HELLO I'M BACK! Agghhhh I can't believe I've finally finished writing this part, I've been agonizing over it for YEARS. To be honest, I'm...very nervous about how people will react to it. ^^; My feelings overlapped with Nia's a lot in the process of writing this ahaha.

Also, I remember some people mentioning in reviews last time that it's been so long since the last update, you've had to go back and reread the whole story to remember what's going on. First of all, I apologize for taking so long to update that that's necessary in the first place. D: And secondly, if anyone needs to refresh their memory this time but don't want to reread the whole thing, here are the chapters most relevant to the content of this chapter: Chapters 5, 8.2, 9, 12.3 and 13.1.

Anyway, enjoy! (PLEASE DON'T KILL ME)

Chapter 13- Promises (Part 2)

A young girl panted as she dashed through a fog-shrouded forest. She wove in and out among the dense trees, now and then stumbling over roots and glancing backward to see if she'd lost her pursuer.

But he doggedly followed right behind her. "Give it back, Sis! I found it! It's mine!" he cried, voice echoing shrilly. Her little brother.

In her hand, the girl held a small drill-shaped key. "You know what this is!" she yelled back at him. "You know what we have to do with it!"

A thundering roar grew as the trees began to thin, and suddenly they were out of the forest, running alongside a river raging toward a cliff's edge.

The girl ran over to the ledge overlooking a great waterfall. She raised her hand, preparing to throw the drill into its depths.

"No, Sis! NO!"

The boy pounced, grabbing her around the waist. She gasped, windmilling her arms. For a moment, they teetered on the edge, before finally toppling backwards onto the ground.

Gasping, they lay sprawled on the ledge amidst the cool mist rising from the crashing waters below.

The girl sat up. "Are you trying to get us killed?!" she screeched.

"But it's mine!" the boy whined.

"We have to get rid of it!"

"But I found it! It belongs to me!"

"This isn't a toy! It's dangerous!" Trembling, she looked at the drill in her hand. It seemed harmless, but in the wrong hands, it could be a weapon. A harbinger of doom.

"I don't care!" he said defiantly.

"You idiot!" She grabbed his shoulders. "Then what are you going to do if they come back for us, huh?!"

"I'll...I'll fight them! I'll fight and protect everyone!"

"What?" Nonsense. What could he possibly do? This young boy, who still wet his bed, who still cried at a scraped knee, who still needed her to protect him...

Seeing her hesitate, the boy saw his chance. "Please, Sis! I promise I'll be good! I promise I'll keep it safe! So don't tell anyone about it. Please?"

But the girl shook her head. She should have seen this coming.

Nia...

She saw the way his eyes lit up whenever the elders told the old stories. They were meant to be cautionary tales, but her brother took them as adventure stories. 'It could happen to you,' they'd warned, and he fancied himself a hero.

Wait...

Those stories always scared her, but she had found relief in the fact that they were only a thing of the past. Fairytales from another age. But not anymore.

Nia...don't go...

His was the foolish arrogance of a child. It would bring disaster upon them all. And she was afraid, so afraid...most of all for him. Her baby brother, the only family she had left. No matter what, she had to keep him safe. Even if that meant from himself.

NIA!

Nia opened her eyes. She stared blankly up at the dark ceiling, taking a minute to recall who and where she was. Then she realized that the voice from her dream was still calling, this time from right beside her in bed.

"...go...don't go...don't go..."

"Simon?"

Drowsily, Nia sat up. Simon was still asleep, and drenched in sweat.

"Don't go..." he murmured. "Please..."

"Simon, wake up. You're dreaming." She patted his cheek. But it made no difference.

"Nia..." He grit his teeth, face in agony.

She had seen him have nightmares before, but this seemed like a particularly awful one. It had to be, to make him beg.

Sighing, Nia rubbed the sleep from her eyes, and shook his shoulder. "Simon, I'm right here..."

The Core Drill around his neck lit up with a blinding glow. Nia jumped. In its light, she now saw Simon's expression change to that of dour determination. "I won't let you go...!"

The Core Drill began to pulse.

Now fully awake, Nia stared in disbelief. He was actually starting to lose control. Whatever he was doing in his dream, his emotions were powerful enough that, at this rate...they could very well affect reality.

An image flashed in her mind- heavens shaking, space shattering- and she panicked.

"Simon?!" She shook him harder. "Wake up! Simon!"

The pulse grew faster and more erratic. He still wasn't waking up.

"Simon!" She grabbed his hand, gripped it tight. "It's okay! I'm here! I'm right here!"

But it didn't stop. Nia didn't know what to do. He was in a deep sleep, and his Spiral Power grew more unstable by the second...if he didn't wake up soon...

"Please!" She squeezed her eyes shut. "Please stop! SIMON!"

And then, by some miracle, it worked. He let out a long sigh. He must have heard her this time.

Gradually, his breathing eased. The pulse slowed. Soon, the light in the Core Drill faded, and the room returned once more to darkness and silence.

But Nia could not stop shaking.

After that, Nia no longer slept.

She had known Simon was prone to frequent nightmares, but not like this. Now it was all night, every night, without fail. Nia noticed now. She watched.

Up to now, she'd thought he'd been taking everything surprisingly well. After all, that afternoon before the meeting, when they'd put the final touches on the plan, it had been Simon who first suggested Boota's role as a decoy.

"It's not like I want to put him in danger," he had sighed. "But if this is the path he chooses, then I can't stop him. ...I'll just have to put up with it."

And sure enough, he was putting up with it. Every day, Simon went to train Boota, acting like nothing was wrong. But inwardly, it was taking a toll. Now she understood. His fears didn't just go away; he bottled them up, internalized them, and then they surfaced in his dreams. The one place he couldn't hide.

And so she stayed awake. "I'm sorry," she whispered to him in the darkness. "I know you wouldn't like this...but how could I go on having pleasant dreams, while you are suffering?" Once again, she had been so caught up in her own matters, that she'd nearly missed noticing his true feelings.

But that isn't the only reason, is it?

Much like she had, the Messengers were learning to think for themselves now. They spoke to her often, keeping her company during her nightly vigils. But with such a variety of personalities, that inevitably led to a whole range of differing opinions clashing inside her head.

It's not fair! I wanted you to see my homeland next!

"I'm sorry," she said. "But a dream is a small price to pay..."

Yes. If anything, she has been too careless up to now.

What if it happens again? What if he does it again?

"That wasn't his fault," Nia quickly said. "It was a dream. You can't help what happens in dreams. You can't help how you feel..."

But that lack of control is what frightens us the most...

We must not forget. He is no ordinary human.

