The house groaned and shuddered as bricks and sand began to collapse from the walls and ceilings. Dust clouded the air, raining debris.
Felt looked up, shielding his face with one arm. "Well, that's not good."
Across from him, the woman in the red dress with the yellow scarf trembled. Her veins bulged with fury. "That girl… ruined everything. No—you all ruined it. My lady and I were meant to stand together when the ritual was complete…" Her voice cracked with fury as she snapped her head toward Felt. "Now, I'll kill you in her honor!"
Felt took a step forward, combat-ready.
Suddenly, a pair of bodies crashed down from above.
"AHHHHHH—!"
Zed and Floris hit the ground with a heavy thud, rolling through rubble and sand.
Felt blinked, unimpressed. "ugh so. She's still alive."
Above them, Miss Kate hovered mid-air, her eyes seething with hatred. "I'll crush each and every one of you....all of you"
Felt didn't give her the chance. He launched himself upward, fast and fierce, striking at her before landing cleanly on his feet. "So, you poisoned me, huh?"
Miss Kate twisted away from his grasp, her expression briefly impressed. "You healed faster than I anticipated."
"No one touches m'lady!" Lace—the red-dressed woman—rushed forward, aiming to strike Felt.
Zed's blade met her mid-charge, knocking her back. "So you're the reason I couldn't find the heads."
"Out of my way!" Lace growled.
"No," Zed said flatly.
Miss Kate floated lower. "It's fine, Lace. I'll handle this one personally."
Lace stepped back obediently. "As you command, m'lady. But first…" She spun, launching a spiraling kick at Floris.
Zed moved without hesitation. He blocked the attack with his sword and scooped Floris up in one arm. "Focus on the one in front of you."
Lace recoiled, snarling in frustration. "I live to serve m'lady. Together, we will rule this world, right—"
Before she could finish, Miss Kate stretched her hand forward—and pulled out Lace's heart.
Lace gasped. Her knees buckled. "Why…?"
Miss Kate's tone was soft. "You've served your purpose. Rest well."
Lace collapsed.
Zed's brow twitched. "I mean—I was going to kill her, but that's just cold."
Felt clenched his fists. "She adored you. They all did. And you… You threw them away."
Behind them, Floris stirred, her eyes fluttering open.
Zed glanced at her. "The link's broken," he murmured.
Miss Kate's body crackled with violent energy. Her voice reverberated, deep and resonant. "This power… I feel it. It's magnificent!"
Light surged around all of them. Their vision blurred—
And then the world changed.
The air turned dry and weightless. Sand howled around them. They landed hard—on what looked like a desert planet. The sky was twisted, purple and red, and far ahead lay a shattered moon, cracked like a broken plate and half-buried in the dunes.
Felt spun around, stunned. "This is… a whole new planet. Who the hell are you?!"
Miss Kate raised both hands toward the burning heavens. Her voice rang with godlike authority.
"WELCOME TO MY PRIVATE DIMENSION!"
Zed blinked. "Private dimension?"
A massive tornado of sand roared up from the ground, swirling toward them with cataclysmic force.
Miss Kate grinned. "Now let our party begin!"
The sandstorm burst outward. A wave of compressed sand slammed into them.
Zed turned, wrapping his arms tightly around Floris. "Hold on!"
Felt dropped low, bracing himself. "Tch—!"
BAM!
Moments later, the three regrouped in the middle of a sand-blasted plain.
Zed helped Floris to her feet. They groaned in unison.
"Ugh… What is this place?" Floris asked, rubbing her temple.
Felt shot her a sideways glance. "You deaf? She said it's her private dimension."
"Oh…" Floris muttered.
Zed surveyed the endless dunes. "But to create a space this massive…"
"She's manipulating space," Felt said. "Probably everything within it too."
Floris's eyes fell. "Miss Kate…"
Felt folded his arms. "Can you not, Floto?"
"It's Floris," she whispered.
Zed sighed. "Alright. We should probably get moving."
"No," Felt said flatly. "I'm not walking with her."
Floris suddenly bowed low, her voice trembling. "Please forgive me. I know I wronged you. But… please. Forgive me."
Felt stared at her for a long moment. His jaw tightened.
"Tch. It doesn't matter," he muttered. "Where the hell are we even supposed to go?"
Zed cracked his knuckles. "I don't know. But when I find her…" He slammed a fist into his palm.
Floris, still on her knees, wept quietly. "Miss Kate… isn't like this. She's kind… she's—"
THUNK!
Felt walked up and knocked her out with a clean blow.
Zed stepped forward in shock. "Felt?!"
"She was wasting time," Felt muttered, lifting Floris over his shoulder. "Let's get going."
As they trudged deeper into the unknown dimension, Felt's thoughts burned.
(The Unknown Entity… and this woman…)
I'm getting all the answers today.