seconds-not-decades

~ * ~

Your anniversary was coming up close. You thought it was supposed to be a happy occasion, but…nothing was happy as of late. Not for you. Not for your marriage. Or for your baby on the way. It all started when you wanted to surprise Five by going to his office. Only to find him getting a little too close to comfort with his new and so-called "secretary". Yeah. You didn't buy that at all and thus sparked your growing suspicions. Everything progressed in the worst ways, almost feeling like you were living in a horror movie.

I saved every letter you wrote me

From the moment I read them

I knew you were mine

You said you were mine

I thought you were mine

You were in his study, looking through all the letters stacked up on his desk. The envelopes stood out against the dark mahogany, polished and pristine. You had all of the things he sent you kept in here. You thought you were his one and only, his first and last, his forever and always, and his beloved wife. And you also thought he was yours. Your one and only, your first and last, your forever and always, and your beloved husband.

No. Not anymore.

Do you know what my family said

When they saw your first letter arrive?

They said, "Be careful with that one, love,

He will do what it takes to survive."

You remembered the warnings your family gave you when you received the very first love letter Five sent to you. They made you aware that his ambitions might lead him astray and he would do anything he could to come out on top. But you defended him. You thought he would never do anything like that to you. You believed in your words and in his loyalty. Or you thought he was loyal.

You and your words flooded my senses

Your sentences left me defenseless

You built me palaces out of paragraphs

You built cathedrals

But oh, those words. Five's words. How they filled you with so much whimsical romance, hope, and happiness. How elegant he structured the sentences, formed every line, and spoke so admiringly to you. He made you feel safe, cherished, and loved just with mere poetry. It made your heart swell with joy. How foolish you felt for falling for his twisted, romantic lies.

I'm re-reading the letters you wrote me

I'm searching and scanning for answers in every line

For some kind of sign

And when you were mine

The world seemed to burn

You were going through your letters more desperate now, reading between the lines. You needed answers. You needed to know why he wasn't yours and yours alone anymore. You were desperate to know if he was lying from the beginning. That nothing in his previous writings hinted denial of your relationship. That he was willingly giving his heart to you with no second guesses. But so far you was finding nothing. You were coming up empty handed.

I found the letters she wrote you

She reminisced all about that night

How you brought this girl into our bed

In tainting your name

You have ruined our lives

Five grew distant, cold, and unloving towards you over time. You tried to play it off, kept being his adoring wife. But that didn't help you. He rejected it all, stayed at work late, and claimed he was always busy. You felt your suspicions grow so strongly that one night you decided to see what he was really up to. When you saw him making out with his secretary, you fled. Your heart broke into a million pieces, leaving you empty and in unimaginable pain and grief. It all came crashing down when you realized you were right all along. You wanted it to be a lie. You wanted deny it. But you knew it was no use. Nothing could erase what you saw. All that ran through your head was Five's scandalous betrayal behind your back.

Do you know what my family said

When they read what you'd done?

They said, "You've married an Icarus,

He's flown too close to the sun."

Your family was ashamed of Five and what he brought upon you all. They had such hope for him. They had never loved a man you dated more than him. They knew he was the one, because of how lovingly he treated you. They knew he would take care of you. But now? Their faith and belief in him was instantly shattered.

You and your words obsessed with your legacy

Your sentences border on senseless

And you are paranoid in every paragraph

How they perceive you

You, you, you.

You bitterly thought it was always all about Five, wasn't it? He wanted to create a name for himself. He wanted people to remember him, to look up to him, and be inspired by him. He wanted the popularity, the fame, and the fortune. You used to think it was just because he wanted to be great in the world. How blind were you to not truly see it? Is it all because he came from a famous family? Did he think that you marrying him made you two one step closer to having it all? How vain was he truly? How happy was he now that he got what he wanted?

I'm erasing myself from the narrative

Let future historians wonder how I reacted

When you broke my heart

You have torn it all apart

I'm watching it burn

Watching it burn

Your anniversary came as quickly as Five left the day before. You had everything planned out for a perfect and lovely dinner. You had your gift all ready: a positive pregnancy test. You wanted one last special evening with him, but you felt it was all in vain when you waited and waited. You even called him, but felt neglected. Out went dinner and away went the gift. You hid it under the floorboards where you tucked away other items near and dear to you. When Five angrily came home the next day, demanding about why you were so clingy and why you called him so much, it solidified your choice. You thought about your future with your baby and realized you didn't need your so-called husband anymore. You could make a new life and a better one without him. So, you slowly distanced yourself from Five. You found a nice apartment far away from him. You began packing your things without him even noticing, left everything he gave you, faked your admiration for the traitor if he was ever around, and even stopped wearing your wedding ring. If he didn't care about you anymore, why should you care about him? He wouldn't know about you, your feelings, or your reaction. He destroyed everything good involving you and he stained your reputation.

The world has no right to my heart

The world has no place in our bed

They don't get to know what I said

I'm burning the memories

Burning the letters that might have redeemed you

Five would never hear about you, about him, or about your broken marriage. You were throwing it all away, casting it to nothing, and never going back to it ever again. Nobody will ever hear your side or know your story. You smoothly moved your things to your apartment, separated your bank accounts, and separated yourself from him. All that was left was leaving your ring and the divorce papers for him. When you called him for the last time, it took every ounce of strength not to cry. When he told you he was going on a business trip, you felt elated by the opportunity. He opened up your perfect escape. You knew this was goodbye forever, so before he hung up, you were softly crying as you told him you loved him. You heard the concern in his voice when he asked if you were okay, but you lied to him, telling him it was nothing. Just as he lied to you and tore your marriage apart like it was nothing. You looked around the empty study, feeling a bit hopeful for your new future. You blocked and deleted his number before changing yours so he would never contact you again. You gathered up all the letters he sent you, even the first that began your whole relationship. You watched the flame of the fire begin to melt the corner of it, and you dropped it. One after the other, you set fire to them all.

