It's your fault. It's your fault. It's your fault. They're all dead because of you. You and your undying desire for freedom.

***

Selene's head throbbed. She felt the needles against her cheek while her face was pressed against the ground.

She sat up, rubbing her temples to ease the ache that had formed.

Opening her eyes, she blinked in confusion until the memories came rushing back to her.

Selene's stomach heaved but she had nothing left to expel. She covered her mouth with her soot-covered hand, sobs shaking her body as she looked around the daylit clearing.

The grass was blackened, brittle against her skin. The trees were barren, their skeletal branches reaching for each other as if they were lovers embracing for the last time. She turned to look at the trunk behind her and saw a skeletal hand that had been seared into the bark. In the center of the clearing, even the dirt had been burned away. Only hard, black obsidian remained where the demon had stood.

Selene saw her dagger laying in the scorched grass a few feet from her, its blue gem seemingly untouched by the ash around it. She crawled over to it and picked it up, her hands shaking. She could see herself in its reflection.

Her face was covered in black soot, smeared where she had scrubbed. Her hair was a mess, knotted and dirtied. By now, it had grown past her shoulders.

Selene could just make out a shape, free of dirt, on her brow. Right where the sprite had drawn.

They had known.

Selene looked at the gem, into its depthless core. The stone hadn't glowed, nor had it healed her. It had remained useless when she needed it most and now because of it-- because of her, Lily was dead.

Lily was dead.

Selene remembered the fear in the girl's eyes as the monster burned her from inside out. Turned those beautiful golden curls to ash and that shy smile to dust.

Jack was dead. Lucius was dead. Arthur, Gwen, Axl, Cedric, the townspeople were all dead. And she was the only one left, the one that survived.

"At what cost," she whispered to herself. Those words had been in her head for a while, unanswered. And now she knew it. The cost was her will to live. She had already been struggling to hold on. She had told herself Arthur wouldn't break her; that nothing would break her. That she had a life to live out in the world.

But now, it seemed pointless. Why should she be the one to live when Lily couldn't?

Selene gripped the dagger's blade in her hand so hard that blood began to squeeze between her fingers, dripping down to the charred earth.

She hurled the dagger into the trees, a scream erupting from her throat.

She sat in the clearing for a long time, silent and staring at nothing. Her skin was still covered in ash; she didn't believe it would ever wash off. If it did, she would never forget the feeling of it sticking to her body.

The sun reached its peak long before Selene stood, struggling to stay upright with her injured ankle.

As she limped away from the clearing, she couldn't help but imagine the rolling waves and the salty wind grieving for the little girl who would never gaze upon them with her vibrant eyes.

The forest had resumed its peaceful chatter, as if unaware of the horror that had just befallen it. As if it didn't care.

Selene limped from tree to tree, using their trunks for support.

As she walked away from the clearing, from the dagger, from Lily, she felt something inside of her fade away as if it was left in that clearing.

She did not go back for it.

Hours passed before she stopped walking, her legs shaking with effort. Her ankle was so agonizing that she could barely breathe.

The cool air turned to frost as the flame that had once burned so brightly in Selene's eyes guttered. She sank to the ground, leaning against a large oak, the rough bark cutting at her skin. She wrapped her arms around herself, receiving no warmth from the chill that had embedded itself into her bones.

Selene waited for her tears to come, waited for what seemed like an eternity. Yet still, her sorrow remained silent.

She thought back to the not-so-distant past when she was reckless and brave. When she was so willing to give herself up for a friend. How she had looked her abuser in the eye and threatened him, unafraid.

How she longed for that feeling, the fire in her soul. Now she felt hollow as if the one thing that had held her together after Jack's death was gone.

Well... she was.

Selene sat against the tree until she saw the sunset. She didn't notice that the sky was a deep purple, similar to the flowers Lily had braided into Kadan's mane. She only saw gray.

The sky was turning black before Selene stood from her place below the oak.

