The next morning, Eden calls us all to the garden area outside the palace where her, Azuma, Bridgette, and Aidan are waiting.

"I am...not at will to say what I have seen will happen," Eden begins once we're all finally assembled outside in our traveling gear, "but I can select which five of you are purest of heart and which of you will have the best chance of getting inside due to having pure intentions as well."

A few of us nod in understanding and Eden breathes out shakily before she makes her way over to us, starting with Aislinn.

"I will touch your shoulder and read your spirit as I do so," Eden explains, "and if I call out your name, then you will be traveling to Khalida's sanctuary."

"Good luck," Aidan whispers.

"Reine," Eden calls out as she walks down the line, "Ayette, Gabriel, Ciana, and Mikasa."

"You're free to choose any two people you wish to go with you as extra help, but they must wait outside the sanctuary," Aidan adds.

We end up deciding on Dimitri and Renji, although Renee isn't too keen on being separated from Renji. Dimitri refused to stay behind when there could be danger and Renji really wants the chance to see the outside of the sanctuary, considering Khalida is one of his role models.

"Good luck!" Renee shouts as we start to leave the palace.

"Make sure to come back alive, yeah?" Nathan smiles sadly, his eyes pained.

Nathan, Renee, Kaltrina, Shitau, Aislinn, Tsukumi, Eden, Aidan, Azuma, and Bridgette wave us off and wish us well and for us all to come back safely as the seven of us depart from the palace.

We begin our hike towards Khalida's sanctuary that lies beyond Orina in the mountains. Eventually, we reach the edge of the city and begin our ascent into the woods and up the mountain. I glance over my shoulder through the thick trees and brush to see the city slowly beginning to fade the farther and farther away we get. We eventually come to a giant wooden gate that blocks off the woods from the city and Dimitri unlocks it for us, holding the gate open until we all go through before he shuts it.

"We're definitely cut off from society now," Ayette says as she glances around the woods, light shining down through the thick treetops and lighting the dirt pathway surrounded by bushes and rocks.

"Tell me about it," Dimitri mutters as he knocks aside a tree branch.

After about a half hour of traveling up the mountain path, I begin to notice rustling around through the trees and my eyes dart around the area in paranoia.

"Do you guys hear that?" I whisper and Reine stops walking to look around nervously, her hand going to her sheathed katana.

"Maybe it's wildlife?" Ayette asks half-heartedly.

"That's not wildlife," Dimitri scowls, summoning his broadsword.

"It gives off a terrible aura," Renji shudders as he summons his shield and spear.

"Whatever it is, it doesn't know what it's in for," Ciana grins and knocks her fists together, rings of orange glowing runes forming in the air around her wrists.

"I don't like this..." Mikasa whispers and looks around anxiously.

Ayette clutches her necklace in her hand as she looks around and sticks closer to Dimitri.

I begin to feel a familiar sense of my mind being muddled and my eyes widen in realization.

"Kione!" I shout just as a scythe swings through the trees, chopping multiple of them in half as several of us dodge out of the way.

"Did you miss me?" Kione laughs as she lands in front of us, her scythe landing back in her hand as if it's a boomerang.

"What do you want, Kione?" Reine snaps and holds her katana out.

"Don't worry," Kione grins in a feral manner, "I'm not here because of your precious chain. I'm here because you're trespassing. You see, it's my duty to guard the area before Khalida's sanctuary."

"Khalida would never work with you," Renji narrows his eyes and says firmly.

"Maybe you don't know as much about your Seraph as you think you do," Kione continues grinning and Mikasa looks away sadly.

"Khalida...why?" Mikasa whispers.

"Turn back or be sliced to pieces," Kione snaps and holds out her scythe.

"That's awfully civil of you, Kione," Reine says and narrows her eyes, taking a step forward, "to offer a choice. Typically, you attack first and talk later."

"It is...most unfortunate, but slaughtering you all on the spot would break my...agreement," Kione grimaces, "and doing that would sincerely hinder plans."

"We're not going anywhere, you psycho," Dimitri snaps and steps forwards.

"Then prepare to die," Kione giggles and disappears from sight in an instant.

Kione reappears near Ciana and swings at her, but Ciana leaps over Kione and attempts to punch her once she lands. Kione, however, anticipates this and vanishes once more before Ciana's fist can make an impact. Kione continues disappearing and reappearing, attacking us each individually and randomly in an attempt to weaken us and catch us off guard.

Kione's psychosis manages to affect Mikasa, whose eyes widen and she clutches the sides of her head as she sinks to her knees on the ground, shaking her head back and forth as horrific scenes flash before her eyes. Dimitri moves to protect Mikasa as Kione attacks me and I catch the end of her scythe between my hands as she swings it. Kione raises her eyebrows, impressed, but I stand there unsure of what to do next because I honestly didn't think that would work. Chains appear around Kione's scythe and wrap around my arms in an instant before Kione swings her scythe once more and I go flying with it.

"Look out!" I shout as Kione throws me at Ciana.

Ciana's eyes widen in surprise and Renji leaps in front of Ciana with his shield, making me fly into Renji's shield instead of Ciana. Renji helps me up from the ground and smiles at me as I nod to him gratefully. Meanwhile, Reine is engaged in another fight with Ciana and the two move at lightning fast speeds, constantly countering each other. Kione's eyes flicker over to Dimitri and she grins impishly as she summons a mass of shadow energy and throws it with her left hand at Dimitri as she fights Reine with her scythe in her right hand.

