'I stood before a much taller man in a well-tailored suit.

Although I could not see his face through the silk veil, I did not need to. For i already knew who this man was.

Someone nearby kept talking, but I didn't understand what he said, so I turned to my left, towards the pews.

Only to find an massive but almost empty, luxuriously decorated venue. I stared at the seats where my family would’ve been. Instead there were grown men whom I didn't even recognize.

Then, everything blurred away, like water on ink, and cold spread through my cheeks.

When my veil was finally lifted and my chin was held between his index and thumb, all I could see were glowing red pupils staring back, as my lips were taken by him.'

"... ungh!"

It was some time before she came to.

But when she did, she was almost blinded by red streaks of emergency light piercing through pine tree leaves.

She could feel that her dress had ripped and torn, though it was still useable. Her high heels were also gone, along with most of her jewelry.

The many cuts and bruises all over her body stung terribly and breathing was a struggle. Her neck was now stiff, while her entire left side felt sore and difficult to move.

Most likely landed on her left side.

But she didn't even get to rub the white flashes away from her eyes, before she noticed that something heavy was shifting above her, and that the weight on her lower back was getting heavier.

"Aaa-Argh!"

Cold sweat washed over her as she crawled and squirmed desperately. Disgustingly vivid scenes of her spine and hips getting crushed filled her head. All the while, her heart pounded like a drum in her ears and her labored gasps drowned out everything else.

Even as the cold tile floor sapped any heat she had left. Even as the dust and earth clogged her nostrils. Even as she felt something wet and warm against her thighs.

She had to keep going.

'I have to get back to his side!'

Slowly, with every inch that she dragged herself forward, the pines parted and more light shone onto her face.

'Just a few… more!'

“UwaAgh!”

She roared with the last of her strength, shoving the remaining needles away, until I was outside the canopy from the waist up.

But before she could even scan her surroundings properly, her vision blurred and tears ran down her cheeks. She barely even heard the sound of creaking wood and rolling pebbles behind her due to her own gasping.

“... I’m alive… I’m alive…” She curled up and pulled her knees against her chest.

Every part of her was still there. All of it was functional and still warm to the touch. Sure her right thigh was gashed and bleeding, but that was fine.

'All that matters is that I'm not a cripple.'

"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you." She kept repeating as she hugged herself tighter.

'I didn't lose my chance. I'm still worthy to return to him. I could still make him love me.'

One more chance to be his wife.

And that chance was enough.

She noticed that her wedding ring was missing, but that also didn't matter. It was a ring made during a time when she didn't love him. So it didn't count, anyway.

Commissioning - no - making a new set of rings for the both of them would be much better!

Gritting her teeth, she rolled back onto her stomach and pushed herself up.

'I will force her that accursed toy of our lives, and properly wield the name of Countess that they so foolishly gave me.'

"... nothing! Is going to… stop me!" Slowly, with aching legs, I stood up and wiped my tears away with my wrist. "Do you hear me?! I will find you! And you will love me! Do you understand?!"

She screamed at the top of her lungs, hoarse and strained though she was. She would make this second chance mean something, even if it was to be the death of her.

High with such feelings, she found the strength to tear off parts of her own dress to use as a bandage around her thigh.

Luckily, it wasn't the thin kind of cloth since this dress was tailored to be worn without underwear.

But once Guila came down from that high, she understood that before any of that could happen, she had to figure out where she was.

It took a couple seconds and some static for her eyes to get used to the pitch-black and dim red light. It was her eyes' built-in night vision.

But then her heart dropped to her stomach.

She stood upon a mountain range of debris that traced a long line across a great expanse filled with stacks of gigantic metal containers. There were hundreds of these containers, each one was around 50 meters long, 10 meters tall and 10 meters wide.

When checking behind her, she saw part of a wide hallway that was crushed under a large pile of trees. Scattered everywhere were large chunks of hard soil and dirt, as well as more trees.

Among the debris were vehicles, metal columns, concrete rubble, furniture, and so much more. And when she stared up above, there was nothing but pitch black darkness.

