Niko stands just beside the road as a motorcycle carrying two people flies past. He clasps his hands together in front of him as an excited grin breaks out on his face.

He didn't expect any of this to be easy.

Neo had worked it up that everything would go exactly how Lumi had planned for it to. He had had hope and that had been his downfall.

Niko watched as the motorcycle sped down the road, far from Roseborn. He had plans for how everything was going to go. But the plans had involved Lumi staying in town, stuck in police custody. Now she drove away.

Where is she going? Niko rubbed his chin. Not that it matters. With her gone it makes my job easier. The only person he was worried about was Mia. Sure he had hurt her during their fight - if one could even call it that. But she was still powerful.

Niko stepped out of his world of invisibility. There would be plenty of time for hiding later. Right now he had to get working on the next step of his plan.

He took the same road as Lumi and the mystery guy, except he walked into town. There would be time after for him to go after Lumi. But he wanted to make sure that Neo's death sent waves through the town. That it hurt the one person he needed it to hurt.

She was already mad at Lumi and if she knew that Lumi had killed her cousin then it would be perfect. Niko wouldn't have to do any convincing to get her help. He would just need to convince her to hurt Lumi.

Niko grinned.

Lumi would feel a wave of pain before he swept in and killed her. Just like how she killed any chance of Neo and him being the protector.

***

Elsewhere

The woods had been still and silent for longer than they normally were. Something had been crawling through it. All the animals could sense it, but none of them could see it.

"Hugh."

One second there was nothing beside a tall lonely tree. The next a girl with black messy hair was leaning on it. She had just popped into existence as if she had been there all along. She kept one hand on her leg. The jeans she wore were ripped and bloody. A cut sliced through from the top of her thigh to the top of her knee.

She lifted her hand from the wound and winced.

All she had to do was make it home. There she had her last bottle of healing salve she had made with Madam Mara. It was the last thing she ever got to make with her.

Everything's going to be okay. She told herself. But she didn't buy it.

Neo was dead. Lumi had been taken by the police. And Niko was walking away free, unharmed.

How did the murderer keep getting away?

Mia bared her teeth and pushed herself away from the tree. She was only a little ways from her house. She could make it back. But when she stood on her own her leg crumpled beneath her, sending the ground up to her.

She let out a cry of pain. Tears streamed down her face.

She was alone, and she was hurt. Both physically and mentally.

"Help," she whispered even though she knew no one was there. "Help."

She knew she needed to help herself. She had known that the time would come. She couldn't lean on Madam Mara like she had when her sister died. She couldn't lean on Lumi like she had when Madam Mara died.

She had no one but herself.

Instead of trying to get up and make it home, Mia wept. She wept all the tears she hadn't cried in years. All her tears and feelings that had been bottled up since her sister's death came crashing down on her. Her sorrow filled the woods as she cried out once more. "Help!"

Crunch!

Mia's head snapped up towards the sound. She scanned the area until her gaze landed on a figure between two trees. Her heart squeezed itself.

It had to be Niko coming after her. He must be wanting to finish her off.

"Help!" she cried again. She hoped that someone would hear her and help her.

She tried to sit up as the figure got closer. But her leg protested and her arms quivered under her weight. She let herself drop to the ground as the figure got closer. Her vision started to dim.

"Mia?" it asked in a voice deeper than Nikos.

But before she could make out who it was, her vision cut out. Leaving her to an unknown fate.