"Dimitri!" Ayette shouts and he turns his attention from Mikasa to the flying energy hurtling towards them.

"Shit," Dimitri breathes out and glances between him and Mikasa, unsure of how to protect them both.

Ayette runs towards them and leaps in front of Dimitri as the energy reaches them and Dimitri's eyes widen in shock.

"Ayette!" Dimitri yells as a bright white flash of light goes off and an energy shield forms in front of Ayette right before the shadow energy crashes against the shield.

Ayette flies backwards multiple feet and lands on the ground, unconscious, as Dimitri races over to her and Mikasa finally snaps out of her state of induced psychosis.

"Ayette!" I shout and run over to her and Dimitri, hoping she's okay.

Dimitri lifts her up into his arms as she slowly begins to regain consciousness and looks around dazedly. She looks up at Dimitri and furrows her eyebrows.

"Hey, I don't need a prince charming to carry me," Ayette complains, but doesn't seem to actually be protesting.

Just then, an audible gasp gains our attention and my eyes widen whenever I look over to see Kione's bloody midsection wrapped in a golden glowing lasso with spikes that are impaling her from all directions as Mikasa stands behind her and tugs on the lasso, digging the spikes further into Kione.

"Be careful whose mind you mess with," Mikasa seethes out as she gives the lasso another firm tug while she raises her right leg and firmly kicks Kione from behind, sending her falling forwards on the ground.

Mikasa walks up to Kione's figure and pulls on the lasso, yanking her upwards harshly as her eyes glow golden. Mikasa tosses Kione through the forest with a burst of golden energy and the golden colors leaves Mikasa's eyes, turning them back to their original blue shade. Mikasa picks up Kione's scythe from the ground and slowly walks over to where Kione lays, the blade of the scythe dragging against the ground. The rest of us watch silently as Mikasa swings the scythe back and into Kione's midsection.

"Tell me, what deal did you make?" Mikasa demands as she holds on to the handle of the scythe.

"I'll...never tell you," Kione smirks, blood trailing passed her lips and running down her chin.

"So be it," Mikasa raises her chin and twists the scythe's blade, Kione dying almost instantly.

Mikasa turns back to us and looks at the ground forlornly before she makes her way over silently and a dead silence looms over the entire area. My eyes flicker over to Kione's body and I notice the pool of blood that runs and soaks the ground.

"We should..." Renji clears his throat, "we should be careful. Although Kione is dead, I can still sense a high amount of her gift in the area."

"You mean she placed traps everywhere?" Dimitri asks.

"Possibly," Renji frowns, "but it seems like more than that."

"What if..." I start, "what if Kione wanted to die?"

"What are you talking about?" Dimitri furrows his eyebrows.

"Renji, did you sense a mass amount of Kione's gift before she died as well?" I ask.

"Yes, but it wasn't as amplified as it is now," Renji explains.

"Kione is capable of warping reality, mind, and emotions," Reine says as she glances around the area, "it is quite possible that she messed with perception."

"What are you saying?" Mikasa asks wearily.

Suddenly, a sharp sword pierces through Mikasa's midsection and her eyes widen as she stumbles forwards.

"Mikasa!" Ciana gasps.

"It means surprise, bitch," Kione giggles as she appears behind Mikasa in a different form.

I stare at the scene before me with wide eyes and a sense of blood-chilling fear as Kione now has angel wings made out of psychosis energy that glow a swirling dark orange, black, and blue. Mikasa slowly glances down at the sharp blade protruding her midsection and her expression turns frightened.

"No..." Mikasa whispers.

I run up to Mikasa to try and get her away from Kione and Mikasa quickly moves the fingers on her right hand around frantically, forming symbols as golden energy begins to glow around her hand. Suddenly, a bright golden flash goes off and everything seems to go backwards in time as I place my hand on Mikasa's shoulder. I watch as the events that previously happened in the past half hour seem to go backwards until right up to when Dimitri picks up Ayette. I gasp as everything stops moving and I meet Mikasa's knowing eyes.

"What just--" I start, glancing around.

"Hey, I don't need a prince charming to carry me," Ayette complains as Dimitri holds her, interrupting me.

I blink in disbelief, looking from the others and back to Mikasa, who smiles at me.

"Do the others not know--" I go to ask if the others know what happened, but Mikasa raises her index finger to her lips and shushes me.

"Don't kill her or she'll come back stronger!" Mikasa shouts and Kione narrows her eyes at her.

Reine nods and sets up a major energy shield that blocks Kione off from us and she glances over her shoulder at us.

"Go!" Reine shouts, "I'll catch up with you later."

"But--" I go to protest but Dimitri hurries up next to me with Ayette still in his arms.

"Come on," Dimitri says, his expression revealing that he doesn't like the idea much either, but that he's going to go through with it.

I glance between Reine and Dimitri as the others run off to the left through the trees and I purse my lips before I nod. Dimitri runs off with Ayette and I send Reine one last glance before I run off with the others, hoping I didn't just leave Reine alone to die.