Claire POV_

Sometime in the middle of the night, everything just caught up to her.

It felt like all her anger had run out completely and the realization of everything came rushing towards her. The betrayal she suffered, the mistakes she had made, but more importantly, the signs she has missed.

Dianite was willing to lock her up and if she hadn't gotten out, she would have been imprisoned forever.

Once he would have figured out she could never love him again, who knew what the lord of the nether would have done to change it. Perhaps he would have threatened her friends or just left her to the knowledge that she would never get to see her family again, that would have been punishment enough.

But before all that, he had killed her when he was trying to kill the wizards and she had dismissed it as if it wasn't murder.

Dianite had also convinced her to let Ianite rot in a jail cell just to spare his feelings. She had been around with Dianite in the same building were Ianite was being kept and when she found out, she swore not to free him like a fool. It was a mystery why Dec or Mianite hadn't slapped her senseless that day.

If that wasn't enough, she had watched him kill many villagers just for sport and Jordan had done nothing but say simple pleas that somewhere in the back of her head, she knew he would not listen to.

Jordan spent all that time lying to her best friends who were like her family. Keeping them in the dark when they had entrusted her with many of their own secrets.

All of that, because of her confused feelings.

With that in mind, Jordan rushed to the balcony outside her room and tried to calm herself, letting the midnight breeze sway her hair and clothes like the waves of the ocean. A peaceful though she tried to focus on...

Then she remembered how she had almost gotten Tom killed, that's why Dianite had wanted to kill him, plain and simple misplaced jealousy. Jealousy that would have gotten her beloved Tom killed all because of her.

Tears began falling on her cheeks before she could register she was crying.

As the tears fell, Jordan began to mentally scold herself for crying over something she had been suppressing all this time when she convinced herself anger was the way to deal with it.

But all those tears made her remember the true cause of her pain, the memories of the fun times Dia and her had spent together.

How he had made her feel less alone.

How he had made her feel like her darkness wasn't something completely bad, a though that had spared her from much guilt and regret at the time.

The way he would smile at her...as if she were a little light in the darkness sharing a bit of that light with him, making him a better person.

She remembered the calming effect of his touch and the love she saw in his eyes when they were together. The way his full focus came down on her when they were around, as if nothing else mattered. The way his fingers combed through her hair....

Jordan turned her back on the balcony and began to slide down to a crouch on the floor, hugging her legs for any semblance of comfort. Then, the tears began to fall faster and faster, and soon she broke down and sobbed.

She wanted to scream her pain away, she wanted to no longer feel like her heart was being crushed inside herself. As ridiculous and cliche as that was, it was exactly how it felt.

No be would hear her, perhaps no one would care, but she couldn't.

It was like when the body is paralyzed with fear, but instead of fear it was pain, emotional pain locking her muscles in place.

Jordan realized then, that she had never felt true pain like that until she looked at her reflection in the glass doors before her, tears making it hard to see but vaguely making out a puffed red face and distraught in her eyes.

It was at the sight of that at which she began to beg herself to just hold on and be strong.

She would never and could never give a guy the power to make her miserable, to bring her down into a pit of sorrow. Sorrow would fix nothing but make her weak and paralyzed as she was then.

But she also wasn't even gonna give in to the useless satisfaction of getting revenge on him for all he had done, that would mean he had succeeded in getting under her skin.

Instead, she would fight and win the war so that Dianite never had to power to hurt anyone ever again, physically or emotionally. That was the only logical procedure to follow, the only one that would bring about some sort of emotional peace not just to herself.

Jordan decided she would fight for the villagers and the servants who couldn't defend themselves.

She would fight for Tom, to get him away from serving someone who had the ability to convince Tom to be just like him and put him in harms way.

She would fight to keep the nether at bay from the villages, to demolish the rivalries that caused fights and wars amongst her friends, and to save a god who would change the world of Mianite for the better.

If need be, she would fight Furia as well.

In a world were she had become accustomed to deceit, Jordan still managed to believe perhaps Furia had been telling the truth to her earlier, but thought better of it. After all the betrayals Jordan had experienced, she couldn't afford to take his word for it and trust he wouldn't hurt the pirates.

After all, he had let her rot in that cell just so he could keep his title as champion. Actions spoke more than words. It was time she became more cautious of people who's words didn't match their actions in order to prevent another huge mistake.

In that moment, she knew it would be impossible to move forward without forgiving herself for the blindness that had put her in the path of those who betrayed her. She now knew that a good heart sometimes didn't see the bad, but being cautious of all could prevent future pain.

With one large sigh, Jordan mentally gathered herself, wiped her tears on her sleeve, and just sat there for a moment to let the air cool her puffed up face.

Though she felt much better, she wished she had someone she could talk to. Someone she didn't have to keep secrets from and could let all her feelings out with without fear of judgment or I-told-you-so's.

None of the other champions could know, the gods had bigger issues than what a mere mortal felt, Dec was not one for feelings or comfort, and Champwan would definitely scold her.

The only time she had felt emotional freedom had been on Earth...