"I didn't forget. I just..."

Avoiding the problem will not help. You knew there were risks.

And next time, it may not just be a dream...

Nia gulped. Deep down, she knew they were right. She had had this worry before. Perhaps it had always been there, like cracks in a wall, nestled in the back of her mind until just recently.

Until...yes, the day they'd agreed on this plan.

She recalled that hard look in Simon's eye when he said he would be coming with her. Spoken as if giving an ultimatum. His words ought to have made her happy, but instead...they only filled her with unease.

And now, with this incident, the cracks were splitting. The facade was coming down, and she could ignore it no longer.

Now, she found herself wondering whether this plan was a good idea after all.

When she'd agreed to it, she had failed to consider several things. Of course, she knew Simon wouldn't like it...no matter what happened, she would definitely be dying at least once. But she'd believed that he would come to understand its necessity. And sure enough, he came around to it.

However, she didn't think beyond that. She didn't consider the stress that this would put on him. She didn't consider that his subconscious desires may be at war with his conscious decisions. And most importantly...she hadn't considered his own history.

After the plan had been publicly announced, crew members came up to her frequently during the day, asking questions.

"So, I hear the former captain's gonna be the key in all this, huh?"

"But he's not even gonna be fighting at the front lines? Isn't that all he's good for?"

"He's so unpredictable. How are we supposed to rely on someone like that?"

As usual, Nia tried her best to ease their doubts. Empty words. Empty promises. How could she possibly tell them that she was beginning to have doubts of her own...?

In the end, they clapped her on the shoulder. "Don't let him flake out on us, okay? We're counting on you!"

After they left, Nia stood in silence. What would they do, if they knew what Simon was capable of, even in his sleep? Would they try to kill him again? These people were her friends now, but she could not allow that.

Then what will you do?

"I will take care of it," Nia said. "It's my responsibility to stop him. No one else needs to know."

But that was easier said than done. By now, Nia had realized something. When she'd made her promise to Simon, she had been in the same boat that he was. She had not thought of how she would do it.

Up to now, she had been lucky. When he was on the brink of losing control, or was heading down the wrong path, she had been able to stop him, either by talking him out of it or distracting him. But what if, this time, those methods didn't work? And yet, she could think of nothing else...

Sighing, Nia went to the main computer room. This room, which had once been full of lights like glittering stars, was now dark but for two lit tanks. One holding her father's head, and the other, her new body.

Nia looked up at the tank. She didn't know what to do. She only knew that this sense of disquiet grew. Grew as her new body grew, as if it were a physical embodiment of her doubts.

Another evening arrived. As they turned in, Simon sat on the edge of bed, pulling off his boots as he always did. Nia watched his back, lost in thought. Then, all of a sudden, Simon heaved a heavy sigh.

Nia stared. If he'd ever felt any dread before going to sleep, this was the first time he'd shown it. Before she knew it, she had her arms wrapped around his neck, hugging him from behind.

"...What's this all of a sudden?" he asked, a smile in his voice.

Why did he have to hide his fears? Was it an attempt to control himself, to keep his emotions in check? If so, that was admittedly an improvement. But it was also dangerous. He could not hold it in forever. Sooner or later, he would explode.

"Nia?" He turned around to look at her. "You okay?"

If she wanted to know something, she should just ask. That's right. There was nothing to be afraid of...

Nia took a deep breath, gathering her courage. "Simon...what would you do if I died?"

He raised his eyebrows in surprise. But despite such a heavy question, it did not take him long to answer. "Easy. I wouldn't let you die."

A feeling of dread settled in her stomach. Nia gulped. "That doesn't answer my question."

"Doesn't it? I said that I'll save you, so I'll save you. Isn't that enough?" He smirked. "Or have you finally started doubting me?"

"I don't doubt that you can save me. I don't doubt that you will."

"Then what's the problem?" He lifted her chin, looking her in the eyes. "There's no need to think about it. No need to even consider it. I won't let it happen, so don't you worry."

Nia sighed. "But aren't you the one thinking about it the most?"

The smirk fell from his face. In that moment, he knew that she knew.

"...It's nothing."

"It certainly doesn't seem like nothing."

He turned away, suddenly looking uncomfortable.

"Did you think I wouldn't notice?"

"I kinda hoped you wouldn't," he muttered.

"Why?"

"Because it's not something that can be helped, is it?" he said exasperatedly. "If there's a cure for dreams, I'd love to hear about it."

Seeing her frown, he went on. "It's not like I haven't tried doing something about it. I took sleeping pills a few times. But it didn't make the dreams go away. It only made them harder to wake up from."

A chill went down Nia's spine. Come to think of it, she'd seen Simon drinking something before bed one night. She hadn't thought much of it at the time...but that certainly might explain it.

"Are you...still taking them now?"

"No, I stopped. I'd rather not be stuck in those dreams for any longer than necessary."

She breathed a sigh of relief. "Yes...I think that is a good idea."

Biting her lip, Nia thought for a moment. True, perhaps there wasn't a way to deal with the nightmares themselves. But they could at least manage his stress. "Have you tried crying?"

"What?"

"I think it might do some good to express your feelings in a safe manner. I know when I have finished crying, I feel a little refreshed."

But he was already shaking his head. "Not gonna happen."

"Why? You haven't even tried..."

But then Nia realized- had she ever seen him cry? No. Somehow, through all the pain and hardship they'd been through together, he'd never shed a single tear. Even she, the Anti-Spiral Messenger, had cried several times now.

"I don't understand. You are human. You have emotions. It is a perfectly natural response. Why do you never cry? Do your tear glands not function correctly?"

Simon facepalmed. "Nia, it's not like I've never cried my entire life. Hell, when I was a kid, I was a real crybaby. I cried a lot when Bro died too..." He sighed. "But at a certain point, I decided to just stop. I knew I couldn't be a man like Bro if I kept crying all the time."

"Did your Bro never cry?"

He breathed in sharply. "...No. He cried sometimes..."

"Then I'm afraid I still don't understand."

Simon said nothing. It appeared her question had shaken him somewhat.

Nia gave him a questioning look. "If you simply decided to stop, couldn't you decide to start again?"

"...It's hard. I'm out of the habit now."

"So was I, until just recently."

"Well, then how long did you go without? When was the last time you cried before you became the Messenger?"

"I don't remember. But when I was human, I did not hesitate to cry when I needed to."

"So about three years?" He shook his head. "For me, it's been ten."

Nia's eyes widened. Ten years. No wonder he was so destructive. "...It's still not impossible."

"Yeah, probably. But still, I don't really want to."

"Why? Is it because you are embarrassed? Simon, I've already seen you at your weakest."

