"Wha... What do you mean...?"

[I mean... I checked your memories... You were trying really hard to make her go into a different tunnel from yours...]

"That's... That's because I wanted some time alone to access your memories..."

[Oh... I see... Also, why were you trying so hard to get me to combine with you even though she seemed so against it?]

"That's because I thought you would have useful information..."

[Right, right... And why did you sent that blond guy to comfort her instead of going yourself...?]

"Because they both looked like they were still at bad odds... So I a.s.sumed they could use some time to patch things up..."

[...]

"W- What are you trying to say...?"

[Oh nothing it's just... You seemed to be trying really hard to create some distance between the two of you lately... You ignored her when she was down, you went against her decision and you even tried to push other people to be by her side...]

"... That's not..."

[Could it be... You're getting tired of her...?]

"What!? No, of course not! She's my family! We have been taking care of each other ever since we started this journey! Every day! Every hour... Always... By her side..."

[...]

"Always... Together..."

[Oh... I see...]

"What...?"

[You didn't want to run away from her... You just wanted to win at something!]

"What are you talking about...?"

[I mean, she's the younger sister right? It should be your job to protect her, but looking back at your history together, she's kind of doing everything isn't she?]

"Th That's not true!! I help as well!!"

[Yeah, but from a safe spot, always away from any danger... She's the one who's risking her life every day to keep everyone safe.]

"..."

[Ah, yes... I can see in your mind... It was the night that Marcus kid showed up... He just pummeled her into the ground as if she was a pile of trash, and you just stood there watching without being able to do a thing...]

"..."

[But then... She managed to get away and got an arrow on her chest... She was about to die... The great Evlin, the invincible Evlin was about to die... Until you came...]

"..."

[Your voice reached out for her... When n.o.body else could... You saved her life, when n.o.body else could...]

"..."

[You were, honestly happy about that, weren't you? You finally got the chance to save your sister after she did all the hard work for so long... In fact, you were almost glad she was stabbed, weren't you?]

"That's not true!!"

[But that wasn't enough... You wanted more... You wanted to keep that feeling of "I can do things n.o.body else can...", right? That's why you were so ready to fight to combine with me... You were afraid somebody else would steal another victory that could be yours... And the reason you wanted to separate from your sister, its because you wanted to prove you don't need her!]

"Shut up! None of that is true!!"

[Really? Then why didn't you help her when she was feeling down after she fell from her flying attempt? Why did you send the blond man, the one who she had the worst history with, to talk to her? Why did you ignore her when she reached out for you a while ago...?]

"Shut up!! Shut up!!!"

[You wanted her to stay weak... You wanted her to fail again so she would still need you... You wanted to get another chance to be her light at her darkest moment!]

"I SAID SHUT UP!!!"

Ashley turned her arm into a whip and used it to knock a ma.s.sive bolder against the wall, breaking it into pieces.

"You don't know me!! You may have seen my memories but you don't know a thing about me!! I love my sister, and I would do anything to help her!! I would never abandon her for some selfish reason like that!!!"

[Is that so...?]

"Arf... Arf..."

[Ah, sorry, my bad... I just couldn't resist!]

"Huh...? What...?"

[I just wanted to tease you a little bit! It seemed like you were under a lot of stress and kept holding yourself back!]

"What...?"

[Look at your arm...]

"...?"

Ashley stopped for a moment and stared at the giant whip coming out of her arm. It felt like it was using much more power than the vines from before, much stronger.

[You know why you are so bad at magic? You think too much...]

"...?"

[You need to stop trying to see every detail of every situation and just go with the flow... Demons are creatures that feed off from painful feelings... The more anger and frustration you feel, the more power my body will absorb, and the more energy our magic will have.]

"Painful feelings...?"

[See that large rock over there? Cut it in half!]

"That one? But... How?"

[Make a leaf-blade with your hand.]

Ashley focused and did as Drya told her. Her fingers started to combine and a leaf was formed.

[Now focus... Dive inside your feelings... Think about all your past suffering... Think about your brother that took the magic talent you always wanted... Think about the monster that killed your parents when you were just a kid... Think about all the times you almost got killed after you started traveling with your sister...]

The leaf on Ashley's arm kept growing more and more and becoming even sharper.

[Do not think, just do it! Throw away all logic and feel the power! Your pain gives you power! And your power makes you unstoppable!!]

Ashley swung her leaf-blade and sliced the bolder in half.

[Don't stop!! Keep it going!!]

She continued to swing her blade again and again until nothing of the boulder remained.

"Arf... Arf... This... This is..."

[Power! Your power!! Power to be the hero of your own story!]

"... My... Power..."

[Now come on! Your sister needs us! Let's show you how much you grew!]

"Yeah... Yeah!! My sister needs me!! Let's go Drya!!"

Part 2

Ashley continued advancing into the tunnel and finally reached the dryad garden. A beautiful place inside the mountain covered in the most wonderful tones of green Ashley had ever seen. The gra.s.s, the vines, the trees, everything felt like a paradise.

"This is your home...?"

[Demons don't have homes... We find a place that we enjoy and make it more comfortable to hang out on... Say hi to your new friends!]

