Richard found the nearest closet door and went inside, closing the door behind him. He slumped against the wall and buried his head in his arms and legs. Fawn phased through the walls and crossed her arms. Her jaw clenched up as she stared him down.

Richard could tell she was there without raising his head. “What do you want, Fawn?

“What do you mean by that?” Fawn questioned. She pointed out how he lied to Claudia and hid in a broom closet instead of the bathroom. “Are you going to give up?”

“Stop...”

“Just let that woman do all of this because you’ve known her for—?”

“Stop it!”

“Oh, did I hit a nerve?”

“I’m not in the mood right now. Can you just leave me be?”

“What were you thinking back there? You barely did anything. Why?”

“I was stunned and powerless, ok?”

“Liar, even when you were a blob, you never fought back.”

“Usukui Puru.” Richard corrected her. “And finding out who it was, I just...” Richard looked away. “I couldn’t bring myself to harm Emily, much less do something like murder.”

“But she’s the one responsible for the deaths and ruination of many.” Fawn reminded him. “If you had killed her sooner, this wouldn’t have happened.”

Richard raised his head and got up. “Oh, are you saying that it’s all my fault?” He asked, smacking his chest.

“I never said that, but don’t you remember our deal?”

“Yeah, but you told me that if I found your killer, you’d help change me back to a human permanently! You never said that I had to kill anybody, though, and you almost made me do that twice now!” He massaged his temples and groaned.

“You can transform, and we’ll try again, what’s there to lose?”

“I can’t even transform anymore if I tried.”

Fawn blinked. “Wait, are you serious?”

“Yeah, not anymore. It was thanks to Emily, not you.” Richard retorted, slumping back down against the wall. “You know, the person you wanted dead? Can you imagine what could’ve happened if I did what you said?”

“Um, well...”

“You never even tried to change me back to my original form. All you cared about was yourself and your own selfish goals!”

“What! I had my reasons and need to be avenged! You still would’ve been trapped in that cell if it weren’t for my help.” Fawn thundered. “I don’t have time for this nonsense, I’m going to ascend to heaven no matter the cost, whether or not you continue to help me.”

Richard crossed his arms and looked away. “Look, I’m sorry, but I can’t bring myself to kill another person. You don’t know what our relationship is like.”

“Is that so?” She squinted her eyes. “Fine. If you won't do it, then I will. Just know that you’ll regret this decision, I’m sure of it.” She flew out of the room, leaving Richard alone to his own thoughts.

What do I do now? What can I do? All the misery that’s happened is all my fault. People are suffering because of the mistakes I’ve made. I feel like I’m to blame. Maybe I should stay here, so I don’t have to worry about causing more trouble for anyone else close to me. Things might’ve been better if I... if I...

Richard went into a fetal position and cried to himself. He didn’t care anymore, just letting the tears roll off his face.