The ceiling is probably too high for her eyes to catch.

"Even the auxiliary power was cut, huh?" She muttered under her breath, before slowly making her way down.

It was difficult without her high heels and a wounded body, but she managed to stick her toes into the cracked concrete and grabbed some exposed wiring that no longer had power.

The fact that the ship was still stable despite suffering such…

wait. What was-

"AaAhH!"

Something wet brushed against her ankle and she lost her footing! She nearly fell onto a large pile of broken glass! If not for the fucking wires she would've -

She screamed again.

It was a hand. A man's twisted hand. He was now reaching for her shoulders with his fingers. Then she found his one good eye staring straight into her own. His face had been mangled, his jaw was split into three and his other eye had popped out with the optic nerve snapped. Blood and grey matter seeped out from his head and covered his face completely.

But he was still alive.

He was still…

"... he…l…"

Then she heared them. Why she couldn't before, she did not know. But they were always been there. While Guila was yelling in celebration.

Lips quivering and body trembling, she looked down.

And there they were.

Dozens of people, with agonized expressions. Some were crushed under concrete. While others were cut in half, with their lower bodies still caught in jagged steel. There was even a mangled safari tram, now on its side with smashed windows and filled pulped passengers.

So many dead people. But they were the lucky ones.

Help me. Please. Help me.

The living all called out to her. The only one who could move. The only one who was spared.

When she managed to safely make her way down, those with limbs clawed at the air, trying to grab her from afar.

Their voices were getting louder. Little made any sense. But they must've known what she was about to do.

Guila tried to give them all a smile.

But then gagged and threw up, because she understood their agony. She knew just how close she was to becoming like them. And so, she understood their desperation to live.

Just a few more inches and her right leg would be gone too. Just a few more minutes of sleeping, and her hips…

She threw up again. Still just bile.

'Was it a good thing that I didn't get to eat? Is that it?'

"Damn it! Shut up! I can't help any of you! You should be wishing me good luck instead!"

'So selfish! Selfish! Selfish! Selfish! Shut up all of you!'

Without abother word, she turned away, towards the nearest end of the rubble. There were still people scattered along her way. Dead and alive. But not a single one managed to catch her.

'I'm sure that you all wanted a second chance in some way too. But that just means this is my redemption. Not yours.'

That was when she came across a certain noblewoman's face that had been slammed against a concrete block. The top half of her head was four feet above the rest of her body, which was on the floor.

This time, she actually was able to smile.

"Such a shame, is it not, Madame?"

It's only too bad that it wasn't the Baroness.

All Guila could hope for was that the Baroness and the doll fell to their deaths, too.

"Tsk…"

Of course, walking on her toes was far from comfortable. But until she could somehow manage to find and break into a shipment of high heels, that wasn't going to change.

Still, when the voices finally faded away and Guila was left in complete silence, save for the occasional creaking - she felt safe. The cargo hold, being closer to the core, was built to be far sturdier and flexible than normal to support the outer layers.

The gigantic skyscraper-like pillars which melded into the pitch-black darkness, were like guardian monoliths protecting her.

She managed to find several elevators that were built into the pillars. Unfortunately, none of them worked.

Luckily, staircases were also shown on her map. However, closest one was still quite a distance away.

"Just a hundred meters... more..."

However, her injured leg gave way and she was forced to lean against a storage container. Only to then slide down to the floor.

The exhaustion must've finally taken its toll, because she soon found herself somewhere else.

Where the light from three moons seeped in through the window, as she sat alone, bare on an unfamiliar bed.

The Count kept his every word. After little more than a year by his side, he ended the war and dedicated his victory to her.

Her home planet never experienced another day of war after she left. Her family had prospered. And her name was now ubiquitous.

'All I asked for, you gave to me. Now all of myself, belongs to you. Just as I promised.

But even though I knew that my only worth to you was my mind... Couldn't you at least have stayed beside me after our first night?'

"... who else am I supposed to turn to in this place...?"