Oh she missed her mom...

Her mom would have probably listened to her story, stuffed her with pastries from the bakery, and let her eat her foods worth of feelings while watching her favorite movie.

She also missed her sister.

Sweet little Adelina (or Lina as she liked to call her, Adel when she felt like teasing her) would have probably cried along with her. She would have let her shed all her tears until no more remained and would have hugged her through it all.

Though she no longer spoke to her brother, he probably would have taken time off his busy schedule to check up on her throughout the days, or maybe not. Ever since he had moved away from home and had that huge fight with their parents, he never went home to visit or called her.

She understood that he had a busy schedule, being a CEO and all, but his anger towards the family was what had kept him at bay all those years.

The one person he gladly called from time to time was Lina, he loved her like nothing else in the world. Even being miles apart (him being all the way in France) and having a demanding schedule never stopped him from giving her sister a call.

Jordan was sometimes saddened by the fact that he didn't really care for her as much, so she had done what her parents had and just did her best to pretend he didn't exist. If only she could pretend Dianite didn't exist too...

Even then, she found herself missing her brother and sister. In the years before he left, they had all been on good terms and he had done his best to keep her safe. Jordan wished she would have spent more time with him because now she may never see him again. Maybe he wouldn't even care that she was missing?

Even though she was out of Dianite's prison, the world of Mianite was her true prison, the laws of space and matter being the bars that held her inside, keeping her from going home.

At that thought she couldn't help but laugh out loud.

No matter how many imprisonments she escaped, there was one she would never be able to.

There would be no way to go to the comfort of her family, she would just have to deal with the pain and regrets all on her own.

"Ok, no more ridiculous crying. I'm now an adult who needs to be responsible and get some rest so I can fight my ex to the death to save a magical world" she whispered to herself, letting the ridiculousness of it give her enough strength to get herself to bed.

Once there, she pilled on all her blankets over herself like a cocoon and willed herself to never cry over Dianite again and sleep.

*******

Capsize POV-

"Think she's in there?" his sister asked in a hushed tone.

They had arrived at Claire's home around sunrise. After traveling trough the moving walls, they found their way to the to floor of the tree were Jordan's chambers were located.

At first they though she may have left, but Capsize could have sworn her saw a slight movement on her bed. Problem was, there were half a dozen blankets that concealed her from sight.

They could very well be standing in front of a bunch of blankets while Claire was out there somewhere.

"If we search through them we might startle her, besides it's unbecoming to search a woman's bed" Ezra stated in an equal hushed tone.

His sister laughed and leaned against the wall next to the bed.

He was about to yell at her to move away when the blankets took a life of their own and moved.

To his relief he caught sight of an arm, meaning the girl was there.

Capsize made his way towards his sister and gave her a look to put her weapons away and step back to give the girl some space.

Once her head popped out of the blankets his sister gasped a bit too loudly.

"Oh she's a beauty! No wonder you're so smitten" she teased

Her features were just as he remembered, though her hair was a bit disheveled but somehow that made her look more adorable. Her brown eyes hadn't yet opened, but her features looked peaceful and familiar nonetheless.

Lying there on the bed, he could see just how young she was, how delicate she looked despite what others said. Though her features weren't out of the world extraordinary, her beauty was in the simplicity of her features.

As he was lost in though, he failed to notice that Claire's eyes had fluttered open and she lazily began to stretch before burying her face on the pillows below her.

Ezra laughed at the display of her actions.

It wasn't until she jerked upright that he realized it must have been loud...

Her eyes began to scan the room, fear all over her eyes as if she was expecting a specific threat.

When her eyes landed on them she screamed and fell off her bed during her retreat to the other side of the room.

As Capsize saw her fall on her back, he didn't think twice and he made his way over to help her.

"Sorry, we didn't mean to startle you!" He said as he got her back on her feet

She looked straight into his eyes as he held her up which caused him to look up looking straight into hers ignoring the fact that he was still holding on to her shoulders.

They stayed like that for a few seconds before her eyebrows furrowed.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice sounding a bit strained "Where you watching me sleep?"

He wanted to answer, but Ezra had no idea how to come up with an acceptable excuse she would take.

"I'm afraid that's my fault. I wanted to thank you for keeping my brother company when you were in those prisons" His sister said as she approached them with a friendly smile.

Odd. She never smiled like that to a stranger. What kind of game was she playing at?

Claire turned to face his sister and smiled back.

"On the contrary, it was you're brother presence that help me from going insane." Claire said

As she answered, that's when Claire took notice of his hands on her arms and looked up at him.

Capsize let go quickly and gave her an apologetic look which she dismissed with a smile.

"My name is Amy, Amy Redbeard" his sister said with a civilized tone he rarely heard from her.

Jordan smiled, took her hand and began shaking it up and down for some reason.

"I'm Jordan" Claire said with such kindness in her voice that his sister shot him a look of astonishment.

She was thinking the same as he was...perhaps she wasn't a monster, she couldn't be.

