I still have a wish that I need to fulfill.″
	″Oh for the love of God, what wish could possibly be so important?″
	″I can't tell you!″ Was my reply and she met my reply with a slap.
	″You're not in any position to be making wishes! You won't be winning this game! We will gain the paper crown, and with it, we will wish for peace and prosperity! No longer will future generations have to suffer through this hellhole!″
	She was right, of course. The wounds that have been inflicted on me were far too great to attempt to fight back against her. She had won. By all accounts, I should have surrendered. There was no doubt in my mind that the wishes the two would have made would benefit us all, and despite their methods, their intentions seemed altruistic.
	That was where we differed. My desires were more selfish and I had neither strength nor words on my side. Still, I was willing to abandon my ideals of seeing others live just to achieve this wish, so I didn't want to give up and surrender to them just yet.
	As much as I was in pain and choked up, I couldn't help but to fake a laugh.
	″How do you know there even is a paper crown? Have you ever seen it?″
	″What are you trying to pull, Rudy?″ Nicolette asked. ″Of course it exists! The world created all this, so why would it lie to us about such a reward?″
	Sappho gave a single nod. She didn't know how else to respond to my question. Her refusal to answer told me that she never considered such a thing and she hated the idea of me outsmarting her with words.
	″If such a thing doesn't exist, then how do you hope to fulfill your little wish?″ She asked in retaliation.
	″I...I don't know,″ was all I could reply with. She had me beat. If I was going to best her, in some form or another, I would have to come up with something better than to suggest that what we all sought out might not exist. But how? How was I supposed to beat her at manipulation, her own game?
	″Ha! Thought so. Now that we have that out of the way, will you surrender already, or are you going to come up with more excuses to be beaten to a pulp?″
	″Before I tell you anything, tell me this: were you the one who told the school counselor about me?″
	″Yes. Is that all? Can we get on with this already?″ Sappho answered while tapping her foot.
	″'A Friend of mine?' 'Concerned?' Really?″
	″Yeah, I know, we aren't friends by any stretch, but is it so hard to believe that I would be concerned? You looked like you were having a hard time. I thought it might help.″
	″Well, at least you were honest about that...″ I concluded.
	″Just say it, Rudy,″ Nicolette pleaded. ″If you do, none of us will have to fight any more.″
	That's when it clicked. What I should tell them next. It was a last ditch attempt and it was a stretch to think that it could even work. But it was the closest thing to a compromise I could think of that would not only ensure our survival, but also, if successful, grant me what I so desire.
	″We don't have to fight as it is!″ I protested. Then, I pressed my palms against the dirt and forced a leg up, lifting myself up off the ground.
	Again, Nicolette spoke. ″I don't know how you managed to get up, but yes, we never had to fight in the first place. It's just that all of you have been so stubborn and won't let us win!″
	In my mind was the shape of the shield in both of my hands, heavier than it had ever been and when I opened, it appeared as so.
	″What good is your shield going to do?″ Nicolette asked.
	″I would like some protection if I'm going to speak with you two,″ I responded, to which Nicolette opened her mouth only to close it again.
	″Now, release Darren,″ I ordered Sappho.
	″Really? Who are you to give me orders? Besides, what would you two do once he was released? Attack us only to fall back down? I think not. It would only make you two look silly.″
	″That's not it,″ I shook my head. ″I want him released because I agree with you.″
	″What?!″ She spat out.
	″We don't have to fight each other,″ I explained. ″But none of us have to surrender, either. We can all win.″
	She put both hands up to her temple and began rubbing them. ″Once again, I fail to understand your lack of logic,″ she groaned.
	Nicolette raised a fist, but Sappho stopped her. ″We'll let this idiot continue, love. Indulge him.″ Then Sappho turned back to me. ″Very well, Rudy. You have our attention. What is it you propose?″
	″It's true that there can only be one kingdom standing in the end, but it never says that a kingdom can't be expanded.″
	″Uh, yes it does. It clearly states that only two to a kingdom,″ Sappho pointed out.