Ashley turned around and noticed a group of dryads resting by a pond. They were enjoying an opening in the mountain that allowed a little bit of sunlight to enter.

"What do I say to them...?"

[Nothing... Just enjoy the sunbath... Demons don't care about socializing...]

"Wait... Then... Why are demons able to talk if they don't talk with each other...?"

[So we can antagonize humans, of course... Their pain is our power remember? Oh, that reminds me... Do not let your emotions show...]

"What...?"

[If they feel any painful emotion from you, they will become stronger and find out you are a human. The minute they do, they will bite your head off.]

"Ugh!! I see... Ok... Don't feel painful emotions... Should be easy enough..."

Ashley decided to join the dryads in their little sunbath. She felt a nice tingling sensation reaching her skin.

She met eyes with some of the plant girls but they all seemed to have wanted nothing to do with her.

"Guess I'll just leave them..."

[Probably for the best...]

Ashley spotted the exit and started to run towards it. She was a little disappointed she didn't get the chance to interact with the dryads but was still glad nothing had gone wrong.

Before she could leave though, one voice came from behind and made her stop.

"So... Me... Ne... He... P..."

"...!!??"

Ashley turned around and saw a man tied up in vines behind a rock. He seemed like he was around the age of thirty-five. His body was completely tied up and his face was extremely tired.

"P... Eas...E... Sa... Ve... Me..."

"Drya... Who is that...?"

[Probably someone's lunch... I told you, demons feed on pain... They are probably leaving him half dead so they can enjoy his suffering...]

"I... I need to save him!!"

[No, wait!! That's a terrible idea!!!]

Ashley rushed towards the tied man's side and made a leaf blade to try and cut the vines that were tying him.

But before she could though, one of the dryads jumped in front of her and parried Ashley with another leaf blade.

"What do you think you're doing??"

"Huh..."

[Welp, we're dead...]

"I was just... I was..."

[Stop talking, let's just leave, he's almost dead anyway...]

"But..."

Three more dryads noticed Ashleys's suspicious behavior and started to approach her with leaf blades in hand.

[Well... It was nice knowing you Ashley... I hope we can meet again in another life...]

"Wait! wait! I need your help! What do I do??"

[You can put your head between your legs and kiss your a.s.s goodbye... There is no way a softie like you can handle four dryads on your own...]

"Softie...? What do you mean?"

"Hey!! I made you a question!! What were you doing??"

"Huh..."

"Kill her!! She's trying to steal our food!!"

The four dryads jumped on Ashley and started to attack her with their blades. Ashley was trying her best to parry them off but she was starting to panic.

"Drya!! What do I do??"

[Just let me do it! I can take them.]

"You? How?"

[I have a plan! Give up control of your arm!]

"O- Ok!!"

Ashley followed her command and felt her arm no longer belonging to her. Drya was controlling the leaf blade and was blocking the attacks much better than she ever could.

[I hope you can forgive me for this.]

"Forgive...? What do you mean??"

Before Ashley could notice, Drya moved her arm towards the direction of the man that was imprisoned and stabbed his heart.

"Guuaaaahhhh!!!!"

"Drya!!!?? What are you doing!!!"

[I need your pain to get more strength! I'm sorry!!]

Drya proceeded to thrust the blade even deeper and finally killed the poor man. Ashley could hear his final whisper pleading for his life as she removed the blade from inside his body.

"... What... What did you do...?"

Ashley stared at her own arm that was now a blade and at the blood of the man that Drya killed. The man she killed with Ashley's hand. A hand that went inside another person and took his life. A hand that belonged to her and that belonged to a killer.

Time seemed to freeze for a moment. Ashley could not stop at the man who just lost his life and at her blade that was used to take that same life.

She saw many people die before, and many people tried to kill her before. But this was the first time she was on the other end, on the side of the murderers, watching a life being taken with her own hands.

"WHAT DID YOU DO????"

Ashley's body felt like it was about to explode. She didn't understand what this feeling was. It was something that she never felt before. She wanted to cut off her own arm and pretend that this never happened. That it wasn't her fault. That she had no control over it. The only thing inside her head right now was her own voice screaming "It wasn't me! It wasn't me!!" over and over non-stop.

The dryads leaped to kill Ashley, but her agony was so great that Drya started to receive a surge in power. She focused her energy on her leaf blade and sliced the plant girls in one swing.

Ashley was now standing alone in a cave filled with four dead dryads and one dead human.

[I'm sorry Ashley... It was the only way to save us both...]

"... I... Killed him..."

[No, I killed him... It was my blade, my decision.]

"But... But..."

[We saved him, Ashley... He was being used to feed off the demons in here... He is better off dead than spending every day slowly dying.]

"..."

[Ashley, we need to move! Your sister needs you, remember??]

"My sister... My sister needs me..."

[And right now, you need her... So let's get out of here so you can meet each other!]

"Right... That's right... I need to see my sister... And she needs me too!"

[That's my girl! Now let's go!!]

Ashley gave one final look at the scene she helped to create and finally entered the exit.

[Don't worry... No matter what happens, I'll be here by your side!]