She whistled for Kadan, hoping he was close enough to hear her. After a few minutes, she heard his hooves pounding against the terrain as he trotted towards her. His ears were pinned to his head, his eyes searching their surroundings for danger. No doubt he had been scared off by the demon; he would have been of no use anyway. The demon had moved too fast.

She used her arms to pull herself onto his back and carefully swung her leg over.

Then, she paused on top of Kadan, not knowing which way to turn him. She didn't know where to go, nor what she was to do next. She had no family, no house, no weapons.

She kicked Kadan into a walk, taking their time, with no destination ahead of them. They didn't halt for rest all night. Selene wanted to get as far away from that clearing as she could. Part of her wanted to get away from that cavern as well.

What it had shown her...

Selene recalled the faerie dancing and dying. She remembered how the fire had trailed her hands and hair, as if she were made of it and how she burst into dust. Ash.

She wanted to get out of this forest. Selene had once longed to venture into its depths, but now she could go nowhere without expecting to see that lush hill.

Maybe she should find whatever lurked in that cave. Confront whatever it was and make it pay for not warning her. Selene felt it in her bones that the thing had known. If it hadn't it wouldn't have shown her such an image.

Selene attempted to summon up the strength to find the hill and the cavern, but she was empty of all care.

A small part of Selene wished for the demon to return and finish the job.

Why hadn't it killed her? Why had it left her?

Selene let out a hollow laugh, which echoed against the trees. It was foreign when it reached her ears again. It sounded broken and dangerous. Like a tortured animal.

The demon had most likely left her because it thought she wouldn't be able to live with herself after this.

It was right.

***

Selene didn't speak for a week.

Her ankle grew worse and the infection spread no matter what poultice or salve she applied, no matter how many times she left her foot in the ice-cold streams that ran through the forest. Eventually, she discarded the brace. It was more of a weakness than anything else.

She still had no urge to go anywhere. Nowhere she thought she'd be useful. She dismissed the idea of going to the coast.

Arriving alone would be too much to bear.

After days of aimlessly walking, Selene turned Kadan to the heart of the forest. Where she knew few returned from.

As they walked, the trees got larger and taller. Their trunks were roughly the size of Selene's old cottage, wide enough to house people if hollowed out. Selene didn't doubt the Nymphs had tried it.

The treetops traveled up for what looked like miles. Their branches creating a canopy so thick, almost no sun could get through. Everything had an ethereal glow. The veins in the leaves of the undergrowth seemed to emit a soft green flare. Just enough to provide light in the sun-deprived forest. As Selene had gotten deeper into the brush, she noticed the animals seemed to change as well. Almost every creature seemed to have strange markings or characteristics on them.

Selene saw a squirrel with a tail completely covered in scales, which would expand and contract as it spotted Selene and scurried up a tree. She also saw a white doe with black markings coating its fur. When Selene passed, the white fur changed color and it disappeared as it camouflaged with its surroundings.

Kadan didn't seem to mind the bizarre creatures. In fact, he had never seemed more at home. He trotted through the darkness as if he were used to it. Selene couldn't help but wonder where Kadan had been born, what part of the world he was from. She looked down at his pelt, at the black spots that covered his dirty fur.

They continued through the forest throughout the day, only stopping when Selene calculated where the sun was. She guessed it had set less than an hour ago.

They stopped in a small clearing. A few dead trees littered its surroundings, much shorter than the lively trunks that made up this part of the forest.

Selene dismounted from Kadan and as soon as her ankle hit the ground, her knee buckled. The pain was excruciating. It felt as if daggers were sinking into her ankle over and over again, traveling up her leg to her knee and farther. She could put no weight on it any longer; the pain made the clearing spin and twirl.

She couldn't help but remember how she had broken it. Falling from a tree to save Lily. Afterward, Selene kept thinking about alternative solutions that didn't involve breaking her ankle. If she had a quicker mind, she would have been uninjured. Maybe Lily would still be alive.

Selene almost laughed.