	″It states that two to a kingdom, but never only. The two can always be subtracted from due to circumstances, so under certain circumstances, wouldn't it be fair to assume that more could be added?″ I stated. I was pretty sure I was grasping at straws, myself, and really failed to see my own logic. But I couldn't allow them to see that.
	Sappho caught on to what I was saying and burst into uncontrollable laughter. Nicolette looked puzzled at the state of her girlfriend.
	″Let me get this straight: you're proposing that we all rule together. Is that it? Four rulers, as equals?″
	I nodded.
	″That will never work. The world will not allow it.″
	″We won't know until we try,″ I urged.
	″No. I know already. Even if the world allows such a thing, what makes you think Darren will agree? Realistically, I don't see the four of us working together as equals. Eventually someone will want to usurp control and declare themselves the true ruler. And then what?″ She brought up a good point and I could all too easily see that happening.
	″Indeed. It may not work in the long run. I don't even know if it will work at all, but isn't it worth giving a shot?″
	Sappho sighed and mumbled, ″I can't believe I'm doing this...″
	She waved her hand around and the ground around Darren lowered until he was visible once more. His body was covered in not only blood, but dirt as well. His knuckles looked like they had been shaven by a pencil sharpener. He must have been banging them against the dirt wall all the time that we had been talking. The damage inflicted from my own hands were still apparent, but his desperation to escape was evident on his body as well.
	He drew deep breaths and looked over to us.
	″Are you...are you three conspiring against me?″ He huffed.
	Once again he looked enraged at this misunderstanding, but he was too exhausted to even get up and fight at this point. He was just on his knees. Even freed, he remained where he was.
	Before I could answer him, Sappho shouted something unintelligible. It could have been in another language, but I couldn't even tell if what she shouted were words at all as her voice came out garbled. Still, the results of what she shouted presented themselves, as the light rain falling from the sky grew heavier and blackened clouds formed around where Darren was hunched over. I knew what was coming next and ran over to his side.
	Just as I crouched and raised my shield over both Darren and I, a jolt of electricity shot from the sky and I knew the bolt of lightning had been her doing. The force was enough for my shield to knock out of my hand and I ended up being pulled to the side. I was just glad neither Darren nor I were hurt.
	″What the hell?!″ I roared.
	Sappho didn't say a word. On her face was a resolute scowl.
	″You were going to kill him!″ I yelled once more. ″I thought you wanted us all to live!″
	″He's too dangerous! You shouldn't have protected him!″ She shouted back.
	Even Nicolette looked to be in shock from the attempt Sappho made on Darren's life. Here I was wondering why I was even protecting him when just before the two girls arrived, I was aiming to kill him.
	″You said you'd agree,″ Nicolette turned to Sappho and said.
	Sappho ignored her girlfriend and looked back at her spellbook, making an attempt to chant the same spell. This time, however, each breath she drew grew shorter and she stopped midway, until she was panting.
	She was hunched over now, still short on breath, while her whole body was trembling.
	″W-W-Why?″ She stuttered. ″Why is th-this happening?!″
	″Dear,″ Nicolette reached out her arm to place on her lover's shoulder in consolation, but found her hand swatted away.
	″No!″ She snapped. ″You were never supposed to protect each other! This was never supposed to happen!″
	″I just want to make sure no one gets hurt. Don't you?″ I asked.
	″I WOULDN'T HAVE HAD TO RESORT TO ANY OF THIS IF YOU HAD JUST SHUT UP AND SURRENDERED LIKE YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO!″ She screamed to the heavens, though her voice hoarse and cracked.
	She collapsed; fell to her knees and tears started to fall from each eye.
	″I...just don't understand...″ she muttered to herself repeatedly.
	 Nicolette leaned down and gave Sappho a hug.