"Thanks for reminding me."

"I will not judge you for it."

"Yeah, I know."

"So then why?"

He didn't answer.

"Why?" She prodded his arm.

He took a deep breath. "Because once I start, I don't know if I can stop."

Whatever retort she had planned died on her lips. She wasn't prepared for such a blunt, honest admission.

"Look, maybe after this is all over, I'll give it a try. But for now, I need to be strong. I have to keep it together. You know what the stakes are, Nia. I can't let what happened with Bro happen again."

So she was right. His intentions were good. But that didn't make this any less risky.

Nia hesitated, considering just telling him what had almost happened the other night. But something held her back.

"I just need to get through this, then I'll be fine. So don't worry about me. Okay?"

Nia nodded, then shook her head. "But...but I can't just do nothing..."

"It's okay, really." He pulled her into an embrace. "Right now, this is all I need."

In his arms, Nia's senses were filled with the warmth of his skin, the sound of his breath, the gentle pulse of his heartbeat. She ought to be used to this by now. But she still found it incredibly distracting. "Really?"

"Yeah."

But perhaps he was just as affected by their close proximity, because this quickly backfired. His grip tightened around her waist, his face taking refuge in the crook of her neck. Suddenly, he was clutching her as if his life depended on it.

"Simon..."

She was reminded of the first time he'd embraced her like this. Back then, she had found the expression so rare, the memory so precious, she'd desired to keep it all to herself. How ironic, then, that that was no longer possible, and by her own choice...

Nia sighed. Lying her head on Simon's shoulder, she gently rubbed his back. Yes...whenever he had truly opened his heart to her, she'd seen that it was a raw, bloody wound; painful even to look at. At times like this, when he gave himself to her, damaged and vulnerable, she could not turn him away. She could not betray his trust.

They clung to each other like this for a long time. Then finally, Simon pulled back to look at her.

"Do me a favor," he said quietly. "Don't go anywhere tonight."

"Where would I go?" she whispered.

In lieu of an answer, he caught her lips in a kiss. More swiftly followed, increasing in urgency. Nia wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing back fervently, though not without some guilt. There was still much they needed to discuss. But with every kiss he laid on her neck, her shoulder, her body, she could practically hear the words, Don't go. Faced with this, what could she possibly say in return? What could she possibly do but hang on, as her hands turned from soothing him to leaving fingernail marks on his skin.

She would not cause him any more worry or pain, she decided. At least not tonight.

After that, the only sound that escaped her lips were gasps and moaning of his name.

And yet...once their breaths had calmed, their skin cooled, and the heat of the moment had passed, Simon again succumbed to nightmares. Nia lay with her head on his shoulder, feeling helpless as she watched his face contort in anguish.

Deep down, she had known. She could not do the healing for him. She could only bandage the wound.

The next day, Nia again stood enveloped in the light of the two tanks. Every day, her new body continued to take shape. She could recognize features in that face now. Her own features, staring back at her.

Now what? This was the question she was now left with.

In the end, they still hadn't made much progress. In fact, Simon's response had been less than encouraging. Then again, what was she expecting? She knew it was not an easy question to answer...

You are coddling him, that's the problem. You can't get any results by simply skirting the subject.

They were right. She should have been more straight with him. If she'd just told him what had happened, perhaps he would understand... Why? Why didn't she tell him?

No, she knew why.

When it came to anything else, she could tell him straight how she felt. She had grown comfortable speaking her mind, and confident that he would at least listen.

But not when it came to this. In the past, whenever she had warned him about his Spiral Power, he'd always ignored her. Even when she spoke only for herself, and not as a Messenger, he never seemed to take her seriously. And surely he was self-aware enough to realize the dangers himself?

When they first met, he said he didn't care. Was that still the case? He was different now; instead of mere senseless rampaging, his efforts were focused on a single, attainable goal. But perhaps that meant he was only more prepared to dirty his hands in pursuit of that goal...

The Simon who'd threatened to destroy the universe for her, and the Simon who rejected the fate of the Great Destroyer...the problem was, she loved and believed in them both. So when it came down to it, to which side would he fall?

Nia shivered. She had to know for sure. But at the same time...she didn't want to.

...Perhaps it would be best just to cancel the whole thing.

As soon as that thought crossed her mind, she grabbed hold of it as if it were a lifeline.

Yes, that seemed to be the safest option. People would no doubt be angry with her, but that couldn't be helped. And Simon had wanted to look for another solution. It might not be too late yet.

Unrealistic though it might be, just the thought filled her with some relief. Perhaps Simon would be relieved too.

She had to tell him at once. Gathering her nerves, she teleported to Simon and Boota's training room...just in time to witness Simon slam his fist against the wall.

WHAM.

Nia jumped.

"For god's sake!" Simon snarled. "How many times have we been over this?! If you can't even get this right, then I don't see the point in even trying!"

"I'm sorry, I'll try aga-"

"Are you even taking this seriously?!"

Nia blinked. At first, she didn't understand what was going on. She'd seen Simon be harsh during their training, but this was different. He seemed agitated, on edge. Something had changed. Boota noticed it too; he looked just as taken aback as she was.

"Of course I am. Simon, you know I-"

"If you want to risk your life, then get fucking serious!" He punched the wall again, leaving a noticeable dent. "I'm sick of everyone acting like it's no big deal! It's your fucking life! Take some damn responsibility!"

Boota tried to speak again, but once more he was cut off.

"Or what?! Would you rather go back to the medical bay? Or maybe you'd prefer to hang out with the pigmoles?!"

"S-Simon..."

Nia clenched her fists. Whatever the training must entail, surely this was unnecessary. Moreover, it was troubling. Simon had managed to keep it together so far, but now his strained composure was breaking.

"Simon!" she cut in.

He froze at her voice.

"That's enough. I think you need a break."

"...This is nothing," he scowled. "He can handle it."

"No. I mean you need a break."

"...What?"

Without another word, Nia marched into the room, firmly grasped his hand, and led him out. As they left, she saw Boota sigh in relief.

Simon, too bewildered to resist at first, began to protest once they were out in the hall. "H-hold on!"

She ignored him and kept going. She knew her way around rather well now. The two of them got some stares from passersby, but Nia ignored them too. Finally, when they reached the nearest elevator, Nia dragged Simon in with her, put her hand on the panel, and selected the farthest level away from where they were now. Hopefully it would be a while before they were disturbed.

The elevator doors closed.

"That was hardly necessary!" Simon growled, finally wrenching his hand away. "I'm not a damn kid."

Nia turned to him. "I had to stop you before you might say something you'd regret."

