No one talked about what Melinda did the following day, and it said far more than words ever could. The world stood still as they all held their breath, waiting for the stars to align and tell them what to do next. At the crack of dawn, they could only stare at the distance, cursing the rising sun and the crowing of the roosters that woke them up from their most coveted slumber.

Waking up, they commenced their morning routine, hoping they would have at least some time before things started happening again. However, all those hopes turned to dust when Hemingway came in without knocking at five and thirty in the morning, smiling like nothing unusual was happening at all.

This is early, even for him, Melinda thought, rolling her eyes. Five and thirty in the morning! Does he not know the meaning of the word 'patience'?

"Hello, everyone!" he chirped, startling them from their drowsiness. "How are you doing? I heard you all had a crazy adventure last night, so I thought I would check up on you and see how you're doing. I have some affairs to deal with, so I want to make this quick. Miss Grey, do your bones feel numb after what you did last night, or your soul, for that matter? I know for sure it couldn't have been easy for you. I'd like you to tell me, if you're willing to, of course."

She bolted upwards, reeling from the impact of his words. "Oh, I'm doing fine, thank you. I'm not as drained as I thought I would be. I'm used to hard work, of course, but I have to admit it was a bit hard at first. Everything went well after that, though."

"Everything?" he mocked, raising an eyebrow. "Everything went well? You tortured my poor lieutenant without remorse, without even having found my book, and you still have the gall to say that everything went well? Your optimism truly astounds me, Miss Grey. Many other people's minds would have been broken without repair if they were in your position."

"Well, I'm not them," she said, shrugging limply. "Besides, why would I feel remorse after what I've done? I did what I needed to survive. She's my enemy, after all. The only thing I can feel remorse about is not having succeeded. If I had succeeded, you'd be burning in hell right now, trust me."

He lifted up her chin with his thumb and index finger, making her face him with a momentary glimmer of sorrow in her eyes that did not escape him. "You liar. You lied to me again, for the ten-thousandth time. But why should I have expected anything else from you? After all, you lie to everyone, even yourself. It's what you do to survive, as you would say. 

You're like a parasite, you know? Any other enemy would have weeded you out, but I consider myself to be somewhat of a scientist. Psychology and sociology both interest me deeply. I'm not an expert by any means, but, as anyone can confirm, I've got a good grasp on what makes a person tick, and you, Miss Grey, tick because of blood. Where there's blood in the water, you arrive immediately to clear it, but no matter the outcome, there has always been more blood than before, and it will always, always remain that way."

Melinda looked to her friends for support, but they merely bent their heads in shame.

"What is it?!" she snapped at them, her bloodshot eyes and gritted teeth making her look like a madwoman. "Do you happen to agree with him?! Fine then! Leave me if you feel that way. I'm not holding you hostage, after all."

"But I am," he said, smirking smugly, making her want to vomit. "And I'm not letting them leave, not now when things are finally starting to get interesting. I threw a bottle of perfume right into the middle of the fire, and look how pretty it smells now! If any of you try anything again, you'll all die, but then I won't be having fun anymore. Until then, I'll let you off with a little warning..."

He drew a triangle in the air, clenching his fist and beginning to torture Melinda without hesitation, his facial expression cold and emotionless as that of a murderer. She imagined she must have looked the same way to Amanda last night, and it made guilt swell up in her gut like a tumour. Instantly, she was overcome by his wrath and hatred, which were as deep and dark as a neverending well in an abandoned forest, and this time, it was her who was screaming like she was being hanged.

"Please!" she cried desperately after a minute of that harrowing ordeal, feeling more helpless than ever before. "Please let me go, I beg of you! I learned my lesson! I'm sorry!"

"You're not sorry," he scoffed, his voice laced with the utmost disdain. "You only say you're sorry because I'm torturing you. You haven't learned your lesson, I see it in your eyes. You think you can torture whomever you want for your own gain, not caring one bit about how they feel as long as you come out on top. 

Do you know who you're starting to act like? Me! Me, the cold, uncaring, emotionless villain, and here I am, remembering the tears and pain of my lieutenant when her screams woke me up at four in the morning, whispering words of comfort in her ear as she dreaded to say your name. I was acting nicer than you last night, and it makes me sick. You absolute cad who reveals all the worst of humanity! I hope this doesn't happen again. I know I brought you here to become my apprentice, but I don't want you to become Satan himself, you know?"

