Struggling to stand, Titania can barely walk. Lacus, alongside her, gives her his arm to support her. Oscar and Lorelei are in the front, brushing the spores of the Starlight Trees from the blades of grass in the ground using water taming.

A sudden sound reaches Titania’s ears. Something is brushing against the vegetation, just behind them.

“Wait” Titania says.

“What is the matter?”

Titania raises her right hand “Oscar, Lorelei, we might have a problem.”

Lorelei adds “Someone is following us.”

Oscar and Lorelei turn back. Titania signs them with her right hand, and both separate from each other to the sides, and take aim. Lacus brings out the water he has left too.

The brushing continues and is coming closer.

“Wow, you Weiss people surely have incredible ears. Now I can hear it too.” Lacus says.

A shadow, a silhouette appears behind some vegetation, and another sound reaches Titania’s ears. A rush, a sound that in her life as a Beheader she has heard a million times before.

“Stand down. It isn’t hostile.” Titania says, making signs with her hand to Oscar and Lorelei. Everyone relaxes their posture.

From behind the vegetation, water rushing comes forward, moving against the ground, followed by Bran, with part of his face and part of his clothes now black.

Titania, at this sight, felt lost for words. Lacus came forward and asked what she wanted to know “What happened to you?”

Titania can hear a laugh from behind her. That voice clearly belongs to Oscar. Lorelei accompanies with a snort and a chuckle.

As Bran gets closer, Titania also says “Good to see you well.” Then asks “What about Tomoe? Is she lagging behind?”

Bran raises both hands “One question at a time, please. Let's see: One, I’m like this because of the enemy bastards, somehow managed to make the trees burn, although it didn’t last long. And two, Tomoe, she…” Bran cuts himself.

“What? What happened? Out with it!” Titania insists.

“Well, the thing is: the situation got hairy down there. I wanted to pull out, but she insisted that even so, she would carry the plan forward, and jumped alone against the target. Don’t know since then.”

“Weren’t you supposed to jump together?” Lorelei said, having come closer.

“It turned out more dangerous than what we expected, and she went and jumped ahead alone, after pushing me away.”

“You-” Titania and Lorelei started to say in unison, but cutting them both, Oscar takes the word and says “Well, the plan anyway was to reunite in front of the castle. That she is alone doesn’t change that fact now. Come on, let's get moving.” He adds while putting both of his hands on Lorelei’s and Titania’s shoulders.

Titania nodded, relaxing her shoulders, and turning back with Lacus, everyone kept walking.

Walking over blades of grass, leaves and roots, the light of the Grand Castle shines like god rays through the vegetation.

“I have been wondering now,” Lacus says “wasn’t the enemy army right behind us? How come you managed to get to us first?”

“Well, believe or not, while I was following the path alongside the enemy army in pursue when the Grand Castle started to shine, the enemy army stopped in their tracks, and went back… It was really strange.”

“They… went back? Why?” Titania says.

“Beats me, but better not having them on our butts honestly.” Bran says.

“I will have to agree to that.” Lorelei joins Bran’s sentiment.

“You guys take it too easy you know?”

“I would go crazy if I didn’t.” Lacus says.

As they keep walking, the path finally starts to even out, losing its steepness.

“We are about to reach everyone else. Look.” Lorelei says, pointing towards the path ahead, a curve from where giant god rays come from.

“Finally. Gotta ask Daisy to give me a burst. I’m tired of not having much Aura left.” Titania says.

“That actually sounds like a great idea. I’ll go for it too.” Oscar says.

“Make it three.” Lorelei joins.

“Four.” Lacus says.

“Five.” Bran joins.

Titania snorts “Good, good. It is good to see that we haven’t lost the ability to count.”

While they are turning around, they face right in front of the light of the Grand Castle. Walking forward, they finally step out of the Starlight Forest, out to the large empty space in front of the Grand Castle drawbridge, which is its entrance and it is down,vright now.

“This… talking about eerie.” Lacus says.

“Don’t tell me about it. It is so silent.” Titania says.

“Where is everyone?” Bran remarks.

Looking forward, Lorelei catches the drawbridge down “The drawbridge is down, surely they are inside.”

“Let's go.” Oscar says.

“What about Tomoe?” Bran says.

Oscar replies “Don’t worry. We will have someone here at the drawbridge, looking out for when she arrives.”

“I don’t like it, but we better get in right now.” Titania says.

“Agreed. Working as a cane isn’t that fun, not for the cane, not for the one using it.” Lacus says.

Titania snorts.

And following it, a strong sound can be heard, a sudden burst of an object moving fast, ripping the air as it flies through.

Titania’s mind went numb. Her eyes stared right in front, as she felt that her legs just went limp. A burning sensation started to erode in her, from the right side of her stomach. Her entire body goes stiff, and her ears can’t catch what is happening around her.

What… what is happening?

Looking to her left, she can see Lacus’ expression, with eyes wide open, mouth contorted in a half-moon curving upward. To her right, Bran’s hands, grabbing her right arm. Seeing the ground, she then notices that the ground is strange as if it had risen to a wall.

I’m falling?

The white light of the Grand Castle tints everything white, gradually, making everything else meld into the white color. At this moment she notices something, something that is unique and unmistakable, following it while she turned around and put face up.

That is blood… a lot of…

Everything moves as if it were in slow motion. Lacus’ and Bran’s expression over her, she can distinguish the Auras out, but barely the colors. Lorelei and Oscar enter into the picture, pulling them both by the arms. She then understood the situation she was in, looking at the desperation that everyone had in their faces.

They don’t want to go… can’t have that.

Making an effort to talk, her entire body starts to quiver. She can feel the blood pouring too from her mouth. Lacus' mouth moves, but to no use, she can’t make the words he is saying.

“G-g-g-” Titania tries to talk. Tears start to overflow “M-my mom… My lil b-br-bro…” Titania struggles. Taking a deep breath, she moves her eyes towards Lacus, and whispers “Go.”

Hearing this, Lacus’ and Bran’s expressions fill with sadness. For a slight moment, Titania manages to see it, but then, they are gone.

Her senses start to get dull, her body going cold, and little by little she finds more difficulty with breathing. The image of her mother and her little brother appear on her mind. Titania manages to muster a small smile, but also slight regret is born like a flower sprouting in a cold barren field. The smile of her dear mother, the overflowing energy of her little brother. The embrace of both of them. Will they be safe?

A memory from before she entered the Beheader Corps resurfaces in her mind, of those evenings, were Titania spends her time at home, resting, after getting back from the marketplace and helping her dear mother put everything back into its place, ready to take out for another day. Her little brother just barely learned how to walk, and through the door suddenly her father entered.

Her father… There hasn’t been a day where she hasn’t thought about him. Such a reliable man, strong, incredibly charismatic and well-loved by everyone. What she liked the most of him was his broad shoulders and his thick beard, that even as she was going through her teens somehow still managed to tickle her. Then, he was there no more.

If she closes her eyes and keeps quiet, she can still hear the loud laugh of her father echoing in her ears.

Father… I tried everything I could… I’m just… a bit tired…

Her senses continue to dull, as she is left behind, on the ground, sinking into this soundless, white world.