No, she wouldn't. If Selene had the mind to solve problems, Jack would still be alive. Maybe she would have run from the farm earlier, saved Jack the problem of protecting her. Save anyone from ever relying on her again.

She had been too much of a coward to do anything.

Selene didn't light a fire that night, nor did she eat or drink. She couldn't recall the last time she had the appetite.

Selene sat next to Kadan, her legs splayed out in front of her and the cold biting into her skin. She held a spear in her hands, one she had sharpened with a stone after rendering herself without a weapon.

She pressed her back to Kadan's stomach, trying to keep warm as the temperature plummeted. Together, they listened as the forest went to sleep and the creatures of the night awoke.

Selene hadn't slept in two days, believing that one of the many beasts of the Naiṭ araṇya would find her. She didn't particularly care about her safety but dying at the hands of the monsters of this forest seemed to be a merciful death for what she deserved.

The sprites hadn't visited her again after the cavern as if they were mourning the young girl. Maybe they would avenge the girl.

Selene tried to massage her ankle, to soothe the pain that it caused. The infection from the wound had spread into her blood and she was surprised it hadn't killed her yet. It was only a matter of time. She let it be and wallowed in the pain, letting it course through her and ache. She used it as a reminder of what she had done.

Kadan let out a huff behind her and she turned to look at him. His eyes were closed as he drifted off, exhausted from a full day of riding. She watched his sides expand and contract. The rhythm making her eyelids heavy and her breathing slow.

Her eyes had just closed when she heard a sharp crack behind her. She was immediately on guard, her grip on the spear tightening. Kadan still dozed next to her, oblivious to the possible danger.

Selene slowly pushed herself up, wincing in pain at her ruined ankle. She limped silently around the trunk they resided by.

She held her spear at the ready as she moved, searching for what had caused the sound. Yet, as she reached the other side, she saw nothing but trees, almost identical to those on the other side.

She relaxed her shoulders, releasing the breath she'd been holding in a rush of air.

Maybe it had been a badger.

She turned to walk back to Kadan and froze. Definitely not a badger. Rummaging through the undergrowth was a bear.

It was no normal bear. It was the size of the trunks themselves, its pelt gleaming in the moonlight that escaped through the trees. Its paws were the size of wagon wheels, claws as long as Selene's forearm.

It lifted its head, scenting the air. As it raised its nose, she saw ram horns curling from its skull.

She didn't move, hoping it wouldn't sense her. She prayed to the Angels that Kadan was awake and running. She begged them to not take away her last friend, to leave her to die in his place alone.

The beast snorted, shaking its fur. She made to sneak away, not taking her eyes off the bear. As if the Angels wanted her to pay for her sins, she stepped on a rock, her good ankle bending, and fell to the ground.

The beast turned its head to look straight at her, its beady, black eyes studying her.

It took a step towards her, as if hesitant. She grabbed her spear, which had fallen out of her hands during the fall, and pointed it towards the beast.

Shit.

Sensing the weapon, it bared its jagged teeth and released a deep-throated growl. She looked around desperately for a way out, scanning the trees for low-hanging branches or even loose dirt to throw into the creature's eyes.

To her right, she saw one of the fallen logs that littered the area. Its center had been hollowed out and was large enough to fit a person, a pathetic shield. She calculated the distance and how long it would take her to reach the tree with her injured ankle.

Lightning flashed in the distance, black clouds blotting out the moon. Kadan bolted at the sound of the thunder, distracting the beast as he crashed through the underbrush.

Selene heaved herself up and sprinted to the fallen tree, her ankle not giving out beneath her for the first time. The bear noticed her movement and chased, but not before she dove into the hollow log, crawling in until her feet were farther than the bear could reach.

The beast collided with her hiding place, shoving its paw in to try and reach her. She felt one of its claws catch her good leg, scraping down her shin until she felt the warm blood run. She couldn't help as a scream escaped from her throat.

