~Lukas's POV~

The ride through the Nether is much easier and faster than last time, and we don't get separated. In no time, we're outside the prison and staring up at the walls.

"It looks like those people are all wearing black," Ruby says, shading her eyes to look up. "We're not fitting in any more."

"We'll just make up a reason," I say as we step out from behind the trees. "And hope it's convincing."

But we never get the chance. One of the guards shouts, "Finally! Our replacements!"

"How many are there?" Another voice calls.

"Three!" I reply, glad for the excuse.

"You'll take over inner prison duty," the second voice says. Several groans from the guards on top, but no one complains. "We'll send out the three who were earlier. They're taking care of the Chief right now."

"The Chief?" I ask quietly, looking at Ruby.

"The leader of the Hunters. He wears a bearskin cloak," she answers. "That's the symbol of his status."

So that's what Jesse was talking about, when she told me about the bear from the Hunter's thoughts. But it didn't explain the snake.

"What happened to him?" I shout.

"Prisoner nearly killed him," the second voice answers. "The Medics and the three Sentries will come out now."

The iron bars rise and an obsidian bridge extends. Three black-wearing and several white-wearing people come out, carrying a man in a furry brown cloak. I stifle a gasp. It's Aiden, bleeding and coughing. But his eyes are blurry, and he passes without incident.

We come inside. "Oh, Hunters. You'll have to switch to the spare Sentry armor," the owner of the second voice says as he shuts the entrance with a pull of a lever. He's a great, hulking man I don't want to cross. "It's over there." He points to a side passage.

"Yes, sir," Ruby says, pounding a fist to her chest. Magnus and I mirror her, and we go by.

"What was that?" I ask as we round a bend.

"Salute," she replies. "Let's change and get into the jails."

We hurry, but I still feel like we're losing too much time.

The first cells are big enough for at least five people each. Most of them are empty, and the farther back we go, the smaller they get.

We're almost to the two-person cells when a voice calls, "Wait."

(Jess's POV)

These guards don't look familiar, and don't act like it, either. The last Sentries watched us like their lives depended on it, and always walked alone. But these three are together, quietly discussing something.

"Back here. Behind you," I say. "In the cell."

The blonde-haired one turns to look at us first. His eyes widen, then he frowns as the other two, a golden-brown-haired girl and a black-haired boy, follow his lead.

"You look like Jesse," Blondie says. "And you..."

"Kai?" The girl gasps.

Kai looks over at her. "Ruby? You're here?"

"We've been looking for you! Me and Sammy and William," the girl - presumably Ruby - says. "Then these guys are looking for someone, too. A girl named Jesse. Have you seen her?"

Kai and I share a look. "She was here just yesterday," I say. "Or the day before. Something. Don't really know."

"Where is she? Is she all right?" Blondie asks. There's clearly worry and fear in his voice and written all over his face.

"I don't know. They took her from our cell and put her alone somewhere. Said she was the 'Chief's girl' and no one was allowed to touch her."

Blondie frowns. "She'd never like Aiden, not if her life depended on it. Not after everything he's done to her."

"Who's Aiden?" The black-haired kid asks. He's younger than everyone else here, but not by much.

"An old friend, now enemy, of mine," Blondie responds. "I'm Lukas. This is Magnus, and Ruby. Who are you?"

"I'm Jess. This is Kai."

Blondie stiffens, and his eyes widen. Yes, I'm going to keep calling him Blondie. "Even your name is like Jesse's."

"My name is actually Jesse. I'm just calling myself Jess now, so we don't get confused," I say.

"Too late," mutters Magnus.

"Let's get you guys out of here," Ruby says. She goes over to our door and reaches up. The next thing I know, the door swings open. She rushes inside and hugs Kai, who returns it unsteadily.

"I was so worried you were all dead," she whispers, just loudly enough that I can barely make out the words.

"I was too," he answers, just as quietly.

Magnus clears his throat, and they break apart. "We have time for tearful reunions later. We need to save Jesse now," Blondie says, nodding to Magnus. "She's running out of time. I can feel it."

"Let's get going then," I say, standing. My legs are shaking, but I manage to keep my balance and help Kai up. Ruby stays with him, and he leans on her for support. Not for the first time, I'm struck by how tall Kai is in comparison to us. Still short enough to be clearly a normal person, but tall enough to stand out.

"The Sentries took her this way," I say, turning to the left, the direction the cells are getting smaller in.

"Lead the way, Jess," Blondie says, and we head down the corridor.

As we walk, the cells slowly become smaller and smaller, and I worry that Jesse, wherever she is, is hardly going to have room to move.

After several minutes of endless walking, Blondie stops us.

"There," he says, pointing toward the cell at the end of the hallway.

~Lukas's POV~

Jesse hardly looks familiar anymore. Several pieces of her armor are missing, and the rest is muddied and torn. The blue streaks across her arms and chest, once pulsing with light, are now cracked and dim. What little of her skin is visible is covered in bruises and scars. One of her arms is bent oddly, seemingly broken.