You forfeit all rights to my heart

You forfeit the place in our bed

You'll sleep in your office instead

Five ruined everything for life. He threw away everything you tirelessly built together all these years, making it fall to nothing but ashes at your feet. Never again will you fall for his wicked games. He tore your heart apart and if he ever dared to step foot near your home or your baby, you'd shut him out. Five threw his key to your heart away and it will always be locked from him.

With only the memories of when you were mine

You watched the last love letter burn, falling to your knees and sobbing into your hands. You loved Five. You gave him everything and he took it for granted. You were always there for him but he was never there for you. You stood by his side through it all, yet you rarely had him. You supported his hopes, his dreams, and his ambitions. But you don't care anymore. The only thing you have are former, painful, broken memories of the two of you. Never again shall history repeat itself. You and Five were done.

I hope that you burn...

You put the fire out, wrote your own letter to him, and left the study with a shattered heart. You slipped your wedding ring off, setting it on his bed, along with your letter and the divorce papers. You took a deep breath, packing the remaining boxes you had left into your car. You went around the rather empty house one last time with a mix of emotions: sorrow, anger, betrayal, and happiness. You had so many broken memories here. Memories you will forever leave behind. With a determined stride, you left the house and slid into your car, driving off to a new and better future.

Going down the tunnel was an experience within itself. Soon, Lila kicked the door open and everyone came out of it rather breathlessly. The White Buffalo suite seemed the same, except everything was backwards.

"Let's never do that again," Viktor panted some.

"What, narrowly escape the apocalypse?" Five remarked, keeping a comforting hold on Karina.

"It's kind of our thing, isn't it?" Diego checked the room protectively.

"There's something very wrong about that," Allison eyed the buffalo's rear end sticking out of the wall.

"Same suite, just ass-backward," Lila returned.

"No hyperbole there," Karina muttered.

"This is some hardcore Alice in Wonderland shit," Ben commented.

"Yeah, it only gets weirder," Diego admitted.

Sir Reginald was the last to come out of the tunnel, and he was out of breath as he shut the door. "At last, the other side."

"Wait. Where's Klaus?" Viktor asked and Five stared at Sir Reginald in shock.

"Children, I'm sorry, but your brother…" he trailed off. "I did all I could, but he didn't make it through in time. The Kugelblitz has claimed its last victim."

"No, he was right behind us when we entered the tunnel," Five argued.

"I saw him behind me," Karina nearly choked out.

"We need to go back," Sloane added.

"There's nothing to go back to. Children, there will be time for tears later," Sir Reginald set off in determination. "Right now, we have to keep moving." He left the room quickly.

"Wait. Luther and Klaus?" Viktor looked around at everyone's somber expressions.

Everyone followed Sir Reginald out of the suite. The hotel seemed to be the same, but there was a lingering feeling in the air that nobody could shake. The feeling that something was off about the hotel.

~ * ~

Everyone rode the elevator down to the main floor and it dinged. The door slid open and Sir Reginald led them out.

"This is magnificent!" Sir Reginald exclaimed.

"You guys should've stayed here," Ben commented as he looked around. "This place is way nicer."

"Lila and I barely got out alive last time. Remember?" Diego reminded him.

"But I'm here this time, and the numbers are in our favor," he boasted.

"Well, whatever it was, it was strong, fast, and super pissed," Lila put in.

Diego went over to the front desk. "Alright, so, whatever you do, do not ring this bell. Unless you wanna lose a finger or a tentacle."

"I'll take my chances-" Sloane began.

"Don't!" Lila stopped her.

"Get out of my way."

"To take out this thing, we need to be in the right state of mind, okay?"

"State of mind? Do you mean, am I angry?" Sloane questioned, her voice thick with grief. "Yes, I am angry. I wanna kill whatever it is that hurt Luther!"

"Luther isn't the only one that's gone," Viktor calmly spoke up. "We lost Klaus too. I'm angry, okay? We all are. We have to be smart about this."

Karina saw Five slowly go towards the doors and for a split second, she hesitated to follow him. However, the stars on the floor caught her eye and she frowned, wondering why they looked familiar to her.

"Yeah. When the time is right, we'll act," Lila told Sloane.

"Don't even try it, Five," Diego told him. "Doors won't let you out."

"So, what, we're stuck here?" Karina was in blatant disbelief as Five blinked over to her side.

"This place is a test and a trap and a means of salvation, all at once," Sir Reginald announced.

"Does anyone know what that sign says?" Viktor looked at it.

"Yeah, it says "Do not ring the bell"," Diego answered. "That's what that means."

"We get it, Diego. Bell bad," Five went over to them.

"What do we do? Does anybody know?" Karina asked quietly.

"Reggie?" Allison tried to get his attention. "Reggie."

Sir Reginald flipped some pages in his journal.

"I'm hungry. Does anyone fancy an unagi roll?" Lila spoke up as she headed off.

"How can you possibly eat at a time like this?" Ben questioned.

"I don't know. How can you be a dick at a time like this?"

"Hey!" Diego walked over.

"Oh, you'll-" Ben began.

"Back off, all right?" Diego interrupted. "She's eating for-"

"Strength," Lila cut him off. "In these trying times. Diego, can you come with me for a second?"