	″It was just supposed to be the two of us...″ Sappho muttered. ″Our paradise.″
	″I know, dear,″ Nicolette agreed. ″Do you want me to attack them for you?″
	Sappho shook her head. ″What would that prove?″
	″What should we do?″
	″I -″ Sappho began to reply, but found herself short of an answer. ″I don't know. I didn't predict this.″
	″Come on,″ I urged. ″We're all exhausted. If we all surrender, none of us get a wish. Is that what you want?″
	Just as I said that, I felt a shove, and fell down. Darren also fell, as he used his body weight to push me down.
	″I'll be the one true king! For Sherman's sake!″ He declared.
	I couldn't believe I helped that guy.
	″Hey!″ I retorted. ″I'm the one who saved you from a lightning bolt!″
	His bulky body was hunched over me as he readied himself to strike me with the strongest punch he could muster. If I wasn't in such an awkward position, I would block him with my shield, but all I could do was hope he didn't have enough strength left to completely wipe me out.
	Instead, I heard a thud next to my right ear. His fist struck the ground and just barely missed my head. Just like with Sappho, he also seemed to be trembling, doing his best to get his arm back up but only found it shaking instead.
	″I just want to make my bro Sherman proud and show him that I'm strong!″ His words quivering just as much as Sappho's did.
	″I'm sure he is,″ was all I could muster to say. ″And I too want to do right by someone I can no longer see.″
	″But she's the one who killed him!″ He croaked. Snot and tears were running down his face now and some of it got on me.
	Even though he knew that she did it, he still blamed me. Maybe that wouldn't ever change. Even still, he was much too weak to take his revenge just as I was much too weak to defend myself any longer.
	″I think what would make Sherman really proud right now is if we all lived to see another day,″ I mentioned.
	″How can you even say that? You didn't even know –″ He began, but I cut him off.
	″This war cannot be won with one person alone. We need a team. No matter how strong you are, or think you are, we all need each other.″
	I looked over to Sappho and mouthed the word ″please″.
	Sappho was still feeling the embrace of Nicolette, looking just as dejected and confused as she had been. She tilted her head up and stared into the eyes of her lover and asked, ″do you trust me?″
	Nicolette smiled. ″Of course. You know I would follow you no matter what path you chose.″
	″Rudy!″ She called out. ″If Darren so agrees, we'll form this alliance. But if anything goes wrong...″ she made it sound less like she was making a threat and more like she really didn't know what would happen if my plan didn't work.
	″I know how much it would mean to be better than the rest of us, and you wouldn't have as much power with us, but you would still have control of the entire world. Think about it, Darren: we all rule. Together.″
	″Ew! There's no way I'll be with you guys!″ He gagged.
	″I don't like it any more than you do. We all have something to lose here, but if we do this, we gain the whole world. At the least, just as Sappho said, if things don't work out, there's no obligation to stay.″ That's not what she said, but I had to phrase it that way so that he might agree.
	He looked to be at a loss. He wasn't the smartest of the bunch, but something must have told him that it would be more feasible to agree than to try to fight when he barely had the strength left to move.
	″Fine. I'm in,″ he groaned.
	″Perfect,″ I said, a smile creeping over my face.
	I didn't know what was going to come next, and part of me was saying that I made the wrong decision, but I wasn't going to back out now that I've gotten my enemies on board. All that was left was to find out if a new world awaited us.

Chapter
 Twenty-Four

	It was a sublime afternoon – the sun shining bright and yet rain also sprinkled down from the sky, which drenched my clothing, already wet with my blood – when I found myself on the doorstep of that cabin I called home. My father stood by the doorway, both in shock and filled with anger.
	″That's it!″ He announced, loud enough to make sure the rest of the family could hear. ″We're moving.″
	His anger didn't seem to be directed toward me, and instead at the environment with its threat to his children's safety. Maybe my old nature was returning, as I felt responsible for his anger. There were many times in which he told me not to venture into the woods, yet I didn't listen. Maybe it would have been different if he knew the reason, but it was hard to tell.
	We would still be around for two more weeks as we still had to pack things. Even more so than when we first moved from our home in the suburbs and here, in this town near the woods, I wanted nothing more than to stay. Even if I only made two friends, one of them I could no longer interact with as it was, I didn't want to leave that other friend behind.