The bear roared in frustration and retreated, circling her while it figured out what to do. She used the time to plan. At the other opening, the bear's thick legs passed. It lowered its nose to snort, knowing she was in there. Past the beast, she caught sight of a low branch about thirty feet from her. It would be a haul, and with such a large predator chasing her, she very well might not make it. But it was the only option.

Just then, the bear jumped onto the log, the wood cracking against its weight. It shoved its snout into one of the holes that decorated the wood. Its teeth were as long as one of her fingers and looked strong enough to bite through bone. When it couldn't reach her with its mouth, it began to scratch at the wood. She was already moving when she heard the log crack and split. The roof collapsed, and the beast grunted in surprise as it fell through the empty log.

Selene pulled herself out and made for the tree, putting her spear in her mouth and jumping to grab the branch. She used her momentum to swing onto it, sitting in a crouching position and leaning on her good leg.

The bear had climbed out of the debris and swung around, searching for Selene.

She watched it, smiling at its confusion. Despite the danger the beast posed, Selene couldn't help but feel a rush of excitement. She remembered how she had killed the demon in her village. How she had plunged the dagger into its skull and the rush of adrenaline that had accompanied it.

She realized she loved fighting. She craved the danger and the impending threat of death. And now she had nothing to lose. Rain began to fall, ice-cold water running down her face and neck. It only enthralled her.

She whistled, calling the beast right to her. It lifted its head, opening its mouth to growl. She waved and shouted at it, throwing up her finger at it simply because she wanted to.

The bear turned its head down and pawed at the ground, tearing up large chunks of dirt and grass. Then, it charged for the tree. The impact of its horns sent Selene falling backward, the world turning upside down. She grabbed for the branch, getting a grip just before she fell out of reach. The bear stood on its back legs, front paws against the trunk of the tree, and snapped at her with its jaws.

Selene felt the air move at the small of her back, where her shirt didn't cover her as she bent to hang on the branch with her arms and legs.

She pulled herself back onto the tree, her breath coming out in gasps, and lifted her spear above her head. She aimed and launched it at the beast's heart, her aim surprisingly good.

The spear bounced right off it, as if...

The beast has armored fur.

Selene cursed, her mind working out a way to get back her spear and slay the beast without getting killed in the process.

The bear stared up at her with its black eyes, and Selene stared right back.

She debated letting herself fall, letting the beast catch her in its paws and letting it tear her to shreds.

But some part of her, an ancient voice that was buried deep inside, told her to fight. It screamed at her as if it had been silent for twenty years and had finally awoken the second she saw Gwen's body hanging above her bed.

For the first time, Selene listened to it. She smiled a wicked grin that would make many turn the other way as a dangerous, crazy idea came to mind.

Selene stood on the branch, leaning precariously to one side as she put her weight on her good leg, spread her arms back, and looked down at the bear who was still leaning against the tree. Her eyes traveled to its back, which could make for a perfect ramp to her spear, which laid behind it.

She leaped from the branch, tucking her body in and, before the beast could react, rolled down its back. Her feet hadn't even touched the ground before she was moving.

She reached the spear and took it in her hands, looking up at the bear. It pushed off the tree, the entire thing shaking and turned to her. It didn't move though; it was as if it was sizing her up now that it knew she posed a threat.

"Come and get me, bitch," she snarled, all her rage and anger coming out of her now that she had an enemy to take it out on.

The bear roared at her in answer, the rain dripping off its maw.

Selene roared back, spit flying from her mouth as she screamed. Then, she charged the beast, anger and adrenaline the only thing preventing her knees from buckling.

The beast ran for her as well, its long claws reaching for her.

They collided in the center of the area, the force of the bear knocking the breath out of Selene.

Its outreaching claws sunk into each of her shoulders, going through to the other side. Selene let out another roar and lifted her spear, right into the beast's mouth where its skin was soft and vulnerable.

She felt the spear break through the beast's skull and lodge in its brain. Its body went slack, becoming dead weight.