The two left the others, heading over to the cafeteria area. Meanwhile Five, Karina, and Viktor were sitting in a corner, watching Sir Reginald thoughtfully.

"Nah, it's like the old man said. Once is happenstance, twice is coincidence, and three times ain't gonna happen 'cause I'm not a gibbering idiot," Five rambled.

"Well, we can't be sure he killed Klaus or Luther," Viktor pointed out.

Five stared at him. "You serious? This is his modus operandi. We've seen this before. Have you forgotten how we all came together in the first place?"

"Dad's funeral."

"Exactly. He pulled this on you rubes before, and he's doing it again now."

"Come on, Five," Viktor disagreed.

"No, he has a point, Viktor," Karina was anxiously fiddling with her ring. "Think about it. He lost the vote to come through the tunnel, yet here we are. He comes in mere moments after we all do upon finding Luther's body. Almost as if he already knew. And as for Klaus, the only two people left in the tunnel were them. I saw them, but something in the tunnel forced me to go forward. I'm telling you, something isn't right!"

"Which unnerves me because, well, I've never seen her so uncharacteristically worked up like this over something before," Five added, grabbing Karina's shaking hand.

"Are you really sure that he could kill Luther?" Viktor was hesitant.

"I think he could kill Luther, Klaus, and the rest of us without breaking a moral sweat," Five leaned forward. "And what's worse, we think Allison is involved."

"No. No," Viktor scoffed and shook his head. "No, she…she was with Sloane in the tunnel."

"I'm not talking about Klaus," Five bit out.

"Luther? What?" Viktor was even more shocked. "No, she would never do that."

"She's been unraveling since we got to this timeline," Karina pointed out.

"Yeah, she lost her daughter."

"And she killed Harlan."

"Look, even if you're right, I can't imagine they're just gonna come clean if we confront them," Viktor commented.

"We agree," Five sighed as all three eyed Allison tending to Sloane.

"Gather up, children," Sir Reginald announced, descending down the stairs quickly. "Now that we've had a chance to catch our breath, the real work can begin."

"Ah, the myth of the seven bells, eh?" Five stood up with the other two.

"Exactly. Somebody's been paying attention."

"Okay, so we find the bells, then what?" Diego questioned.

"No, no, no. The bells are just a metaphor for this," Sir Reginald showed a familiar drawing to everyone.

Five clicked his tongue. "The sigil."

"Correct, Number Five. The sigil is the key to the seven bells," Sir Reginald explained, "Once we find this symbol, we're one step closer to resetting the universe."

"What do we do when we find it?" Karina crossed her arms.

"I don't know."

Sloane gasped.

"Excuse me?" Viktor piped up. "We're here because you said you have a plan."

"I do, up to a point," Sir Reginald admitted.

Lila snickered. "Great. So we'll just stay in the hotel forever, staring at the walls and eating bad sushi."

"Finding the sigil is our only way out of here and the best chance we have of resetting the universe," Allison spoke up.

"Funny how you and Dad are on the same page again," Five observed coolly.

"Not to mention you suddenly know so much about the sigil and apparently resetting the universe," Karina raised her eyebrow.

Allison was glaring at them. "You know, sometimes I really miss the days where your wife just quietly followed you around and barely spoke a word," she shot at Five and he clenched his jaw angrily.

"Okay, uh, where do we start?" Viktor cut through the tension.

"We'll split into groups," Sir Reginald replied. "I will go with Allison, Karina, and Sloane, Ben and Five, you're with Viktor."

"No, we want Allison," Viktor argued.

"Rina stays with me no matter what group you force us to be with. Try to split us up again and I will kill you," Five threatened Sir Reginald. "Ben for Allison. We've trained together, so it makes more sense if we take Allison."

"Yeah. No, thanks," Allison remarked.

"Why not?" Karina looked at her narrowly and suspiciously.

Allison subtly glanced at Sir Reginald.

"Splendid idea," he announced. "Allison, you go with the Umbrellas. Sparrows, stick together. Everyone take a different floor. We must find that sigil."

"What about us?" Lila asked as everyone began to split up.

"You're a duo. Nobody wants to listen to your endless bickering," Sir Reginald answered. "Now, spread out, leave no stone unturned, and meet back here in 30 minutes," he instructed in everyone's wake.

~ * ~

Allison, Viktor, Five, and Karina slowly sauntered into a room.

"Someone went through a lot of trouble to hide this thing," Allison went over to a cabinet.

"How big is it supposed to be?" Viktor glanced around.

"You know, dear old Reg didn't say."

Five walked into the room a bit more. "Really? Hm. That's surprising. I figured you'd know more about his plan," he commented.

"Sorry, what's that supposed to mean?" Allison looked at him.

"Rina and I saw you and him in the White Buffalo Suite during the wedding," he accused.

"I don't know if now's the right time-" Viktor began.

Allison cut him off. "You know, I heard that you blacked out last night and Karina tended to your side. Big shocker."

"I did, and it took me a while to remember what I saw, but I do remember, Allison," Five remarked. "You and Dad made some kind of deal."

Allison chuckled in disbelief, watching him walk over to her.

"What did you agree to?" Five continued relentlessly.

"A deal?"

"Mm-hmm."

"With Dad? Please tell me you're joking."

"He's not," Karina was watching Allison closely.

"Answer the question," Five nearly dared her.

"You're out of your mind. Both of you," Allison retorted.

"You and Sir Reginald make a deal, now Luther is dead. Looks pretty suspicious to me," Karina put in.