	″Come on, mom!″ I protested. ″What about Guppy?″
	″I know how you must feel,″ she tried to reassure me, though it did nothing of the sort. ″But it's just too dangerous here. You looked like you were going to die on our doorstep the other day. Maybe one day in the future you'll thank your father and I.″
	″You don't understand!″
	″I had to move away from friends when I was your age as well. It's unfortunate, but these things just happen.″
	That wasn't what I was referring to, but just like with Father, I don't know if telling her about the other world and that it no longer posed a threat would have changed anything. She would have probably just chalked it up to my supposed wild imagination. She wasn't even telling me that I would make new friends at this new place, though I didn't doubt that I would. I just couldn't imagine not being around someone like Guppy to lift up my spirits.
	At least this time we wouldn't be moving in the summer, and I still had time to tell him of my move.

	After Spring Break, I rushed to the school grounds to meet him, my heart making horrible thumps along the way. No real threat of death and the danger was less physical, yet to my beating heart, it was all the same. If I could have made sense of it, I would, but instead I figured that it would go away or at least lessen when I met up with Guppy. When we passed by each other on our way to our respective classes, however, it only seemed to hit with more intensity.
	″Hey, I...″ I began to say, to tell him the news, but the words were having a hard time forming.
	″Yo, my Robin. What's up?″ He greeted.
	″I'm moving next week!″ I managed to string together all at once. The stone, puzzled look on his face indicated that I spoke way too fast for him to comprehend.
	″Wait. Seriously?″ He replied.
	I nodded. My eyes beginning to irritate. I had a feeling I might cry then and there, but I wanted to stop myself from doing so.
	″So you really weren't kidding when you said you were a while back ago, huh?″
	″W-W-Well, I didn't know I was going to move until Spring Break!″ I stuttered. My words were failing me at every turn and my heart continued to feel like a spiked club pounding away at my chest.
	Yet instead of a frown or tears flowing down, he grinned.
	″I'm really gonna miss ya, bud! Y'know that?″
	″M-Me too!″
	″Hey, you have my number, right?″
	″Of course! You're the only person in my phone besides my parents.″
	″Same, bruh,″ he replied, then said, ″text me sometime, okay?″
	Besides Guppy, I wondered about all those people I could have made friends with in band if I ever took the chance and interacted with them more. Part of me wanted to say that I would miss them, but it was a mixed feeling; Could I really miss someone I never got to know?

	When we were all packed up, cabin empty, and U-Haul truck after U-Haul truck delivered to our new home, an apartment in a neighboring city (though neighboring is subjective, seeing as it was about 50 miles away), we packed ourselves into our minivan. Mabel and Louise were yapping on and on about the various things they did at their school, about how their teachers threw them a goodbye party and many of the classmates gave them cards. I felt a tinge of jealousy; on one hand, I knew I was too hold to earn such things and I also never did much to have myself remembered, but it reminded me of something Madalina told me once about wanting to be remembered. I would have loved to have so many people tell me how much I'll be missed, even if it was unwarranted.
	Above jealousy, however, their constant chatter really grated on me. I pulled each headphone of my MP3 player into my ear and put on some Gorguts to drown out the noise of my insufferable siblings.
	As I peered out the window from the backseat of the car and stared off into the open road, I wondered what new world I would venture to this time. What would await us in our new home. Despite not intending to, my thoughts drifted to that day in the world when I managed to convince the other three to form a kingdom with me. I didn't know if it was allowed or if it would work, but out of both desperation to survive and the selfish desire to see Madalina's wish granted, I made the attempt.
	When we all agreed to call a temporary truce and form a new kingdom together, the world must have heard our decision and the new kingdom was formed, built from what seemed to be thin air and residing in the center of the world. Inside that kingdom were four seats, and four rooms for us all to occupy. On each seat were four crowns, each one made of paper.
	″It...it does exist!″ I gasped.
	″You look surprised,″ Sappho sneered.
