Valerie jolted awake, breathing hard. She couldn't shake the terror of her nightmare, probably Neurosis' doing. The image of Grady's bloody, cut-up face was burned into her retinas, every detail morbidly vivid when she closed her eyes. His unanswered pleas echoed through her mind like a torturous anthem. Her heart beat rapidly in her chest, summoning a weak continuous shock from her collar. She took deep breaths to try and calm herself. It didn't work very well.

Finally, she gave up on sleep and sat on the edge of her cot, head in her hands. Despite how long it had been since Vespera had visited, not that she knew exactly how long that was, she couldn't stop thinking about what she had said.
At first, she didn't want to believe it, but, as she thought about it, the pieces fell into place. She knew Vespera could be lying to her, but everything fit. Grady could be her father; and she had killed him.

She clenched her fists as the guilt surged up inside her. She had to fight this, no matter how hopeless things got. She couldn't give up. She wouldn't go down like this.
————
Valerie lay on her cot staring at the wall. A cold plate of food sat in the corner, untouched since it arrived, whenever that was. She didn't care anymore. She couldn't fight any longer. It was pointless. It wasn't like she would be getting away anytime soon. What did she have to go back to? Everyone probably hated her. She'd killed one of the most amazing people in the world. Who would accept her after that? Who would care if she broke? Maybe it was better this way. Maybe now she could be free of the pain.

She closed her eyes and the scenes of her latest nightmare flooded back into her mind - a pasture full of corpses, her friends kneeling at her feet, bloodied and wounded, the Neverseen patch on her shoulder.

According to Fintan and Vespera, that was her destiny. So, why did she keep fighting it? It was inevitable, wasn't it? She was doomed to hurt the people she loved, doomed to fail them.
A tear slipped down her cheek. This was it. This was the end. This was her Swan Song.

A/N
Well, that took a turn I didn't expect. I know this one's a little shorter, but it's very important, like ALL the other chapters. Hope you enjoyed. (I know I enjoyed writing it😈)
-Cheshire