Allison chuckled again. "Okay. Luther was killed by whatever the hell that thing is."

"And Klaus?" Five prodded her.

"He didn't make it into the tunnel."

"You know, your deal is costing people their lives," Five accused.

"Do you really think that I made a deal with Dad to kill Luther and Klaus?" Allison seethed, looking at them. "I'm done. I'll meet you in the lobby." She stormed out.

"Hey…Hey, wait, no," Viktor sighed. "Wait…Five," he scoffed in disbelief, running out after her. "Allison. No, just listen to me."

Five and Karina left the room, but the hallway looked different. Instead of a hall, there was a wall.

"Viktor? Allison?" Five called out, pulling Karina close to his side.

"Okay, this just keeps getting worse by the second," she was pressed against him tightly.

The two continued to find a way out. But they kept running into dead ends.

Five sighed. "All right, so now the fun starts."

"You and I have very different definitions of fun," Karina remarked.

"Come on. Let's find a way out of this hellhole," Five gave her forehead a comforting kiss.

The two wandered around the floor, wondering if there was an end to it. What felt like hours later, they found Sloane and Ben.

"I can't believe I'm saying this. I'm actually glad to see you guys," Five greeted.

"What's wrong?" Sloane looked and sounded like she was a mix between angry and upset.

"The hotel is changing," Karina replied. "We've been walking around in circles, but it's like the thing is alive."

"We should get to the lobby," Ben snarled some.

"Tried it. Whatever direction we choose, we end up in the same spot," Five returned.

"Or maybe you have no sense of direction," Ben fired off.

"Calm it, calamari," Karina snapped.

"Okay, lead the way, Magellan," Five added in a snarky tone.

Ben hesitated for a split second and then shook his head, scoffing as he went off. The three followed him. Not much longer after that, suddenly what sounded like a gong resonated in the air. The lights flickered and took on an eerie gold glow. The floor rumbled ever so slightly and the four exchanged a nervous look.

They rounded a corner only to see a guardian appear. He twirled his sword around menacingly.

"Really? A samurai?" Ben was exasperated.

The samurai growled. However, Sloane yelled angrily and charged at it, jumping over it and landing on the other side. The guardian turned with his sword raised, but, she conjured two orbs in her hands and tried destroying it from the inside, straining.

"Revenge looks good on her," Ben commented.

Five eyed him in exasperation. "Would you shut up and help us kill this thing?"

He grabbed an axe off the wall and Karina grabbed a katana hanging below it. He blinked them out and over to the guardian, hitting and stabbing at it. Sloane kept using her power to keep the guardian in place as Ben hung out on the sideline, watching them fight.

That fight eventually led to the four hiding in the laundry room behind a bunch of machines.

"You've hit him with your axe five times and that katana twice as much. He should be dead by now," Ben pointed out.

"The armor. It's like hitting cement," Five replied.

"There's a space between the backplates," Sloane was out of breath.

"We need to get behind him," Karina caught on.

The guardian was snarling and waiting for them to make their next move.

"Let's kill this thing," Five nodded, seeing Sloane jump to her feet. "Wait-Sloane!"

"Hey, asshоlе!" Sloane shouted.

"Shit!" Five blinked out with Karina.

Sloane leapt over a table as the guardian threw a knife, slicing her arm. She wailed in pain, groaning when she hit the floor. The guardian roared as Five and Karina appeared in front of him. Karina ducked as the guardian hit Five, sending him to the ground.

"Well, fuck you too!" Karina dodged the guardian's sword. She blocked it, starting to sword fight him, though it was kind of useless on her behalf. "Shit! Come on!" she was losing her strength quickly as the guardian growled and snarled.

"Rina!" Five groggily sat up, feeling his head swimming chaotically as Sloane looked up.

The guardian knocked the katana out of her hand.

"Shit!" she cried as he grabbed her throat, starting to choke her.

"NO!" Five staggered to his feet.

Ben suddenly joined the fray and yelled, sending his tentacles out. They wrapped around the guardian as one grabbed Karina by the waist to save her.

The guardian growled, fighting against the tentacles constricting him. Ben strained, making the tentacle around the guardian's arm squeeze it hard. The guardian released Karina as the tentacle around her saved her from falling.

She and Ben wailed in pain when the guardian snarled and broke through all the tentacles, slicing one of them and slicing through Karina's side.

She screamed and fell to the floor at Five's feet, gasping and choking for air. He angrily grabbed the axe and yelled, slamming it into the guardian's back. The guardian fell to his knees and then onto the floor. The four looked around breathlessly.

"Rina!" Five raced to her.

She coughed, sputtering some. "I'm okay. I'm okay," she wheezed, unaware of her injured side.

He carefully helped her to her feet and gazed into her eyes. "Are you all right?"

"Yes," she nodded. "Thank you for saving me," she weakly managed to say to Ben.

Ben nodded solemnly and the four quickly rushed out of the laundry room.

~ * ~

The four got back to the lobby, only to see Viktor and Allison surrounding an alive Klaus.

"Klaus," Five breathed out in shock.

"You look like hell," Viktor saw the four.

"Why don't you try killing a guardian?" Five remarked.

"We just did."

"So did we," Ben responded.

Before anyone could say anything else, Karina inhaled sharply and her legs gave out from beneath her.

"Rina! Shit!" Five barely caught her with Ben's help. "Rina, what's wrong?"

Karina was grimacing in pain, grabbing her side as she yelped.

"Oh my God-" Sloane was horrified.

"Shit, my darling, why didn't you say something?" Five cursed, tearing off his jacket to try to stop the bleeding.