"No one asked you to do that!"

"Boota is your friend. He didn't deserve that."

"How do you know? Were you there the whole time?"

Nia let out a frustrated sigh. "I just wish you wouldn't take out your feelings on people like that..."

"I wasn't-" he began reflexively, but caught himself. "I..." He bared his teeth, visibly trying to reign in his anger.

She looked at him sadly. "You can't keep doing this, Simon. If you keep suppressing your feelings, it will not be good for you, or for anyone else."

But this just caused him to explode again. "Would you just shut up about that?!"

And suddenly, he was lashing out like a wounded animal.

"I would've been fine if you hadn't said anything! But you just have to keep pushing and pushing...I already told you my reasons, so lay the fuck off!"

She took a step back. "Simon..."

"You want to know why I didn't tell you about my nightmares? Because I knew you'd react this way! You'd drop everything to try and help, when I didn't even ask for it! Just stop! Stop prying! Hell, why don't you try worrying about yourself for goddamn once!"

"But...but I..."

"Just...leave me the hell alone!"

Nia flinched. Then, backing away, she retreated to the other side of the elevator.

She didn't understand. Last night, he'd clung to her as if she might disappear at any moment. But today, he pushed her away...

Her confusion was mirrored in his face as he realized what he'd just said. Simon reached his hand out to her. "Wait, I..." But then he let it drop. "I didn't mean..."

Nia nodded, swallowing the urge to cry. She would try not to take it personally. For now, she would just give him some space.

Simon turned away. "Shit. SHIT." He began muttering a long string of curses under his breath. His whole body shook, and for a moment she almost thought he might cry...but no, he was just forcing it all down again.

A few minutes passed like this.

At last, Nia spoke up again. "Um, Simon..."

His shaking had stopped now, but he still seemed tense, on edge.

Hesitantly, she approached, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Are you..."

Suddenly, he grabbed her arm and pulled her to him. She only had time to gasp in surprise before his lips were on hers and he was kissing her fiercely, mindless and desperate.

"M...mm?!" At first she was just stunned and confused. It all happened so fast; before she knew it, his tongue was in her mouth and he had pinned her to the wall. What was he thinking? Was he still angry with her? Was this an apology? No, that wasn't it. His actions were feverish and hasty...he wasn't thinking at all. He just needed some kind of release.

Having understood that, Nia obliged, running her hand over his chest and then lower, to undo his belt. If there was something she could give that would help him, she would give him all of it.

Ten minutes later, the doors opened on the lowest level of the ship. Fortunately, the hall outside was deserted, so there was no one there to witness the two of them entwined against the wall.

The doors slid closed again.

Simon panted in her ear afterwards. "Sorry." He'd returned to his senses, and seemed to be avoiding looking her in the eye.

"I am too..." Nia said faintly, letting him hold her upright as the strength in her legs gave out. "I...only wanted to help."

"I know."

A tense silence stretched between them. Then at last, she asked, "May I ask what brought this on? Was it really my fault, or..."

"No." He sighed. "It's...it's Leeron."

"Huh?"

"It's been two weeks since we last heard from him."

"What..."

Then she remembered. The day after they'd been introduced, Simon had explained it to her. That the president of the human colony had ordered for there to be no more contact between the colony and the ship. And that Leeron risked being tried for treason by disobeying that order.

Two weeks. She'd thought it had been a while...

Simon grit his teeth. "I shouldn't have asked him to keep tabs for us. He'd already done enough."

"But...this doesn't necessarily mean anything has happened, right? We might still hear from him again..."

"For his sake, I hope we don't."

So he had been worrying about this on top of everything else... "Simon, even if he is in trouble, it's not your fault. He did this of his own accord. You don't have to blame yourself."

But Simon just scoffed. "Why shouldn't I? I'm the reason that order was given in the first place."

She couldn't exactly argue with that, so Nia just hugged him tightly. "I'm sure...I'm sure he'll be okay..." She dearly wished that were true.

Leeron had risked so much by helping them put this plan together. How could she forget that? He had been so kind, so selfless...

What had she been thinking? It was naive- foolish- to think that they could turn back now. It was too late. This plan was all they had.

"We're running out of time," Simon murmured in her ear, as if echoing her thoughts.

Nia nodded. Forming another plan, or gradually easing his wounds...both could be effective, but they had time for neither. But then...what options did they have? She didn't want to think about it. Didn't want to consider...

"I wish time would just stop right here," Simon said softly. "I wish we could just stay like this..."

For a long time, neither of them moved, reluctant to end the moment. But finally, Nia wriggled out of his grasp, went to the elevator panel and selected their original floor. The elevator began its ascent.

Nia fingered a lock of her hair. "Boota is waiting, so..."

Simon looked away. "Yeah..."

The elevator ride back seemed to take forever this time. They both were at a loss for what to say. All the while, a chorus of whispers swarmed in Nia's head like buzzing insects. She tried to shake them away, but Simon noticed, furrowing his eyebrows, so she stopped. She couldn't think with him here. She had enough distractions already.

The elevator reached their destination. The doors opened, but Nia didn't move, waiting for Simon to leave. He seemed to get the message.

"Well...I guess I'll go back then..."

"Remember to apologize to Boota properly..."

"Yeah, I know."

Before going, he paused to cup her cheek in his hand, but instead of kissing her or saying anything, he just looked at her, sadly and a little longingly. Then he walked out.

Once the doors closed, she let out a long sigh.

Nia leaned against the wall, her face in her hands. She could not keep running from this. She had to face it head on.

Yes, it wasn't the plan that needed fixing. After all, even if there were no immediate risk, wouldn't this issue simply arise again someday? They had to address the heart of the matter.

Nia rubbed her temples. Think. Think. This could still be resolved with words. The issue was his unpredictability. If they could only take that out of the equation...

She had no right to ask for anything on Boota's behalf. But as for her own life...her part in the plan carried the most risk. And after all, didn't he wish for her to make her own decisions? If she could only convince him, perhaps everything would turn out alright. Yes, as long as he committed to it, she could have faith that he would keep his word.

But he had already agreed to this plan, despite being so against it. He'd made compromises, both for her and for Boota, and he was suffering for it. How could she possibly ask for more? What would such a request even do to him? How would he react? She couldn't imagine it going well...

Then one of the Messengers suddenly spoke up. Wait a minute. What exactly are you contemplating?

"Huh?" Nia looked up.

I don't understand the problem. He said he would save you, no matter what. Isn't that what we wanted? Isn't that what you promised us?

Don't play dumb. You know there is more at stake now.

Oh, just leave it alone.

Are you saying she should do nothing?