	″Do you mean to tell me that it would be this way since the beginning?″ I asked.
	″It wouldn't make sense for it not to be this way,″ Nicolette observed. ″If there were no crowns after we came this far, that would make the world most cruel indeed.″
	″Sometimes the world can be cruel and sometimes it can be kind,″ I also observed.
	″So which will it be this time?″ Sappho asked.
	″I think it's up to us to figure that out.″
	Darren ran up to one of the thrones and picked up the crown. ″Jeez, this is so silly, but I'm so excited!″ He declared. ″I can't wait to make my wish!″
	He placed the crown on his head and his face was a radiant smile I hadn't before seen. Sappho, Nicolette, and I also walked over and did the same. We each sat down while wearing them.
	″So, now what happens?″ I asked. ″I don't feel any more powerful.″
	″You got us this far and now with your infinite wisdom, you've got nothing?″ Sappho remarked.
	″Well, I just thought, like, there'd be some sign.″
	″I think we can go ahead and make our wish. We may not feel anything apparent, but I think it's there,″ Nicolette figured.
	Maybe there was some bullshit lesson like ″the power was already within us this whole time″ or that when we made a wish that ″our wishes were already granted long before we said them out loud″, but I would like to think that wasn't the case. First, Sappho spoke up to make her wish.
	″I wish for all future incarnations of this world to be a place of peace, a safe haven for those who are chosen, not a nightmarish hellscape where they have to fear the risk of death at every turn,″ she announced. We all listened. It was hard to tell if it was granted. We may never know as when our time passes and others enter, we will no longer be able to see it.
	″As for me,″ Nicolette spoke up and smiled. ″I would just like to say that I second that notion.″
	″Oh, come on, dear, you've gotta wish for something,″ Sappho gave Nicolette a gentle nudge.
	″Oh, fine. I wish for a home that I can always return to. Wherever that may be. Some place I can feel safe and secure.″
	It wasn't until Nicolette said what she did that it occurred to me that Sappho may have told the truth about her girlfriend and her home life.
	″Oh! Oh! It's my turn now!″ Darren shouted. I would have gone first, but he put his voice out before I could even make a murmur. It's not like I wanted to fall into that cliché, but it looked like we were going to save the best for last.
	″Very well, Branny, what will it be?″ Sappho mused.
	″First of all, don't call me that, or else –″ he didn't finish his threat before Nicolette cut him off.
	″Or else what? What will you do to my girl?″
	″Nothing. Sheesh. I just don't want to be called that,″ he grunted.
	″I won't call you that. Happy?″ Sappho asked.
	″Yes. Now anyway, what I would really like is to bring my club home with me. I know it won't make much of a difference in how anyone treats me, but at least when I look at it, I feel proud to have been a part of something huge. Something most people weren't able to experience. It wouldn't be proof to me, just a reminder that I'm already powerful and I don't need to prove anything.″
	I wondered if the world would allow that. I hoped that if it did, Darren wouldn't try to attack his father or anything. But even still, I had no say in what he did at home. All I could do was hope. I still had a wish of my own to make.
	″Well, what about you, Rudy?″ Sappho asked.
	″Me?″
	″You're the only one left.″
	″You desire something, don't you?″ Nicolette asked this time.
	″Well...″ I began.
	″Come on, say it!″ Darren urged.
	″The whole reason you didn't want to surrender is because of this apparent wish that you had to fulfill, so what was so important?″ Sappho pressed.
	″The thing is, I don't have a wish of my own,″ I explained.
	″So, this whole thing was pointless?″ She looked cross.