"I…I…didn't feel it…" Karina grabbed his arm. "S-Stop…"

"No! You're not dying on me!" he pressed the jacket onto her side, making her wail in pain.

"What's going on?" Lila raced over with Diego. She gasped when she saw them on the ground.

"Goddamnit, not her, too…" Diego breathed out.

"Help me out for God's sake! Somebody, find a place where I can stitch her wound!" Five demanded, seeing her blood soak through the jacket and puddle onto the floor.

"Five, no. It's no use," Karina strained out.

"Shhh. Save your breath while I save your life."

"Five, please, stop," she grabbed his bloody hand. She looked at him with tears in her eyes. "Stop, it's no use. I'm already dying."

Five was choking up as he gently scooped her into his arms, letting her head rest on his lap. "Don't leave me. Don't you dare leave me. I need you."

"You need to save the world," Karina coughed.

That was when it all came crashing down on Five. He looked down at her in realization. Old Five was warning him that not saving the world was the only way to save his world. He didn't mean the universe.

He meant his wife.

"My love, you are my world," Five was fighting desperately not to let the tears fall. "We should have stayed behind. I should have listened to you. I'm so sorry…"

"How did this happen anyway?" Lila glanced around.

"I'll tell you!" Klaus piped up rather angrily. "What you guys need to know right now is that Dad killed Luther. And he locked me out of the tunnel, and he rang that stupid bell!"

That fueled the fire in everyone.

"What's your plan, old man?" Five spat angrily, grasping Karina to his chest.

"We don't have time for this," Sir Reginald dismissed him.

"You killed Luther! And now Karina is dying no thanks to you!" Sloane cried.

"I had no choice with him. You refused to come together as a team," Sir Reginald remarked.

"All of your stupid myths and stories. There were never seven bells or Norsemen. You brought us here to die!" Ben snapped.

"That's not so. Somewhere in this hotel is the key to resetting the universe. We just need to find the sigil!"

"I don't care about your sigil! None of us do!" Sloane seethed.

"We barely survived that guardian with his stupid helmet and his sickle!" Diego exclaimed.

Viktor paused. "The guardian we killed had an axe."

"Ours had a sword," Karina breathed out as her eyes started to flutter.

"No, no no, stay with me. Don't leave me!" Five lightly tapped her face in a panic. "Rina, listen to me! Come on, don't die! Don't do this to me, love of mine!"

"How many more of us have to die for your mission?" Sloane bit out. "HOW MANY?!"

Klaus knelt down next to Five and Karina. Her head lulled some and Five tried to steady it on his chest.

"This is what you wanted, huh? Funerals to bring everyone together?" Five snarled to Sir Reginald.

"Your wife was unlucky and not someone I expected to go, but she was getting too smart for her own good. She was getting too close to the truth."

"That doesn't justify her bleeding to death in my arms!"

"Five," Karina whimpered slightly.

Five looked down at her. "Hey, it's okay. It's me. I'm here," he took her hand. "What is it, my darling?"

"I-I'm scared."

"Don't be. Where you go is probably going to be somewhere peaceful and nice. I imagine you'll find yourself tucked away in a nice cottage with a lot of fresh, open air. Maybe you'll find a bakery or two nearby. And you might get a dog? You look like a dog person," Klaus comforted her.

"Maybe your parents will be there to greet you," Five failed miserably to smile. "And they'll take care of you for me. I know they would."

Karina winced some more. "I…I hope so…" she felt her eyelids growing heavier. "I'm getting really tired now."

"You should…you should sleep now, my angel," Five shakily brushed some hair out of her face. "Sleep and rest. I'll save the world, I promise."

"I know you will," Karina looked at him weakly. "I love you."

"I love you, too. So, so much, no matter what. Apocalypses and timelines be damned," Five choked out. "I love you, my darling, no matter what timeline we're in or what apocalypse we stop."

"I'll see you on the other side, I hope," Karina faintly smiled.

Desperately, Five took her face and kissed her, letting his tears fall freely now.

"Please don't leave me, Karina," he quietly sobbed out, his lips brushing against hers. "I love you."

When he pulled back, her eyes were closed and she had fallen still.

Perfectly, peacefully still.

Karina Hargreeves, the love of his life, was gone.

~ * ~

"Mommy, where are we going?" five year old Karina's voice asked.

"Away for a little bit. You and I get to go on a vacation," her mother's voice replied.

"Mommy, he keeps hurting us. I'm scared!" ten year old Karina exclaimed.

"I know, my love bug. But there's no need to be scared. I'm here and I'll protect you no matter what," her mother reassured her.

"I have a job for you. A job that meets all your skill sets and one that will help you and your mother escape that monster she calls an ex-boyfriend," the Handler's voice proposed.

"Calm down, I'm not here to hurt you. I'm Five Hargreeves. That being said, will you please put that down?" the voice of eighteen year old Five asked.

"I'm gonna find us a way home, I swear," Five promised.

"Marry me. I know it won't be the dream wedding you imagined but, I want you to marry me."

"I've found us a way home, Rina. We're going back to 2019."

"I'm never going to leave you."

"I swore to myself that I would always protect you, but, I realize now that I can't always do that and I need to learn to trust myself that you can handle things."

"Wouldn't mind a few more minutes breathing air through the old windbags and spending a little more time with you, my love."

"I love you no matter what timeline we're in or what apocalypse we stop."

"Please don't leave me, Karina. I love you."

~ * ~

Karina gasped and sat up, finding herself in a gorgeous white suite. But it didn't feel sinister like Hotel Obsidian or suspicious like The Commission. The suite felt soothing and peaceful.