"Why did you take my hand? And my brother said your name was Claire, not Jordan" Amy pointed out

How could she just be so blunt around others?

Thankfully Claire didn't take ill intent with her words and laughed.

"It's a gesture we use in my world when you meet a person, a way of showing respect and acknowledgment. And your brother is right, here my name is Jordan but I was born with the name Claire, its my name from back home" she stated "But why is your last name Redbeard and your brother's Capsize?"

Amy looked momentarily stunned but quickly recovered.

"When our parents died, he decided to keep our father's family name and I took our mother's as a way to keep them alive with us... What's your family name?"

Jordan's gaze scanned them both for pain over the mention of their parents but found none.

Why would she care for their pain anyways?

"Johansen" she said

"That's an odd name" Amy said bluntly once again, as if purposefully trying to offend the girl.

"I could say the same thing, but I suppose it's a different world kind of difference" Claire said with a small laugh, not showing an ounce of anger towards Amy.

Time to change the subject then...

"You are from another world then?" Ezra said, making his way over to her and shaking her hand the way she had done to Amy.

Though surprised, the girl shook his hand back and smiled at his attempt.

"You don't seem surprised, almost everyone is the first time they hear it. Or am I that weird to you that its easy to believe?" Claire said, a challenge in her stare.

"We have heard word about it from the villages and we did react differently to it back then, you're not that odd!" Amy said

Claire laughed

"Pardon my sister, she can be rather bold with her words" Capsize added in an attempt to salvage the conversation before his sister could say another reckless thing.

Amy gave him a death glare and straightened her hair.

"Bold! Have you seen her nightgown! Its missing the bottom part and I'm bold?!" his sister said, pointing at Claire's attire he had failed to notice.

She had on a while long sleeve shirt, that was normal...and.....oh.....

Her legs were bare!!!! Bare with shorts that reached just above her mid thigh....

The girl seemed to have noticed too and turned bright red before grabbing a blanket and covering herself with it.

"Sorry! It's just that back home we have different kinds of clothes, I know they are a tad vulgar here but they are the only night clothes I have" she said to both while Capsize was still stunned.

He just saw her legs....

"Hahahahaha, is that so? Have you scandalized anyone else here?" Amy said

Jordan looked at his sister and gave her a wicked smile, trying to dismiss the embarrassment.

"But of course! Actually, my friends are kind of used to it" the girl joked as she made her way to a wooden screen to change.

While she changed, Amy took that chance to nudge him on the shoulder and pull him back towards the other side of the room

"That girl is the definition of felicity despite her clear hardships, I like her already" Amy murmured

"Will you stop being so rude to her, remember we are here to get her as an ally" he whispered back

Amy shrugged and began sorting through the stuff on one of the tables nearby.

What odd things...

There were some very detailed paintings of a family on wooden frames.

Amy picked one of them up and stared at it with confusion.

There was an older man and woman carrying two children, all in very odd attire. The two little girls in the painting were smiling up at their parents, hugging them tight.

The place they were in seemed rather odd as well, it was filled with odd candles and very intricate furniture with wood designs that must have taken years to make.

Perhaps the family had been rich, it sure looked like it aside from their odd attire, which could have been something nobles wore.

Then they felt a person behind them.

"That's my family" Claire said from her place behind them, stretching out a hand between them to touch the faces in the painting.

Her clothes weren't Amy's to his surprise. She wore a plain white long sleeve tucked in her high waisted black pants and a simple belt. She had on a few necklaces that didn't match, probably of some sort of sentimental value then. Her high heeled red boots reached her knees and she had on a bright red cape to match which he had seen the other time they were in the forest.

Even though Amy liked to put on black powder around her eyes and slightly color her lips, Claire's face was free of tampering but it looked radiant nonetheless. Her hair was also casually half tied back in a bun with nothing extravagant.

He could see a few weapons along her body, some hidden, and some in plain sight. Even though she was heavily armed, she looked calm and gentle somehow.

Realizing he was staring, he turned back to the painting.

The Claire pointed to the eldest of the two daughters, the one in the mother's arms.

"That's me when I was around 5 years old"

Now that she mentioned it, he could tell it was her. They had the same eyes and smile, and though her hair was much longer on the painting he could tell it was the same color and texture as the hair from the woman before him.

She looked happy in the painting, no worries hanging over her shoulders, no sign of hunger or pain. Signs of a good life.

"You had a sibling?" Amy asked enthusiastically

Claire's face fell for a second.

"Two actually, but my brother had already gone off to college by then" she said

College? Was that an army base? An important village?

Seeing their confusion, the girl laughed and made her way back to her bed, turning her back on them like a fool. Didn't she know she was making herself vulnerable with that position. Unless she had no fear of being attacked knowing she could win.

"It's a place you go for education when you're 18" she said, not bothering to look back at them but rather focusing on straightening her bed sheets.

Amy continued to stare at the painting with longing, surely missing their parents...

"Did your siblings arrive here with you?" Amy asked softly

Thats when the girl turned around from her fussing, paused, and gave his sister a hug!?