As long as we survive...isn't that all that matters?

How could you say that after all we've seen?!

Then what do you suggest? Do you want to risk seeing your loved ones again?!

Our loved ones may not even live long enough for us to meet them, at this rate!

"Everyone, please, calm down," Nia said, but her own voice shook.

That's right. When did her survival become something less than certain in her own mind? She had promised them she would live. Yet when she'd asked Simon about it, that certainty was not what she was seeking. When did she begin prioritizing one promise over another?

Her body felt numb. Nia slid to the floor. There was nothing she could say to them that would not be an excuse.

The Messengers became locked in a fierce debate. Increasingly, the barrage of thoughts outpaced her, until she was barely able to keep up. Nia put her hands over her ears, but that did nothing to dull the roar in her own head.

What were you expecting? What else are we supposed to do?

That's right! Go back to working for the Anti-Spirals if that's how you feel!

But the Anti-Spirals are right in some ways. We, of all people, ought to recognize that.

As the last Messenger, she has a responsibility...

A responsibility to those she's made promises to!

She has already freed us from the Anti-Spirals' control. Is that not all we can ask for?

I just want to see my family again!

We mustn't be selfish.

I don't want to die!

But we are already dead...

Yoko, Gimmy, and Kittan sat at their usual meeting, looking over progress reports from various parts of the ship. Despite the loss of manpower, everything was going smoothly; repairs on the interior were moving forward, backup drives for the computers had been installed all around the ship, and Leite reported that the Gunmen were in top shape. As expected, the main point of worry was Leeron.

Yoko chewed her lip. Considering how frequent his transmissions had been lately, for him to suddenly be so silent was definite cause for concern. From what they could observe, the colony still seemed to be in one piece, so if there was a problem, it was probably internal. Maybe something happened that kept him preoccupied the last two weeks? Or maybe...

Kittan and Gimmy shared a glance before trying their best to reassure her.

"Don't worry, Yoko. I mean, no news is good news, right?"

"Yeah, he's probably just lying low."

"I guess..."

But equally troubling was the fact that now, they had no way of knowing how close the other Spiral races were to launching an attack.

"Just in case, I think we should play it safe," Gimmy said, "and go into battle as soon as Nia's body is ready."

"I agree," Yoko nodded. "We can't waste any time. That's our deadline."

"Right. So, Kittan, weren't you checking in with her? How long do you think we have?"

"About that..." Kittan fidgeted. "I went to look at it a couple days ago and, well..." He made a face. "It looked kinda gross. And guess I must've said so out loud, cause...Lord Genome told me to get out. Haven't gone back since."

Gimmy snorted.

Yoko just rolled her eyes. "Clearly, this requires someone with a little more tact. I'll go next time."

Kittan raised an eyebrow. "You sure about that?"

"Sure, why not?" She needed to get her mind off things anyway. And considering that promise she made to Simon...it wouldn't hurt to become a little more familiar with Nia.

So after the meeting, Yoko made her way to the main computer room and knocked on the door. "Nia, it's me, Yoko. Can I come in?"

For a while, she heard nothing. Then the door opened, and Nia stood in front of her. "Yes?"

"I'm just here to check in and see how your new body is doing."

Nia said nothing, but stepped back, allowing her to enter. Yoko followed her to the tank.

"Wow, it's...really coming along."

Now she knew what Kittan had meant by 'gross.' Looking at the growing body, Yoko was strongly reminded of the time they'd discovered the ruins of the Beastman Incubation Chamber. The place had been strewn with the decaying, half-formed bodies of infant Beastmen, their pods destroyed during the battle and subsequent collapse of Teppelin. Even just remembering it made her feel sick.

This wasn't nearly so bad, though. The body had formed enough by now that it was recognizably human, and recognizably Nia, even down to its apparent age and long hair.

The body was also completely nude. Good thing she came instead of Kittan after all.

Beside her, Nia was looking at the body too, with a slightly perturbed expression. Yoko couldn't blame her. If she saw an exact copy of herself floating in a tank, she'd find it creepy too.

Yoko cleared her throat. "So, uh...have you thought about clothing?"

"Clothing?" Nia blinked, as if that had never even occurred to her. "...Do you suppose it is necessary?"

"Well, if you're going to live as a human again..." But then Yoko paused. "Wait, don't tell me...you didn't go around naked all the time when you were a human, did you?"

Nia shook her head. "I wore clothing then. In fact...I once knew how to make my own dresses."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes. An old Beastman taught me." She looked down at her hands. "...But I am very much out of practice..."

"Don't worry, I'm not expecting you to make your own clothes or anything. We have some extra clothing that you can pick from, if you want. It's not much, and I doubt we'll have anything pretty...just finding something in the right size might be the best that you could hope for, but...would you be interested?"

"That would be fine, thank you."

Yoko led her out into the hall. As they walked, Yoko glanced at her.

Was she just imagining it, or did Nia seem a little colder...more Messenger-like today? She did tend to revert sometimes. Or maybe she was just lost in thought. Yoko wasn't exactly confident that she could read the girl correctly yet.

The room where they kept the spare clothing was a storage room like any other, except this one was filled with several crates full of haphazardly assembled piles of clothing. Only the uniforms were properly folded and stacked.

In the last few years, what people wore was really the last of anyone's worries on the ship, and producing more than necessary was largely considered a waste of resources. The uniform standards also became noticeably slack when Rossiu left for the colony and Simon took over. As a result, most crew members either wore uniforms, pilot suits, or a thrown together mix of those and civilian clothing.

"Let's see, this crate has spare uniforms, this one has pilot suits...these are clothes some of our younger pilots outgrew; they're probably too small for you. You can find undergarments over there, and...oh, we have adult-sized civilian clothing over here; this should have more variety."

For most of the crew, what little civilian clothing they owned were simply the clothes they had on their backs when escaping Earth; people who'd evacuated early enough to pack belongings, or who managed to visit the colony long enough to buy clothing, had a bit more. But the rest of them had to scavenge whatever was left behind from people who passed away. And people were always passing away...

Yoko lingered over that crate for a moment, spotting a few articles that looked vaguely familiar. Then she shook her head and turned away, wandering over to the last crate in the room.

"And these are clothes that were scattered in the rooms of the ship when we first found it; left over from Lord Genome's era, we think. Honestly, I'm surprised they haven't rotten away...maybe because they were in space so long. Anyway, it's interesting to see what they wore back then, and imagine who they belonged to. Though I guess since they were your father's comrades, he'd be able to tell you if you just asked, huh?"

Yoko realized she was rambling. But she didn't have much choice; Nia wasn't saying anything and she felt a need to fill the silence.