"Where am I?" she muttered, going over to the vanity. She noticed though that her injury was gone.

Hair styling products and a case of makeup littered the countertop. There was a small jewelry case showing off a sparkling set. Karina frowned, turning to see a lovely wedding dress and a veil hanging from the bedpost.

"What?" she whispered, hearing a bicycle bell ring out in the hall. Karina went out of the room, seeing a little girl riding down the hall on a bicycle. "Excuse me?"

The little girl turned around. "Oh. You. I didn't expect you to be here this soon."

"Where is here?" Karina frowned. "I'm dead. Aren't I?"

"Well, not exactly. You've fallen unconscious. There's still a small part of you that's alive. Not much though. You're about on the brink of death."

"That's not comforting at all. Is that why this place is so empty? I'm not fully dead?"

"You're very perceptive."

"But am I wrong?"

The little girl slowly rode her bicycle over to her. "No."

"So, this is it? When I fully die, wherever I am will become chock full of people?" Karina bit her lip.

"Maybe. Maybe not. You might get sent back."

"Sent back? Sent where?"

"Back to life."

"Is that even possible?"

The little girl shrugged. "I don't know. All I know is you're here very early."

"Blame the guardian for killing me when I wasn't ready to die yet," Karina commented bitterly.

The little girl looked at her.

"What do I do now? Even in the afterlife I'm alone?" Karina sank to the floor. "I don't even have my parents?"

"You probably won't be here for much longer."

"How do you know that? You said I'm on the brink of death's doorstep. Who's to say that I won't die for real?" Karina sulked, feeling tears well up in her eyes.

"Hard to say."

"Of course it is!" Karina burst out, starting to cry now. "For all my life I've been running from people, trying to save people, and for what? I thought I was saving my mother, but I signed my teenaged years away. I thought I was saving myself, but I stranded myself in an apocalypse. I thought Five and I were saving the world, but instead we doomed our families. I've lost more than I've gained. I thought I'd at least be given the chance of reuniting with my parents when I'm dead, but even then I'm alone! And my husband is fighting for his life in that hell hole and who knows what he's being put through! I just want peace for once!" she cried even harder, not even realizing how much pent up trauma she had yet to release. "I never asked for my life to be so broken."

The air filled with her quiet sobs and all she wished was for someone to hold her. She didn't care who. She yearned for her mother, but she ached for her husband. She just wanted to know that she wouldn't be alone.

Eventually, her tears ceased and she miserably wiped her eyes.

"I'm sorry," she choked out, attempting to recompose herself.

The little girl nodded. "I hope you find comfort in knowing you won't be alone soon."

"Beg pardon?" Karina looked up at her in confusion.

"You're not needed here right now. You need to wake up."

"Wake up? How?" Karina slowly stood up, hearing a faint wind begin to whistle around her.

"Like this is all some surreal dream. You're waking up right now," the little girl told her over the noise.

"Wait! Where am I going?!" Karina exclaimed.

"Someplace better than here for the moment. You'll see!"

Suddenly, a bright light flashed and her surroundings vanished.

~ * ~

Karina found herself standing in a park. It was nighttime and a cool breeze swept through the trees. But, she didn't feel dead. She felt…

Alive.

"Luther?" Viktor sounded from behind her. "Luther?"

Karina whipped around to see Luther, Viktor, Diego, Lila, Ben, and Five.

"Oh shit. You can see me?" Luther gasped.

"Yes!" Viktor exclaimed.

"I'm alive? I'm alive!" he cheered.

"Yes!" Viktor gasped as Luther excitedly picked him up in a huge hug.

"Oh!" Luther was relieved.

Five glanced over and his whole face lit up when he saw Karina standing there.

"RINA!" he shouted.

"Five!" Karina inhaled and the two ran to one another.

Five grabbed her in a hug, spinning her around happily.

"Rina, my love! Oh my God, I thought I lost you! You're alive!" Five checked over her after he set her on her feet.

"Yes! I'm here, my darling, I'm here," Karina nodded with a growing smile.

Five beamed and smothered kisses all over her face, making her laugh.

"Oh, Five!" she giggled as he pulled back breathlessly, cupping her face and gazing at her. "I think you missed a spot."

Five grinned and pulled her in for a deep kiss, never wanting to let her go.

"Luther and Karina are alive!" Klaus cheered.

"Oh my God!" Lila perked up when she saw Karina.

"Karina!" Diego beamed.

"You're back!" Viktor smiled and went over to hug her.

"I am," Karina nodded as the happy couple rejoined the others and she hugged him back.

Viktor pulled back and looked at Luther in realization. "And, that's not all, big guy," he pointed to Luther.

"Huh?" he was confused, before he noticed his normal body. "Whoa! Oh shit! My body! Wait." He looked at himself in awe. "I look amazing."

"Luther's all svelte now," Klaus wiggled his brows.

"Wait. I gotta show Sloane!" Luther gasped.

Five was stunned as he looked at his left arm. "I got my arm back."

"Did you lose it?" Karina immediately grew concerned.

"Shhh. It's all right. I'm fine now, my darling. I'll tell you later," he immediately soothed her.

"This is so cool," Luther paused when he looked around. "W-Wait. Where's Sloane?"

"Oh, she was, uh…" Klaus glanced at him. "She was right behind me-"

"When Allison hit the bloody button," Lila finished.

"She's gone too," Diego noticed.

"You know, I don't know about you guys, but I have not felt this good in years," Klaus spoke as Five, Karina, and some of the others began to look around for the others.