	″No, that's not it. Since moving to this town, what I desired was a lack of anything out of the ordinary. But my life was never ordinary to begin with, I think, and I don't think an ordinary life may even exist. Running away from the world and being rid of it, that's not truly what I want. But I don't really know what I would want for myself. All I know is that whatever it is I could want, I wouldn't want it to go against the wishes of my old friend. What she would have wanted is what I would like to see; that is, I wish for Madalina to be remembered. not as a faceless knight, but more than that, because she's always been more than that. She needs to be remembered for all that she was. Let her have her peace, please.″
	″Are you sure about this, Rudy?″ Nicolette asked. ″You could have anything.″
	″Yes. I had to see this happen. Me saying it. If I chose anything else, but that went neglected, I don't know how I could deal with that. I made her a promise, after all.″
	She smiled. ″I think she'd be proud of you for that.″
	With that, we all removed ourselves from our seats, departed the castle, and made our way back to our respective homes.

	Even with a book to read and music to listen to, my thoughts went back and forth between that day. Different aspects of that day reflected upon each time. I tried conjuring a scenario that would play out:
	Just a couple years later, while I was in high school, I entered the world once more. To say that the castle in the center of the world was huge would be an understatement; it towered in the sky with levels upon levels of flooring. Each wall was caked in flashy decorum, and strange objects hung from the ceiling. Upon entering, Darren, Nicolette, and Sappho were all there with both the look of shock and joy.
	″You finally showed!″ Sappho cried.
	″Took you long enough,″ Darren remarked.
	″What took you so long?″ Nicolette asked.
	However they responded, it was clear that they were all excited and happy to see me.
	″I'm sorry. I've actually developed a social life. I've started a band and some people even think I'm cool. Or, so I wanna believe.″
	″Uh-huh,″ Sappho replied in disbelief, though I wasn't sure whether she didn't believe that I would have a social life or that people would think I was cool. ″It's not like we haven't had lives either, but we still meet here from time to time. I wish you'd have the courtesy to do the same.″
	″Yeah, I'm head of my school's basketball team!″ Darren declared.
	″And Sappho and I lead the choir,″ Nicolette added.
	″Well, has there been any reason for me to come here?″ I asked, deflecting the subject of their respective social lives.
	″There's the matter of the creatures and denizens that reside here,″ Sappho pointed out, still using those words of hers to show just how much better she is than everyone else. ″Our goal as collective rulers should be to seek a way to pacify the land, so that future generations may enter this world and not live in fear.″
	″I never thought anyone else would come here after us,″ I replied.
	″We don't know for sure, but that's exactly why we need to act,″ Nicolette told me. ″In case the world does bring others in after us.″
	″And if any monsters come up, I get to squash them like bugs!″ Darren announced. He seemed rather proud of the chance to kill creatures.
	″I'll try to come back sometime soon and help in any way I can,″ I told them. I didn't want to cut the reunion short, but there was something in the back of my mind telling me to get out of there. ″You guys can always use my barrier maidens, at the least.″
	″Yes, that would be much appreciated,″ Sappho agreed.
	″Don't take too long, or I'll beat you up!″ Nicolette threatened, even if she was joking, I couldn't help but flinch from the remark.
	″Me too!″ Darren added.
	″Please!″ I raised my hand, smiling as I spoke. ″No beating anyone up!″
	With that I hurried off back into my own world.
	...But none of that ever happened. Nor would it. As much as I thought I would learn and grow from the experiences in the world, I just couldn't help but dread ever returning. It wasn't dread for the world itself. Monstrosities aside, the world wasn't much different than the one I am currently in. It was those three that caused me great discomfort.
	While I believed Sappho truly wanted the bad things in the world to end and a new era of peace to reign in, I couldn't shake the feeling that she desired power and control just as much, if not more. Even if she didn't, I couldn't imagine she was too happy to be working with Darren, someone she despised, as she claimed to hate bullies. Nicolette may not have had the ego or desire for control that Sappho did, but she would follow Sappho's will to the bitter end, as she trusted her intentions. Not only that, but she was just as cunning and ruthless in her methods of achieving things as her partner.
	Then there was Darren. While it was a suspicion with Sappho, I knew for a fact that he wanted nothing more than to be at the top. I didn't know whether or not he would still be a bully, or even considered one, but his desire to be feared and respected was in all likelihood still engrained within him.