Nia just nodded as she sifted through a stack of uniforms. But her heart really didn't seem to be in it.

Yoko was suddenly reminded of the time she'd dragged Simon in here. It was shortly after Taboo- Boota- had turned humanoid, and expressed a desire to wear clothing like everyone else. Back then, Simon and Viral were both still wearing their prison uniforms, despite their sentences having long been lifted; exasperated, Yoko pushed them into coming along.

Where Taboo had immediately gravitated to the uniforms, Simon had flat-out refused wearing another uniform again, leaving him with little options. He too had shuffled through the piles of clothing wearing a blank, disinterested expression, until he finally stumbled across something that 'felt right.'

"Come to think of it...I'm pretty sure Simon scavenged his outfit from this crate."

Nia put down the uniforms and came over to look. Yoko smirked.

They rummaged through the crate in silence for a while. As they did, Yoko glanced at Nia again.

As she'd thought, something seemed to be bothering her. Maybe the nerves were finally getting to her? For a normal person facing impending death, that wouldn't be unusual. But then, Nia wasn't a normal person.

Nia's hands paused in their search. "This..."

"Hm?" Yoko looked at what she had found. "Oh. Well...if you're looking for something nice, that's probably the best you'll find."

Yoko almost wondered why no one else had nabbed it before, but then, who wanted to go about their daily lives wearing what was practically a nightgown, especially in the middle of a war? It certainly wasn't to her taste. Of course, Nia used to be a princess when she was human...maybe she just had a preference for dresses.

"Want to try it on?"

Nia hesitated. "Do you think it would look strange...um...on a Messenger..."

"We won't know unless we try, right?"

Still looking unsure, Nia nonetheless pulled it on.

Yoko had to admit, it did look odd; the black skin and pink lines on her body showed clear through the white material. But if she tried to imagine her as a human...

"Yeah, I think it looks good. Size seems to fit. What do you think? Is it comfortable enough?"

Nia looked distinctly uncomfortable standing there in the dress, but she nodded.

"You know...I'm not trying to force you into this or anything. If you really don't want to..."

But she shook her head. "It's not that. It's just..."

"What?"

Nia took a deep breath. "Yoko...may I ask you for some advice?"

Yoko blinked. "Sure. What is it?"

Nia gripped the material of her dress. "Let us say...you have made promises to two people. The first promise was made a long time ago; the second, a little more recently. However, it is only after making the second promise that you realize you may not be able to keep both. Both promises are very important. But...they are contradictory."

She looked straight into Yoko's eyes. "What would you do?"

Yoko furrowed her eyebrows. Did she need to be so vague? It must be a private matter that she didn't want to discuss fully. "Well, without knowing what the promises are, all I can say is...I guess I'd just have to apologize to the second person. It's too bad, but the first promise should come first. Otherwise, it's just not fair to the first person. Right?"

Nia was silent, her expression blank.

"...Does that help?"

"Yes...I suppose it does. Thank you." Nia swayed on her feet.

"Hey, are you okay?!"

"It is just...a slight headache..."

"Maybe you should sit down." Yoko dragged an empty crate over and helped her sit. "Is it because of the Messengers?" she guessed.

Nia nodded.

"Are they giving you a hard time?"

Nia let out a sob. "I cannot blame them!"

Yoko watched, stunned, as she broke down crying. At once, she knew this was serious; the girl looked absolutely heartbroken.

She quickly tried to piece things together. The second promise Nia referred to was probably the promise she had made to the Messengers. And the first promise...she had a hunch it had something to do with Simon. They had mentioned a promise before, back when she'd tried to kill him; whatever it was, it had been important enough to make him cling to life against all odds. And if Nia felt she had to choose between him and the Messengers...that would certainly explain her conflict.

Yoko put a hand on her shoulder. "You know...if this involves Simon, maybe you should try talking to him about it? I doubt he'd want to make you choose, if it hurts you this much. And who knows, you might be able to work things out."

Nia nodded through her tears. "But..."

"But?"

"I'm afraid," she whimpered.

"Of what? Talking to him, or..."

"Everything!"

Again, Yoko was taken aback by her outburst. But soon she smiled. "It's okay, Nia. That's normal. It's normal to be afraid, especially in this situation. Believe me, we're all scared out of our minds."

Funny. For some reason, she felt like she was talking to one of her old students...

"But you know you can't let that stop you, right? Not if it's important."

Nia nodded again.

"Don't worry. I know you can do it." She hesitated before going on. "...Believe in me who believes in you."

At last, Nia wiped the tears from her eyes. "Thank you," she sniffled.

Smiling, Yoko helped her back on her feet. It was a little embarrassing, invoking those words, but she was glad that it had provided at least some comfort.

But...this might prove to be a problem. Simon and Nia were the biggest pieces they had in this battle. She didn't want to intervene if it wasn't necessary, but with the situation being as dire as it was already, they couldn't afford to have anything else go wrong.

Yoko made a mental note to keep an eye on them from now on.

Two days later, everyone gathered on the main bridge. Lord Genome had announced that morning that Nia's new body was finally complete. And so, it was finally time to take a look at the so-called Great Dimensional Waterfall.

Having put in the coordinates that Nia had given them, the operators made the necessary preparations.

In the meantime, Yoko glanced at Nia. Just from looking at her, not much seemed to have changed. If anything, she seemed even more quiet and distant today. Hadn't she talked to Simon yet? What was taking her so long?

She glanced at Simon. Surely he must have noticed something was wrong? But then, he seemed to have something on his mind too, staring out at the stars and sighing intermittently.

What the hell was going on with those two?

"Everything is ready!" Cibela announced. "Your orders?"

Yoko exchanged a glance with Gimmy and Kittan and nodded.

"Commence warp!"

The ship jumped into a warp. When they reappeared again, however, it wasn't at first apparent whether they had even traveled very far. There were no noticeable landmarks nearby, no planets, no star, just black space and clouds of interstellar dust all around.

They looked around for a moment before Gimmy finally said what was on their minds.

"Uh...I don't know what a Great Dimensional Waterfall is supposed to look like, but...I don't see anything."

Nia pointed. "There it is."

"Where?"

It was a spiral of green gas, almost resembling a miniature galaxy. If she hadn't pointed it out, it would have been easy to overlook as just another small nebula.

"Fire upon it and you will see."

And so they did.

Immediately, the attack started a powerful chain reaction. Space seemed to crack and split, opening into a vast dimensional rift. From beyond, gases of every imaginable color began to stream out.

"Whoa..."

"I can't believe it," Taboo muttered. "This is what we've been looking for this whole time...?"