"Since when are you the morality police?" she said weakly, trying to release a laugh, but it turned into a cough from how dry her mouth was before the screaming started again.

"You deserve it," Ingrid said darkly in the middle of her wretched screaming that seemed like it would never end, causing Jeffrey to look at her like a lost puppy.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she spat out, pushing him away from herself. "Are you afraid to admit that your perfect girlfriend's in the wrong?"

"Of course she's in the wrong, Ingrid, but it's a bit much, don't you think?"

"An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth."

"Maybe you're right... It's complicated, though."

"Indeed..."

Then, the conversation ended just as quickly as it started, leaving them to watch Melinda writhe in pain unblinkingly, wondering how they've reached the bottom of the well so soon and how they would ever get out. They were immensely relieved when the torture was over at last, helping Melinda get up while she was in a state of utter weakness, their sympathy returning when they saw a glimpse of the woman they both knew and loved in those vivid, beautiful eyes. 

As she struggled to get up, Melinda reflected on her behaviour in this whole situation, and Hemingway's as well. It still amazed her how callously she'd acted mere hours ago, and it must have amazed him as well, even if she felt there was something artificial about his speech. His thoughts while torturing her were focused on hating her, but not only for the usual reasons. 

He was mad at her for hurting his lieutenant, very much so, and she had a hunch that it wasn't simply about her having an ace up her sleeve he hadn't been anticipating. Maybe there was something beneath that vile, abominable surface, something in his heart that made him care for his fellow humans...

"So, anyway," he said a few seconds later, snapping her out of her trance. "This isn't the only reason why I came here this early in the morning. I have an important announcement to make. Maria Thorne came to me yesterday to negotiate, and she wanted to talk to Jeffrey specifically, inviting him to stay at her house for three days. 

You'd think I would say no, but I don't need him anymore, and I'm also leaving for two weeks anyway because I have other affairs to deal with, so my guards will be taking care of you, making sure that you don't step out of line. Mister Bush, you better pack your stuff soon because you're leaving tonight. I'll notify you when she comes, which will probably be during dinner, although you can never be sure with her. That's all. Farewell, and I'll see you all soon."

As he slowly stepped away and gently closed the door behind him, the three friends stood stunned at the doorway, taking in the news. They had no idea what he was plotting, but they were certain it was something awful. They stood in silence for a while, having no idea what would become of them, knowing only tiredness and hunger. 

When those two matters were settled, they were going to think about it, but they at least had some time until then. Heading downstairs to eat their breakfast, they thought of nothing and merely waited for the day to go on.

That night, Jeffrey stood tearfully at the doorway with his bags packed, embracing Melinda for what they both feared would be their last time. The lovers' embrace was as passionate as ever, despite all the friction that had been happening between them for a while now, and Melinda earnestly, genuinely believed that their love would overcome their odds, no matter what. 

She smiled happily at him like nothing in the world bothered her, only for that smile to vanish in an instant as he averted his gaze from her, his touch suddenly feeling cold when it hadn't been so before.

"Are you alright, my love?" she gasped, cupping his face in her hands. "What's going on? You know you can tell me. I'm sorry for acting erratically this last couple of days, but you know that I love you deeply and that I will always be there for you. So, what is it?"

"It's nothing," he stammered, his eyes darting all over the room. "It's just... Everything has been weighing down on me lately, and I'm not sure that we can overcome it anymore. You're strong, and I'm not useless either, but it's simply too much. Sometimes, I feel like giving up. I don't think I can do this anymore."

"Please hold on, my love," she said, holding him tight in her embrace as he sobbed helplessly, her smile a faint shadow of what it usually was. "I know your despair, for I have felt it too, and I know very well it is only a temporary obstacle. Our love has overcome so many evils already, so what's one more? Just hold on for a little while longer, and then I'll retire, and we can live happily ever after in peace. That sounds good, does it not?"

"Goodbye, Melinda," he whispered under his breath, his words like tumbleweed in a desert, his steps just as weak as he passed her by without care, his bags weighing in his hands like boulders, and after his last desperate gaze, she felt to the floor and began to cry, forcing Ingrid to comfort her, knowing very well that she was lying not only to Melinda but also to herself, the demons having now become stronger than ever, and to defeat them, they would have to do things that may very well be impossible.