Linka

When thinking of a theme for "In-Between", I immediately thought of a rift that has grown in-between the two after so many years of being in an unhappy marriage.

One of many the themes I find interesting is a concept of a loveless marriage/relationship. Because this is sadly a very real issue, as some relationships fall apart over the course of time. Even in today's world, it is not uncommon for some relationships to eventually go downhill, due to both sides being incompatible with eachother. Some people are fortunate enough to end relationships, while others are not.

I tend to draw both ring is a simplified way, but when I'm depicting all the minor details, this is what they're gonna look like.

Now, allow me to yap about this lil device. Belos created it a few months before proposing the marriage idea to Reina. This "ring" idea came from him not wanting to lose control again and be betrayed. So, using his previous knowledge of mechanics, artificial magic, and the Collector's help, he created this ring. On the outside it looks like a normal ring, but in actually it's something that can help Reina pretend to be an actual witch, and help him keep her "on the right path".

Essentially, the thing works like a tracking app for children. It gives Belos information about what kind of spell was used by Reina, where it was used, when was it used, and how it was used. It's downside is that it can only do so when its magic is used. If the ring is not used, Belos has no way for tracking Reina through it.

If the situation gets extreme, he can even immobilize Reina for some time, although this move puts a lot of pressure on the ring, making Belos fear that it might malfunction someday.

The ring's main magic capabilities are:

• Creating massive stone spikes that burst out of the ground.

• Magic blasts.

• Shield creation.

• Telekinesis.

• Fire creation.

Reina:

Admiration:

When Regina first encountered Philip, she saw him as her saviour. Someone wise, who could help her and teach her how to survive in his hellhole. At this point, she was completely oblivious to Philip's darker side, and only saw him as a mentor and a good companion.

Delusion:

This stage takes place after Regina discovers the truth about Grimwalkers, and has her first big argument with Philip. She no longer views him as completely innocent, but due to believing she cannot survive in the Isles without his aid, she chooses to let those "bad habits" slide, and decides to stay by his side.

Bitterness:

This marks the part where their relationship begins to slide downhill. After finding out that Belos tried to control her through over her via a mechanical ring, which cannot be taken off under any circumstances, Regina finally opened up her eyes to his darker nature. This left her feeling completely betrayed and imprisoned, causing bitterness to fester in her heart. Alongside this, some other not so pleasant events took place. During this period, Reina was at her lowest.

Resentment:

Finally, after many years of playing marriage, her bitterness turned to resentment towards her own husband. Upon assuming the title of empress, not only did she go on to scheme behind the emperor's back, but she also began developing plans on gaining her own freedom back, as it was currently limited by Belos. This arc of the story continues onto the present day.

Belos:

Affinity:

Upon discovering Regina for the first time, Philip Wittebane couldn't help but be delighted, as in his mind he was finally not the only decent being in this realm. Besides, being the man that he is, Philip enjoyed thinking of himself as the hero in her eyes(which he was). Unlike him, Miss Knave had absolutely no experience in survival on the Isles, hence she was practically tethered to him. And there was no denying that Philip was glad to have company of at least a single other human(other than his brother's corpse).

Attachment:

Over time, Philip's affinity toward the woman turned into a sort of attachment. Regina was the closest thing he had to a human friend. With around, he could at least pretend to have semblance of a normal life. But much to his chagrin, the witch hunter soon realised his attachment to Regina was accompanied by paranoia of being backstabbed by her. After all, of his own brother was capable of being a traitor, then what stopped her from going down the same path. After a while of this going on, Philip realised it was his duty to keep her on the "right path", and make sure she's kept under his control. He told himself it was for the woman's own safety, but deep inside, Wittebane knew it wasn't the main reason.

Disdain:

Although it was to be expected, this shift from a positive relationship to a negative one was still quite abrupt. Philip, now called Belos, finally came up with a device which would not only give Reina access to artificial magic, but also allow him to have control over her, making sure she wouldn't betray him. But unfortunately, Reina had a very negative reaction to this stunt, and didn't think twice before expressing her opinion in some very harsh and graphic words. This made Belos realise that keeping that woman under control might be much harder than he initially thought, and he would have to tighten his grip on her if he wants to "save her soul". So, he increased his control over Reina, which in turn prompted her to hate him even more. This type of a co-relationship slowly made them grow to dislike eachother.

Distrust:

As their relationship deteriorated, the emperor's paranoia over being betrayed evolved into distrust. With Belos' influence over the Boiling Isles gro, so did Reina's. So naturally, Belos began paying closer attention to his consort(although that didn't stop her from sneaking out and mingling in shady affairs). Notably, Belos trusts Reina much more than anyone else on the Isles, due to her being highly involved in his affairs & the Day of Unity. But even so, he can never allow himself to be completely honest with her, due to past trauma.