Yoko shook her head. It seemed almost too easy; but of course, they would have never found it without Nia's help.

"You think they noticed that?" Kittan asked, eyebrow raised.

"We have come knocking at their door," Nia said. "They most certainly have."

"Wha...why'd you tell us to do that then?!"

"Do you think they'll try to stop us?"

"I doubt it. It would be to their advantage once we enter Super Spiral Space. They are most likely lying in wait."

"Great..."

Meanwhile, the dimensional rift was already repairing itself. The stream of multicolored gas came to a halt as space closed up around it again. Assuming it lasted that long each time, Yoko estimated they would only have about a minute to enter through it.

The gas dissipated, blending into surrounding nebulas. Once again, it was as if nothing was there.

"Well, at least we've got that figured out. What's next?"

"Next is..."

"Leeron," Simon said, turned to the operators. "Is there still no word from him?"

Cybela shook her head sadly. "No. Still nothing."

The deck fell silent.

"Well...so what if he did get caught, huh?" Kittan said, trying to liven the mood. "What's the worst that could happen? He'd just be told off, right?"

"I'm sure Rossiu would understand once he explains the situation," Gimmy nodded.

But Simon scoffed. "Are you kidding? This is Rossiu we're talking about. Leeron doesn't have a chance."

Gimmy frowned at him. "That's not really fair."

"You weren't there when we made the agreement. He was dead set on having no contact. If he thinks he has to make Leeron into an example, he'll do it."

"You don't give him enough credit! He knows what's most important, and that's ending the war! Why do you think he made you captain in the first place?"

"And he made it plenty clear just how much he regretted that decision. Believe me, right now he'd rather just hide out on that colony than take any more risks. For all we know, Leeron might be on death row even as we speak."

"No way! Rossiu's always looked up to him! He wouldn't do anything that serious! Besides, Leeron's too valuable. Humanity needs him."

"That sure didn't stop Rossiu from sentencing me to death."

"Would the both of you just shut up?!" Yoko snapped.

They stopped arguing. "S-sorry," Gimmy said. Simon looked at the floor.

They were all pretty tense when it came to this topic, Yoko not the least among them. Leeron was as close as family to her, but she shared just as much blame for relying on him.

It had just been such a relief to see another familiar face again, and they'd needed his help so much. They ended up treating him almost like another member of the crew, when in fact, he was light years away, and operating under great risk. And of course, Leeron never complained, never let on if he was in danger of being found out. They should have been more mindful of his circumstances. They should have been more careful...

Amid the gloomy atmosphere, Kittan spoke up. "Come on guys, we need to move on. Let's focus on what we can do."

He was right. Worrying would get them nowhere. And Yoko knew that no matter what happened to him, Leeron would want them to continue the mission as planned. Otherwise, he would have risked it all for nothing.

"Right. So, Nia...your body is finished, right? Can we go see it?"

Nia looked away as she answered. "...Yes."

As they filed into the main computer room, Yoko was relieved to see that Nia had already dressed her new body. It lay on a cot they had prepared for it in front of the two tanks, wearing a white sleeveless dress. It lay still, almost doll-like but for the slight rise and fall of its chest as it breathed.

When Simon saw the body, he froze. "What's with the dress?" he blurted.

Yoko gave him a dirty look. "What, you'd rather she be naked?"

"N-no, not exactly..."

"I'll have you know, she picked out that dress herself."

"O-oh, she did?"

She clicked her tongue. "Honestly, I can't believe you. That's the first thing you say?"

"It's just not something I'm used to seeing, okay?!"

Yoko turned to Nia. "Don't listen to him. It looks wonderful on you."

But Nia just stared at the body, not paying attention.

"Wow, that's...pretty impressive..." said Gimmy.

"Yeah...it really looks just like her," Kittan agreed.

"Of course it does," Lord Genome said flatly. "Who do you think I am?"

Yoko glanced at Simon again. He had a complicated expression on his face, as if he didn't really know how to feel. Maybe she shouldn't have been so hard on him. This was an awkward situation, after all. Here was the Nia he would come to know in the future, the result of all his efforts- but right now, she was still just a hollow shell. How was he supposed to treat her, especially with the current Nia standing right beside him?

Alright, she would cut him a little slack.

"So everything looks good here. How about you?" she turned to Taboo. "Are you ready?"

Taboo sighed wearily. "As ready as I'll ever be, I suppose. I don't think I can survive another training session."

"Simon? What do you think?"

He shrugged. "I doubt another day or two would make much difference at this point."

"Well, in that case...if we're all prepared..."

Someone had to say it. The issue with Leeron only helped put things into perspective. They couldn't drag their feet at this. There was too much at stake.

"...We go into battle. Tomorrow."

Tomorrow. Tomorrow. The word rang about in her head, echoed by all the voices of the Messengers.

For two days now, Nia had tried and tried to express her worries, but could not find the right time, or the right words. And now, there was no time left.

Yoko shot her a meaningful look, and Nia knew what it meant. She was giving them the rest of the day to work things out. If she hadn't talked to him yet, she'd better do it now.

With everything decided, Yoko, Kittan, and Gimmy left the room. Boota looked to Simon. "So...now what do we do?"

Simon put his hands in his pockets, looking at the floor. "Nothing. Your training is over as of now."

"Really?" Boota blinked. "Is there nothing else you can teach me?"

Simon spoke in a lifeless voice. "Stamina. Endurance. Focus. Those are all things that you need, but the only thing that makes a damn difference in the end is fighting spirit. So just take it easy and save your strength for tomorrow."

Boota hesitated. "Then...I suppose you won't mind if I go take a nap?"

"Go ahead."

Boota practically dashed out of the room. Now it was just her and Simon.

Simon sighed, then headed for the door as well. "Come on, Nia. Let's get out of here."

She had to tell him now, or never.

"Wait!"

He stopped before the door.

"There's something...I've been meaning to ask you..."

"Yeah? What is it?" he asked, still facing away from her.

Nia quickly tried to sort out her thoughts, figure out the best way to phrase it, but the Messengers distracted her, half of them urging her on, the other half begging her to stop. She shook her head to no avail. "Please...be quiet..." she whispered.

"What?"

"N-no, I don't mean you..." Nia heaved a frustrated sigh. Her heart pounded. She had to get this over with. And so, with her thoughts only half-formed, she began.

"Simon...if I die tomorrow, I just want you to know that it will be okay. I won't have any regrets."

Simon's back stiffened. But as seconds passed, he made no other reaction, so Nia went on.

"I've lived more than enough already. More than I deserve. So if it comes down to it, I know I will be satisfied..."