She's sitting against the cell wall with her head tucked between her knees and one of her arms wrapped around them. The cell is cramped, barely a three-by-two square floor. The room is encased in bricks and insulated by at least three layers of bricks on each side, and just as many iron bars on the side facing us. The only entrance is a newly placed iron door with levers on one side. Even just standing outside the cell, I can feel the anger and the pain, the sadness, the hope.... Everything she's gone through here is becoming clear now.... And to say the least, I'm impressed she's still alive.

"Jesse? Are you... are you okay?" I ask, kneeling and pressing a hand against the bars. "Who am I kidding. You're not okay, clearly."

Ruby places a hand on my shoulder and grips it lightly, reminding me that we're on borrowed time. I nod quickly and take a deep breath.

"Jesse, please. Look at me."

Her head raises slowly, slowly, slowly, until her eyes meet mine. The normal green of them is still there, barely. They've started turning Enderman purple, and one of them is nearly swollen shut. There are scars scattered across her face, many of them leaking and turning black. She looks almost like she's becoming an Enderman.

You're not getting me that easily, Aiden, her thought-voice says. It's rough and echoing, but it's still clear and loud.

Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Jess take a step back. I share a look with Ruby, who's still holding my shoulder, and turn back to her. It's getting harder and harder to focus the longer Jesse watches us.

What? You're not running in terror? Well, of course not. It would be damaging to your "manly sensibilities" to admit defeat to a WOMAN, wouldn't it? As if I cared about your giant ego. All YOU ever wanted was to hurt people. First it was just me and Axel and Olivia. Then it was me and Petra. And then Ivor, and Sky... Sky... Jesse shakes her head. Her voice is getting more slithery as this goes on, and it's not like her to sound like this.

And you say you thought you were jealous of me? You said many things, Aiden, but the most hurt you ever did was when THIS HAPPENED.

An image overtakes me, and in my last moments of consciousness, I can see the others being summoned in by the image in their heads, wracking pain in their consciousnesses.

As the Blindness disappears, I look around the strange room. It's not as decorated as the others of Aiden's rooms, instead filled with strange crystals and glass bottles filled with potions. I slowly realize that I'm chained to a weighted table, and the majority of my armor's been removed.

Aiden marches into the room, followed by Maya and Gill. Maya is grinning and more vicious-looking than before, but Gill seems almost...reluctant to do anything.

"What are you doing?" I want to shout, but I'm unable. This is a memory, I realize, not just an image. A memory...of Jesse's.

"Apologies, sweetheart," Aiden says, patting me on the head, "but since you've been so uncooperative, Maya has convinced me to use you as a test for a new potion she brewed. We had no one else, except for those two boys you were trapped with for a few hours. And, well, they're too weak and recent anyway."

He beckons to Maya, who brings out a strange black potion with a faint purple glow. "Drink this, and you'll be done," she says, pulling it closer toward my head. I shout and try to lean back, but there's a table leg in the way. She forces my mouth open and pours the potion in.

It tastes sickly sweet, like apples that are just a little too old. Then a harsh tang fills my mouth and everything is tinged just the slightest bit purple.

Aiden pats me on the head again and smiles. "That's all, sweetheart. We'll check back in on you soon." Then he turns and leaves with Maya. Gill, however, hesitates. He looks back at me, and slowly, ever so slowly, comes toward me.

"I... I'm sorry, Jesse," he says sadly. "If Aiden hadn't gone so crazy, maybe we could have gotten along better." He stops himself and turns, exiting quickly.

Sensing the end of the memory, I start to shake myself out of my head -

NO! Jesse's voice shouts. You're not leaving yet. Freeze, all of you.

I'm stuck in a stage between the end of a nightmare and waking. I can't open my eyes, but I can still feel Ruby's hand gripping my shoulder. She's moving the pressure from her palm to her fingertips, as if she's reaching away from me. Then another hand touches my other shoulder, and I understand. We're connecting, reminding each other that we're not alone. And quite frankly, it's a relief.

Aiden. Chief. Hah. I can see your fears, you know now. You are afraid of losing me. Very, very afraid. But the next person on your list of fears is someone named... hmm. Petra? Who is Petra? And you're not worried about your teammates at all. Ooh, should I know who these people are? Magnus and Olivia and Axel- ah, it sounds like I should.

I can feel the hand on my left shoulder tighten at those last three names. Her voice is nearly unrecognizable now. This isn't Jesse. This is some monster possessing her. Like PAMA all over again. There's so many things that are just wrong with Jesse right now, I'm not sure what to think.

But my mind keeps coming back to her unknowing of her closest friends. She doesn't recognize Petra, Axel, Olivia, anybody. Does she even remember me?

But I don't. I have no idea who any of those people are.

(wow, I'm morbid)

(Bai.)