"Then," Maxwell stopped, "is she doing well?" He asked.

Thomas stopped. Much like his heart. Could it really be, that his blindness had tricked him so foully? His loyal third eye, Axel Astrix, had seemingly hidden such a secret from him? His legs had collapsed to the floor in anguish at such a thought.

"That would make sense. But I don't want to believe it. Axel would have told me! He would have told me, Max..." He cried out in dreadful pain, a distant wail of the wind hustling behind the three of them.

"Listen, Thomas, all illnesses have a cure." Maxwell reasoned.

"No. Max. I remember parts of what I did to her." Thomas slurred out, his eyes viewing his hands - the sight flickering with flesh and thick droplets of blood.

"Parts of what he did to her...?" Maxwell thought.

"For goodness sake! Will you three hurry up!" Victoria shouted as she called them from the end of the hallway.

"Oh, um, sorry. Is the carriage ready?" Quickly concealing Thomas, Maxwell asked.

"Yes, Maxwell. The carriage is ready! What has happened to you three?" Victoria asked, her eyes caught onto her fallen lover.

"He - he tripped over the carpet. We'll be down shortly." Said Maxwell, his finger repeatedly tapping the lifeless body for help.

"Huh, oh yes! I fell over and now my leg seems to hurt!" Muttered out Thomas.

"Have you been tearing up? My, what a softie!" Victoria chuckled to herself as she soon left them.

Following her distantly behind, Thomas watched her elegant, but imperfect, struts of beauty. His heart had been flooded with a burning sense of guilt. Guilt that haunted the hands that shivered, the eyes that wept and the feet that moved unwillingly. His movement had been partly aided by Maxwell, who on the other hand had little Elsa to look after. It had not been for too long though, as the three had eventually crammed into the majestic carriage Grove had ready.

They had set off steadily, a powerful downfall of rain slowing down the horses that carried the carriage begrudgingly through the thick mud roads. Aiming for the first stop of their journey, Grove had been forced to push the carriage through a deep set of winds to reach the small village of Duke. Drearily drenched in rain, the villagers had no longer covered the streets. Instead, a grey overcast of gloominess had lingered, causing a miserable retreat to safety for them. Lux had been offered one last chance to join the others to Bournington, but he had refused the luxury plainly and returned back to his small cottage. The others had marked Duke off finally, and now they looked onwards to Astrea.

Thomas had looked onwards indeed, but with a lens of severe doubts. His eyes were focused on the road as he quietly remained deep within his thoughts, unbeknownst to him, Maxwell had noted his unhappy gaze. Against the window, a white plain harboured two distinct droplets of rain slipping downwards. At a closer glance, a grave weariness about Thomas' eyes struggled his feverish face, causing Maxwell to have a pit of anxiety churn his stomach.

"Ms Magika. What do you plan on doing in Astrea?" He asked to relieve the silence of the carriage.

"We're planning on heading to Columbus." Her reply was faint.

"Columbus rings a bell for me somewhere..." Maxwell muttered.

"We are looking for a dragon." Thomas abruptly said.

"Titan, I assume? I haven't seen him in a while." Recalled Maxwell.

"Hmm, Titan. What has happened to that little one?" Victoria pondered.

"Titan is fine." Thomas removed his eyes from the road and into the cabin. "I just don't want to put him in harm's way for now."

"So, there is harm at Columbus?" Gathered Alsop.

"Possibly. So, I'm keeping him safe." Said Thomas.

"Well aside from that, I need to go to Astrea and repair my home!" Victoria had given Maxwell a stare of malice.

"Need I remind you, I was given permission to destroy the home." Maxwell defensively smiled.

"Well, I didn't expect damage to the extent you made! It's fine, we'll blame the man going behind bars." Said Victoria.

The carriage had stopped. For many, the rain would have rendered sight of Astrea as nothing more than a blur, but for Victoria, she could recognise it in a heartbeat. She had jumped out of the carriage with plentiful joy, but her counterpart could sparsely feel the same. He had stepped out hesitantly with his foot hovering over the path, whilst he gently held Victoria's hand. The two had taken a deep breath of their surroundings, the fresh wilderness of Astrea's forest borderline. Crawling away in the distance, the wheels of the carriage had left them while they began lightly striding through a pathway that had been embroidered in a palette of flowers - all dripping with water. Ignoring the spitting rain, the two walked at a brisk pace as they captured the varying amounts of excitement for their freedom that tingled within them.

"Mmm, now we can do so much together! We can enjoy our time with each other, properly and fully, my love." Victoria merrily said.

"Let's not get too hasty, my darl - Victoria." Thomas faltered with self-hatred.

"What has happened?" Victoria tugged his arm for his eyes, but nothing gained his sight. "Please. Just look at me. Look into my eyes!" She exclaimed.

