Wilson walked through the woods, eyes dull. He was thinking about his encounter with Maxwell, unable to think right afterward.

No real power...

He had been standing before the new king of this world. And survived. Shouldn't he be happy?

They only pity you...

Shouldn't he of felt relieved?

It's your fault...

He felt a headache start again, but he didn't care. Wilson knew he was losing himself. Experiencing something only a now futile mortal like him could experience.

Insanity.

Not that it mattered. I mean, who would even care about him? Willow? No, she would make it worse. Wolfgang? Tell him to push through like it was easy. Webber and Wendy? Most likely won't understand. No, only he could understand. Him and his Grue.

A growl alerted him to his surroundings. He was in a dense pine forest, shadows casting from the torchlight. The growl was almost savage, like an animal deprived of food. Wilson wouldn't be surprised if it was. What did surprise him was what it was.

A figure, human-like in stature, stood just outside of the torches light. It appeared to be a woman, dressed in a black dress. Blank white eyes stared at Wilson's gray ones, and a painfully familiar hairstyle was on its head.

Charlie.

Wilson could barely believe it. Charlie was here, in front of him. But she was different, most notably the growl she made.

"C-Charlie?! Is that you?" Wilson asked, dumbfounded by the fact that his Queen was reduced to a mere creature of darkness.

Charlie tilted her head in confusion, as though the name were unfamiliar. Wilson pushed more.

"It's me, Wilson! I'm so glad you're safe," He said, relief making his chest heavy. He was unaware that Charlie did not recognize him, consumed by her Grue.

Wilson lowered the torch and began to approach the queen, but she backed away, fearful of the light.

Wilson noticed this. "It's alright. It's light, remember? You loved the light! It's what brought me here," Wilson attempted to jog her memory again, but she continued to back away.

Not giving up, Wilson stopped and held the torch ahead of him. Charlie was surprised by this motion, stopping. "Here, you can hold it," He said, not lowering the torch.

Charlie hesitated a moment, but she reached to the torch. Not in a natural way, her arm stretching with shadow. Wilson was careful not to flinch away.

Charlie pulled the light towards her, squinting her eyes. She shivered, the light unnatural to her new form. It almost seemed like it hurt.

Wilson smiled gently. Her curiosity hasn't changed...

But when she screeched, Wilson was snapped back to reality. Charlie had raised the torch above her head, and slammed it onto the dewy grass, instantly quenching the flame.

Wilson couldn't even scream. He only saw those dead, white eyes, before it all went black.