"Does anyone know where the hell we are?" Ben questioned.

"The hotel. Or at least this is where it used to be," Lila responded.

"I think the old man did it," Five commented, glancing at Karina. "I think he reset the universe."

"You got your fingers back," Lila laughed as Diego held up his hand.

"Sloane? Sloane!" Luther was frantic now. "Hey," he went over and grabbed Five by his jacket. "I don't care about any resets, all right? I want my wife back. Where is she, Five?"

"Luther, calm down, maybe she's somewhere else," Karina spoke up nervously.

"Rina's right. I'm glad you're alive, but take your hand off me," Five told him calmly.

"Not until you give me an answer," Luther shook him some and Five glared at him.

"Okay, screw this," Five jerked forward, but he didn't go anywhere.

Karina inhaled sharply as he looked at her in a bit of a panic before glancing around at everyone in concern.

"Something's wrong," Five tried to blink again.

"That's right. You're about to get your ass kicked," Luther taunted.

"Yeah, kick his ass," Diego grinned and both Lila and Karina shot him a look.

"No, you moron. My power. I can't blink," Five remarked.

"Yeah, right," Luther slowly let him go.

Diego unsheathed a knife and tried to do one of his tricks, but the knife clattered onto the ground. "That's not good."

Viktor tried to summon his power, but failed. Ben strained to conjure his tentacles, however nothing happened.

"Okay. Come on," Klaus waved his hand around. "Alakazam…ghosties." He paused. "This means I'm mortal again? Aw man!"

Five looked at his left wrist.

"Your Umbrella tattoo," Karina softly noticed.

"It's gone," he glanced up at her.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Ben exclaimed. "How do we get 'em back, you idiots?"

"Shit," Klaus whispered.

"I gotta…I gotta go find my wife," Luther stuttered as he ran off.

"No! Luther, you can't go. You were dead five minutes ago. You're fragile!" Klaus whined in his wake. "I gotta go after him."

"No. Wa-Klaus, wait!" Diego tried to stop him, but Klaus left too.

"I'm out, bitches," Ben angrily snarled and stalked off.

"No, guys, wait!" Viktor looked around. "Come on. We should stick together and figure this out!"

"What are we supposed to do?" Diego pointed out.

Lila looked up at him. "Live our lives?"

He glanced down, taking her hand. He nodded and the two left as well. All that remained were Five, Karina, and Viktor. Viktor looked at them pleadingly, but Five sighed and shook his head.

"They're right. Live our lives is all we can do right now," Five admitted quietly.

"So, that's it? We all just go our separate ways?" Viktor was disheartened.

"For now, that is. I'm sorry," Karina hugged him sadly. "Goodbye, Viktor. I hope we'll see everyone again soon."

Viktor just nodded.

"Come on, my angel," Five gently slipped his hand into Karina's.

The two left the garden as well, off to try to navigate their way through this strange new world together.

~ * ~

Time is a cruel thief to rob us of our former selves.

We lose as much to life as we do to death.

~ Elizabeth Forsythe Hailey

~ * ~

You were gazing at the half painted canvas in front of you. Your days felt uneventful but peaceful. It was nice. No more worlds ending. No more fighting. No more time traveling. Your days were spent at home, painting or reading. Ever since the fight with the guardian, you'd lost your ability to walk and found yourself confined to a wheelchair.

That hosted a whole new set of trials and tribulations. A set that you and Five were trying to triumph over. You never thought you'd lose your ability to walk, yet here you were. You knew you had no control over it, but it still left you feeling a whole list of emotions. Frustration was definitely at the top.

You felt completely and utterly useless. You couldn't do everything that you used to and you often relied on Five when in reality you felt like you could do it. If only you could walk. When Five wasn't teaching, things were easier. But he wasn't. He was at work right now and you were painting to pass the time. At least your situation sparked your love for art again. But, it began making you wonder where you stood in Five's life and if he even loved you still after everything that happened.

Especially tonight. He was later than usual and it was irritating you. You didn't even know why, but you just felt like you were spiraling out of control, emotional wise.

"Hey, Y/N, I'm home," Five announced as he opened the door.

The two of you were also trying to get accustomed to the fact that he lost his powers. So, he couldn't conveniently blink around places like he used to.

"Hey," you returned in more of a mumble, still staring blankly at the canvas. Suddenly you didn't feel like finishing it.

"That's pretty. I like all the colors," he came over to your side, looking at your artwork. "The different shades of blue blend together very aesthetically."

"Thanks."

Five frowned some. "What's wrong, love?" he knelt down, looking at you in concern.

"You're home late. Again. This is the third or fourth time!" you replied, not even bothering to look at him. You continued to focus painting, even though you just felt like exploding.

"Okay…I'm sorry. I was grading papers and I had a meeting with a student."

"And, you didn't bother to tell me, why?"

"I didn't think you expected me to."

"Well, of course not, but it'd be the polite and courteous thing to do!"

"What are you getting so upset for?"

"I'm not upset."

That was a lie. You were. Though you had no idea. You were in such a strange, suddenly bitter mood that if someone even breathed incorrectly, you'd snap.

"You were never the best at lying. Tell me what's going on, please."

"Nothing is going on, Five."

"You're ignoring me."

"You didn't bother to tell me you'd be home late for the fourth night in a row."

"Are we still stuck on this?" he was exasperated. "Look. You know I like to stay a few minutes after class ends so I can grade papers."

"Minutes is not the same as hours," you retorted, jabbing your paintbrush on the canvas a little too harshly.