"I can't look at you." Thomas hid his tearful eyes as he burrowed her into his chest. "I know what I did to you. If it's true, you have less than months to live." He cried out.

"You - you know?" Victoria stuttered out.

"The sword I used to cut your hand off. I know the curse that sword gives. You are cursed." Biting his lip, Thomas said.

"No. I still have time. I will sort this out. Everything is fine Thomas." Daring a peek at her lover, Victoria said.

"Shut up! Shut up! I know what I did...I cursed you...the love of my life..." Thomas miserably replied, his hands pushing her away.

"Then you will know! You will know the curse can be reversed!" Exclaimed Victoria.

"Yes, we are going to Columbus, but the sword won't be there anymore." Deeply sighed Thomas.

"It will be there. Wrath can't leave the tower, so it is unlikely to have gone far." Confidently, Victoria said - her fiery eyes finally meeting Thomas' watery pair.

"I'm sorry." Thomas searched deep within her. "What am I thinking arguing against you? I should be fighting with you right now. It is my doing after all." He reasoned with a tear.

"I should have told you straight away." Guiltily replied Victoria.

"Yes, you should have. But we will leave tomorrow. I don't want to leave this waiting on our minds any longer." Said Thomas.

He had raised his eyes to the clouds, all grey and full of uncertainty. They were barely visible now, as the sun had begun almost setting. And strolling through a denser and darker forest with a dark demeanour deafening the carriage, Grove had shivered slightly as he felt a timid loneliness about the carriage. Sat behind him was only Maxwell, Axel, Alsop and Elsa, with Edgar chained up front.

"Where are we?" Alsop asked.

"I'm not very sure, not too far away. But I don't get a very safe feeling about this area, make sure the doors are locked." Maxwell advised the others.

"I'm sure it's not that bad." Axel nervously chuckled, his hands still obeying Maxwell's advice.

"I'm going to take one of these for precaution." Alsop had his eyes indented on the rich blueness of a wind shield he had been carrying for quite some time.

"Well, you can enjoy that luxury alone." Axel shrugged the idea off.

"A smart decision, Alsop. This place puts my sense to the maximum." Maxwell fearfully said.

"Are you really that worried?" Asked Axel.

"Well, Axel, you tell me. Can you even spot the black curse that is stuck to Envy?" Asked Maxwell.

"You're right! How did it get so dark!?" Axel muttered in bewilderment.

"I wonder if Grove is doing okay up front. I worry for him, but he seems a good driver." Alsop observed.

"Yes, but he isn't the best, that title would go to our...to our Oswald Charisma...where exactly is he?" Maxwell stuttered in thought.

"Maybe he came to Astrea and didn't see us." Axel quickly said.

"Maybe he got lost." Alsop followed him immediately after.

"No." Maxwell shook his head unwillingly. "He is an experienced driver. And we advised him to come to Duke if he could not find us in Astrea." He paused as a clap of thunder shook their souls. "The obvious answer is that something has stopped him in Bournington. Something likely bad." He said.

"But how are you so sure?" Axel mumbled out.

"I'm not. I'd fly further up and check the area, but the weather is too much for me." Regretfully, Maxwell said.

Suddenly stopping the carriage, Grove had looked on in dumbfounded disappointment at his horses. For some unknown reason, they had refused to move forwards anymore. Even after hesitantly having to use his whip, the horses still refused to move forwards for him. Forwards, only. They had no hesitation when it came to facing, moving, breathing in the other direction. Grove had no choice but to turn back to his passengers with regret.

"I cannot go any further, the horses sense something wrong up ahead. Something, I worry, truly wrong. My horses have never acted like this before." Pale as ice, Grove claimed.

"We're going to die! Out here in the cold too!" Axel cried hopelessly.

"What if we get eaten out there?" Elsa hurriedly hugged Maxwell for comfort.

"I am so terribly sorry to do this. The weather is horrible to walk in and..." Grove's words had been cut short as a terrific lightning bolt had come surging down close to the carriage.

"Go. Just go. Go, and have a safe journey back, Grove Cornelius." Maxwell muttered, his mind in complete fear.

"I will try and return soon. Have my greatest blessings you four, and Edgar. I hope no harm comes your way, whatever lurks that road." Said Grove.

He had rushed away back down the thick pathway, which now appeared more and more brighter in appearance to the others. He had left the group with Envy in complete darkness. Turning behind them to face the road ahead, the five of them had gazed at a labyrinth of dark coloured paths and trees, a small glimmer of light within the distance - this, no doubt, their final destination. Grabbing a firm grip of their prisoner, Axel stepped forward to lead the way to Bournington, a daring challenge for the group as a howl from a nearby wolf called the moon down to indicate nights arrival. In this action, the rain had ceased too.