	With all those in mind, I feared the moment when one of them would try to overthrow the other, and to what extreme they would go to. We only formed that truce out of exhaustion and desperation, with the others assuming it would probably only be temporary. With their energy back, who was to say how things might turn out?
	Maybe I thought the worst of them when I shouldn't have. Maybe they'll have grown and learned to cooperate together. Maybe they changed and mellowed out, each of them becoming friends, even. But my doubts outweighed any optimistic thoughts. The lingering thought being that they haven't grown, or not enough, and would at any moment attempt something drastic, if they haven't already. I didn't want to be there if and when they did. So I vowed never to return to that world.

	Several years passed since departing that town and moving into a new suburban city. Guppy and I talked from time to time, texting and calling. We missed each other, but it was nice to have an old friend talk to. However, after a couple years in high school, I lost his number. I gained a new phone and the contacts did not transfer over as I hoped they would. By then, I have made a couple of new friends, but I still felt the loss when I could no longer reach him.
	I am now an adult in my late twenties. I still have much to learn, though many events and memories helped shape who I am. After I left the home of my parents, they split up, citing that they stopped loving each other when I was young and stayed together because they didn't want to complicate the family dynamic, believing it would be best if Mabel, Louise, and I had the two of them for influence. Though there were hints throughout, it still came as a surprise, but I was glad for their efforts, all the same.
	Even with all the things that came after, nothing was so memorable or extraordinary as the things that took place during those two years of middle school in Brick Hall. The world was frightening and comforting, but above all else, it was something I had to leave and return to at any time, if I so desired. Which, as much as I hated breaking any vow, self-imposed or not, I did desire, and I did return once after high school.
	It was right after I graduated. I didn't know what path I wanted to take after, as it was nary a thought of mine. Much like middle school, I ended up gliding through high school without considering where to go after. My parents kept giving me suggestions. Finding a job, going to college, a university, something. But that only seemed to put more pressure on me and I still couldn't make up my mind. I was hoping that if I could return to that world once more, Darren, Nicolette, and Sappho would be there. Or at least one of them. If I could speak to just one of them, perhaps they would help set me in the right direction.
	But when I found an entrance into the world from where I lived and ventured into the castle, I found only an empty space. There were tables, chairs, thrones, but nothing and no one else. No iridescent light, no candles to illuminate the main hall or any of the other halls surrounding. Only a dim, empty space. There was a chill, a cold draft coursing throughout, but in no particular direction. All I could do was sit, alone.
	There was no way of knowing when the last time the others visited or if anything had gone down. My best estimate was that it hadn't been occupied in at least six months, if not longer. Even though the place was empty, it gave me just what I needed: a place to think and calm my thoughts. Even as I got older and events passed, I knew I would still have the world to come back to until the day that I could no longer enter. The quiet space where I could ease a bit of pressure and unload my thoughts.
	But the space was not entirely quiet.
	Somewhere amongst the stiff air a faint voice could be heard, whispering to me. It is time to form your own world. I knew that in all likelihood, it was only my own thoughts telling me such and that there were no ghosts in those halls, but I still recognized the voice.
	Madalina. She could never be forgotten.
	Before returning, I didn't know if any of those wishes we ever made that day were granted, but I know now that at least mine was. She was free, in a world of her own, outside of that one and the one of every day life. Her soul was her own, never to simply be another faceless knight, as she never was to begin with.
	But me, I was not free. That must have been the tradeoff. She may not have been a ghost, but I felt her presence around me all the same. I must have missed Guppy just as much, so it was strange to think it would only be her that walked with me when I felt adventurous or passed by a game store that carried such things as Dungeons and Dragons and Cards Against Humanity. But then again, even though I was glad that she was at peace, there must have been a part of me that never moved on completely.
	If you're reading this, I want you to know that I still think of you often and there are days that go by that I wonder what life would be like if you were still a part of this world. Would we still be in touch, or would I still be here, wondering about you regardless? It's hard to say, but I know that even though we may never meet during this lifetime, you're still very much a part of my life.
	Whatever world you're in now, I hope to meet you there one day.