"What the hell," Five mumbled, trying not to lose his composure. "What do you expect me to do? Drop everything once class ends and hurry home? You know my job doesn't end when the class bell rings."

"Well, it would be nice to see you at night. In case you didn't realize, you're hardly around anymore," you were still trying to concentrate on your painting.

"With valid reasoning! I'm just trying to get my work done!"

"And forget me in the process? Gosh, it's like you don't care!" you exclaimed.

"Like I don't care? What's that supposed to mean? Of course I care!" Five felt like your words just harshly slapped him across the face.

"Really? Because it doesn't feel like it to me. You're never here! I don't see you as much as I used to!" you finally turned to face him.

"Is this how you really see me?" he stared at you in disbelief.

"Did you not hear what I just said?"

"I heard you accuse me for not caring. Of course I care. I take care of you. Whatever you can't do, I do it for you. If you ask for anything, I get it for you. I help you with your meds, showers, getting places, and whatever else you need. How can you say that?"

"Are you even listening to me? That's not the same thing!"

"Oh really? Please, tell me how I don't care then," Five bit out coldly.

You clenched your jaw. "You never tell me where you are. You merely speak at the dinner table. You're almost always at your desk. You never spend time with me. The only time I see you is when you are doing things for me."

"I have long days and I don't always feel like talking," he remarked.

"So you opt for ignoring me instead unless it's for care giving? I'm not your patient, Five," you scoffed.

"I never said you were!"

"All the things you listed sounded like you were my nurse, not my boyfriend. You don't do things with me anymore. You just…do things for me."

"I have a lot on my plate!"

"Then why did you take the job if you knew it was going to drain you so much?"

"In case you didn't notice, the job market here isn't very wide and accommodating in terms of variety," Five arched his eyebrow. "I'm trying to provide for us, you know."

"Which I appreciate, but I would also appreciate it if you didn't work yourself to death. There isn't an apocalypse needing solving and there is no world needing saving. Did you know that?"

"I'm not working myself to death. I'm fine! I was perfectly fine until you started chewing me out. Will you please just calm down? I don't want to fight right now," Five sighed.

"I have a valid reason to be mad! So don't blame me for that!" you turned your wheelchair to leave him.

"Y/N, no. Stop. Stop. Stop, please! Just stop!" he grabbed your hand. "We aren't leaving this room until you tell me what's going on!" he nearly demanded.

"Don't use that tone with me!" you yanked your hand out of his grasp. "And you don't get to make demands!"

"What is wrong with you? Or what is going on? That's all I want to know!"

"Have you not been listening to me? I feel like you don't care about me anymore. And that you don't think about me."

"And have you not been listening to me? I do care about you and I do think about you!"

"Saying it is not the same as showing it. I know you're here, but I can't feel you," you swallowed a forming lump in your throat.

"Then what do you want me to do? Quit my job? That's not exactly an option here."

"I never said that."

"Then what are you saying?!" Five burst out. "For God's sake, just tell me what the hell is your problem, because your anger is running deeper and hotter than what you're leading with!"

The two of you stared at each other, almost daring one another to speak or move. Your glare slowly melted away and you felt your anger gave way to a plethora of emotions you thought you'd never feel at once. Grief, anger, frustration, fury, sorrow, misery, remorse, and rage washed over you like a tidal wave and you sank six feet under its force. You felt like you were stabbed im the abdomen over again.

Truth is, you didn't mean to lash out on Five like that. You really, truly didn't mean to take your anger out on him. You wanted to take everything you said back. You felt awful.

"Y/N?" Five softly asked, his anger evidently leaving as well.

You ended up breaking down, wanting nothing more than to curl up beneath a blanket and hide from the world. He swept over to your side and hugged you, letting you cry into him.

"My poor love. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I don't know what you're going through, but I'm here for you. I got you," he whispered as you sobbed into his chest.

You barely nodded, clinging to him like he was your security blanket. And in a way, he was. You didn't know what you'd do if you lost him and you'd rather never find out. You felt awful for lashing out on him like you did. You didn't mean what you said and you didn't mean to go off on him. He didn't deserve it.

"It hurts. It hurts so much," you managed to choke out.

"What hurts? Are you in pain? I can get your meds…" Five strung out.

You shook your head. "N-No…stay with me. Please. Just be with me. That's all I ask of you." You miserably pulled away.

"I'm here. I'm not going anywhere," he gently wiped your eyes. "Tell me what's going on, my love."

"I feel useless. I just sit around and do nothing. I don't do anything productive," you lamented. "And I-I was afraid that you'd leave me, because of it," you swallowed hard.

Five's eyes grew huge and he looked heartbroken. "Why would you ever think that?"

"Because I can't do anything anymore and you…well…you end up doing all of it for me…I just feared you'd get tired of it."

"That isn't your fault. I would never think you're useless. In fact, I know you're not useless. I know there's a lot you can't do, but you still do so much," he returned.

"I don't feel like it."

"I know, but from my perspective, you do. You're so strong willed and determined, which are two things I love so much about you. You don't let anything or anyone stop you from doing what you need or want to do. My darling, as long as you put your mind to it, you can do anything," Five told you lovingly. "I'm sorry if I made you feel like a patient. I'll try to be better in the future about that. I didn't realize I was making you feel that way…" he glanced down guiltily.

"No, don't apologize. I should be the one apologizing. I let my anger take over and I shouldn't have jumped down your throat like I did," you returned.

He smiled softly. "I forgive you. And I'm sorry you're feeling this way. How can I help?"

"By just being there for me and with me. Please."

"I can do that. I promise."

And you knew Five Hargreeves always kept his promises.