"What the hell are you talking about?" he asked.

Nia paused. Looking at his back was painful. Her gaze wandered, first to the floor, and then to the cot where her new body lay. She went to stand next to it, looking at the blank, doll-like face.

"...By the end of tomorrow, I will have experienced death two times. This will be my third body. My third." She touched its hand. The skin was cold, but at the wrist, she felt a pulse beat. "A normal person only has one chance at life. Why do I deserve so many? And I've done so much harm in my life...it doesn't seem fair."

"That's stupid. You didn't have a choice the first time. It's not your fault the Anti-Spirals rewrote your old body and gave you a new one."

"Yes, but this time, I do have a choice. Don't I? So shouldn't I choose what's right?"

This time he didn't answer.

She bit her lip. "I only want the same chances as anyone else. I never asked for more..."

For a long moment, Simon was silent. Then he spoke again, voice eerily calm. "Nia...are you having second thoughts?" He slowly turned to her. "Because that's what it sounds like."

Now she regretted saying anything at all.

"You're the one who wanted to do it this way, remember? You're the one who wanted a new body."

"I know," she said. "And I still think that is the best way. But..."

Another tense silence passed.

Then abruptly, Simon strode over and grabbed her roughly by the shoulders. "For god's sake, Nia, this is your life! Don't just throw it away!"

"What? Simon, I'm not-"

"Weren't there things you wanted to do? Places you wanted to go, people you wanted to meet?!"

"Yes! Of course! And I still do-"

"What about those other Messengers? You promised them!" He shook her.

"I know! I haven't forgotten about them!"

"Then why? We finally found a way for you to live...and you just want to quit before we can even try?! Why?!"

She'd seen him look this way, yell this way at her before. "Simon, I'm not saying that I want to die-"

"Then what are you saying? What would you have me do? What do you want?!"

Nia took a shaky breath, trying to regain her composure. "The Anti-Spirals must be stopped. With that, I still agree. But otherwise..." She hesitated. "I don't want to break any promises. And I do want to live. But...I don't know what else to do!" She looked up at him, pleadingly. "If you would...if you would just be willing to let me go..."

His expression darkened. "And what if I'm not?"

This was exactly what she'd feared. "Then that is all the more reason why this plan is a mistake."

That statement hung in the air for a moment, before Simon let out a strained laugh.

Nia stared at him, confused.

He shook his head. "I just figured it out. The Anti-Spirals...they planned this, didn't they?"

"What?" What was he talking about?

He tapped his finger against her forehead. "It's those Messengers. They're just another trap. They let you absorb them, so they could whisper suggestions into your ear. Poison your mind."

"...No! That is wrong! I know this may seem sudden to you, Simon, but I have had these thoughts for a very long time! The Messengers only share my worries!"

"And maybe that's their purpose! Maybe they were meant to make you focus on them!"

"No!"

"How would you know?!"

"Because of the way you are behaving at this very moment!" She stomped her foot. "They would not risk upsetting you in this way! Can't you see, it is their fear of you that allows me to live!"

"Then let them fear me! I'll give them plenty of reason to!"

"No!" She wanted to cry. "Why? Why can't you understand?"

"Because you're not making any sense!" His grip tightened on her shoulders. "Risks are one thing, Nia! But I'm not going to stand by while you just throw your life away!"

"You're not..." She valiantly held back her tears. "You're not the only one who feels that way, Simon! It's true, some of the Messengers urged me to say this to you, but just as many of them urged me to stop! They're not what you say they are! Of that, I am absolutely sure!"

"...Then why didn't you listen to them?! They'd be dying with you, Nia! I know you're not that heartless!"

Guilt stabbed at her heart. "I know...I know. But it can't be helped. This is our fate. And I know, that when it comes to it, they will understand..."

"Understand what?!"

"That there are things more important than us!" She took a deep breath. "That we are just a small part of a very large universe, and that sometimes, we must let go of what we hold dear for the greater good! It's not right to risk everything for the sake of one person or one promise."

His gaze hardened. "What, this self-righteous shit again? I thought you were done being the Anti-Spirals' mouthpiece."

"What?"

"Look at who I am, Nia. Look at what I've done! I've lost all right to stand on any moral high ground!"

"That doesn't mean you should keep using that as...as an excuse to ignore what's right!"

"I don't care! I just want to protect what I can! That's all that I can do!"

"I only wish that you won't endanger the universe in the process of saving me! Is that so much to ask?"

"Screw the universe! If I can't save you, what's the fucking point!"

She gasped. It kept getting worse.

"I'm not going to let you sacrifice yourself for something that stupid. Don't forget, I made you a promise! And I'm going to keep it!"

She held her breath. "...Even if it's against my will?"

"YES!" he shouted.

She flinched.

Simon's expression was desperate, but resolute.

She spoke again, quietly. "Why...why do I deserve to live, no matter the cost?"

"Because I say you do," he said simply.

"But that's...!" She wrung her hands in frustration. "You have no right to decide that!"

His eye flashed in anger. "Then if you don't deserve to live, why the hell am I still alive?!"

"Because...!" she began, but faltered. "Because...you promised..."

They both fell silent. Then Simon took a step back. "...I never thought you could be so selfish."

The accusation stunned her. "I am selfish? Simon, if there is anyone being selfish right now, it is you!"

He grit his teeth. "...Maybe I am! But I'm doing all this for you! So you can't...you can't just change your mind like that...!"

And before she could say anything more, he stormed out of room. As the door closed behind him, she heard him mutter. "God...what was the point..."

Then she was left in the dark.

Nia felt sick. How? How could things have gone so wrong so quickly?

At the end, Simon had sounded more hurt than angry. She was hurt too.

Was it selfish to live, or selfish to die? Nia didn't know anymore.

She turned to her father, wiping her eyes. "Father, is he right? Am I being selfish?"

He took a moment to answer, as if he were considering the situation.

"Some of the blame for this may lie with me. When that fool was in doubt, I was the one who convinced him to take risks, no matter the cost. However, your concerns are also valid. I, too, grew to fear my fellow Spiral Warriors. And so, for the sake of the universe, I betrayed them. My daughter...will you follow the same path I once did?"

Her eyes widened in horror. "...No! That's not what I..."

But wasn't that why she was so afraid? Because she knew it might come to this. Because now, with her suspicions confirmed, she was forced to confront the question she had been dreading: What would she do, if Simon refused to stop? What should she do?

Seeing her tremble, her father spoke again.

"One thing is clear: You cannot go into this battle with half-hearted conviction. That is the path to ruin and despair. The two of you must come to an understanding, whatever it may be, or else abandon the endeavor entirely."