---Em---

     The heat from the volcano scalds my skin and singes my clothing. But I keep pushing on. If I disintegrate before I reach the rip... No. Not going to happen. I can feel my soul crying out in agony, begging me to stop pushing it past its limit. But I know that if I stop using ply, I'm done for. These powers Melody awakened in me, they're all that's keeping me from collapsing.

     And then, about halfway up the volcano, I take a wrong step and trip over myself. When I reach out in front of me, my right hand peels a hole right in the middle of the volcano. Luckily, I manage to catch my balance before I fall through into the nothing.

     The world's dead. I don't know how or why it happened but... There. I see a faint ripple of shadow in the air. And I can sense an aura radiating off it. Jewel. Or rather, the being possessing her. They've gone... somewhere. And they're somehow responsible for this—for ending this world.

     But wait. The volcano's still smoking. And I can still feel the heat. Why? My lips curl into a grin. Because the volcano really is a portal to Ganeden. Even though this world's dead, the volcano's still active.

     I glance back over my shoulder. The others are all slowly trailing up the volcano behind me, their heads hanging low. Gail. Melody. Martha. Ace. Liluye. And, finally, Crawford. Just the sight of him opens up a hollow in my chest, makes me briefly lose control of my ply. I can't bear to look at him—the pain on his face makes it all too real. The fact that Mya's gone.

     The rest of them are starting to realize what's happened. The remainder of the trek up the volcano won't be so tough without any gravity to hold us back. But we'll have to hurry, before the glowdarks get here.

     I squint. The streets of the village are too far below. The golems will have died along with the rest of the world. Could Colby have...? I shake my head. I'm not going to think about that.

     I turn around and stare up at the rim of the volcano. Everything we've been working towards. But what we've had to endure along the way... it's changed us. It's changed me. I find myself dreading the thought of going through that rip. What right do I have to enjoy paradise, when I had to sacrifice so many good people to get to it? Dominik. Tahj. Jun. Edgar. Miu-sama. Mya. Jewel. Maybe even Comma.

     "Topher!" It's Gail who shouts it.

     Just barely, I can make out two shadowy figures standing by the rim of the volcano. Gail sprints past me, hurrying towards them. The others just stand behind me, stupefied. And then I notice who it is up there with Topher. Eloise.

     I chase after Gail. She reaches them just before me. Panting, I come to a stop next to her, just a few feet away from where Topher's got his hand around Eloise's neck, dangling her right over the bubbling pit of lava.

     I don't understand.

     His face is streaked with soot. There's blood splattered all over his clothes. And that distant look in his eyes—I recognize it as that same look he had when he nearly beat Erez, Wates' doctor, to a bloody pulp back on Valynar. And again outside of Dante's warehouse.

     "Topher?" Gail's sobbing, looking just as confused as I am. "What's going on?"

     Topher flinches at the sound of her voice. The look in his eyes melts away, and for a moment he's back to his usual self. He bursts into tears. "I don't know... I don't know!" He has a spasm, and nearly drops Eloise into the volcano. "There's something... I'm not..."

     "Give me Eloise," I say, inching forward cautiously.

     He shakes his head. "I'm not right, Em." His shoulders shudder. "I haven't been... for a long time."

     Gail drops to her knees.

     "It's okay, Topher," I say, trying to ply my aura into the atmosphere to soothe his nerves. But the air won't carry it to him. There is no atmosphere anymore. "Whatever's going on with you, we can—"

     "I killed her," he says, his fingers tightening around Eloise's neck. Her eyes nearly bulge. She looks at me, pleadingly. Topher's shaking now. He's going to drop her. I have to do something. I inch forward again, but he notices this time. He backs up towards the rim of the volcano. "Don't come any closer!"

     "Topher," Gail pleads through her tears, "if you could just—"

     "I killed Mya!" He shouts it loud enough that I'm certain the others can hear. But... no. That can't be right. Topher wouldn't... It was Colby... He's shaking his head now. His arm's trembling. He's going to let go. "There's something wrong with me, man."

     "Topher, just put her down!" I shout through my teeth.

     Somebody places their hand on my shoulder. Melody. Ace, Liluye, and Martha are still halfway down the volcano, where Crawford has collapsed. I don't... I don't get it.

     "Dark..." Topher's muttering. "Everything's getting dark. And so cold."

     "Just hang on!" Gail jumps to her feet and starts running towards him. It all happens so fast; Melody flashes over to us and blasts Gail in the leg with a bit of her aura. Topher shrieks and lurches forward. He drops Eloise; she grabs onto the rim of the volcano, dangling over the lava.

     Topher collapses next to Gail, wailing and banging his head against the ground. Melody grabs Eloise just as her hands start slipping and pulls her up. She cradles her in her arms, glaring at Topher.

     "I'm okay," says Gail, sobbing into Topher's chest. "I'm here."

     "Get away from him," says Melody, setting down Eloise.

     "What's wrong with him?" I ask.

     "How old was he when your world ended?" she asks Gail, ignoring me.

     "T-twenty-four," she says, wrapping her arms around him.

     "Damn it." Melody clenches her fist. "He's got the Rot. His soul—it's separating from his body. If you're too old when you start travelling from world to world... your soul can get stuck and split off from your body. That isn't Topher, Gail. Not anymore."

     Suddenly, his hand flies to Gail's neck. He pins her down, strangling her. I lunge forward and grab him, shoving him towards the opening of the volcano. Gail chokes and coughs, clutching her neck.

     I spin around.

     Topher's standing by the ledge. Something flashes in his eyes. And then he smiles. "She's right," he says. "Whatever's left of me... I can't control it." His lips quiver. "I'm sorry, Gail. I love you. I never wanted to hurt you... any of you."

     She sobs. "Topher?"

     He looks at me. "Take care of my sister, will you?"

     "Topher, don't—"

     It's too late; he steps over the edge and plummets into the volcano.