This last week had been hell. For everyone.

As much for Camalia who had to deal with all of the snakes' twisted ideas than for the prisonners below that couldn't sleep due to the constant torture and screams they heard.

Everyone was tired. Whenever the music mage had a break of pain and suffering, the entire prison instantly fall asleep and desesperatly try to catch up with their lost sleep, until they were woken up by yet another yell.

Varian tried to act like he didn't care, but every single scream made his heart ache. He would never admit it. But to hear that voice that used to laugh and tell jokes to be scratched and destroyed by screams of pain was heart breaking.

Andrew and Varian had time to meet, through the sleepless night and the boring days. To be honest, the alchemist did not like the handsome man. The only reason he was still talking to him was because they were stuck in the same room and they had a plan to escape and fix Varian's misdeeds.

The last part was probably the one that interested the boy the most. He gave up on asking for Camalia's help, and he needed all help he could help. So far, the plan was mostly just an idea. Overthrow the kingdom and let Varian make a replica of the wand of oblivium and wipe the memory of the entire population.

Up there, Camalia was going through hell every minutes she was conscious. Over time, she learned to welcome the darkness of her mind with open arms. The snakes were more powerful than ever. They were breaking the girl's bone one by one and fixing them then doing it all over again. More than once, she was woken up by being slammed to the ground, opening her wounds again, before the snakes healed them, just enough for her to stand. They were whispering and yelling in her mind, tearing her apart and destroying her spirit.

More than once, she lost her mind and tried to break out, breaking her hands and crying, begging for help.

More than once, she was found barely breathing on the ground in a pool of blood, and everytime Captain healed her and put her back in the cell, like she asked.

And more than once she thought of giving up.

But not to give the snakes what they wanted. To give up on this, on everything. To die. But everytime she got back up and launched a swear or a punch to the snakes. She would not let them win, not in any way. Not by playing the melody, not by dying.

She will get through this.

She will win.

She will live.

And anyway, she had a plan.

The thud resonated once again in the prison as Camalia hit the wall and the ground. Witheria hissed with irritation.

-It's going to be a week ! Don't you have quite enough of this ? When will you finally sing this god forsaken incantation ?!

Camalia chuckled as she was slowly getting up, her body trembling, full of cuts and blood.

-I told you, With'. I'll never sing that "god forsaken" song.

The snake slammed her violently with her tail to shut her insolence.

She expected the girl to get back up again, but she had blacked out again. Witheria was upset. Decaiera and her had never been that powerful. Feeding on the child's culpability and sadness was really effective. It strongened their hold on the link and allowed them to make more attacks.

But no matter what, it looked like nothing could break the girl's will.

She sighed in frustration and retreated back into the shadows.

Hours later, Camalia slowly opened her eyes. She tried to get up but a violent headache forced her to lay back down. The music mage reached out for her guitare and played the melody of heal. This time, she played it for a long time, way longer than usual. And this time, she sung the heal incantation.

"Flower, glim and glow

Let your power shine

Make the clock reverse

Bring back what once was mine"

She took a deep breath, feeling her arm finally being healed, all her cuts and strain slowly drift away. She kept playing even after she was completely fine, having a thought for the prisonners in the level below that had to deal with her torture every night for a week or two with no rest.

It was tonight.

And she prayed that it would work.

Because if it didn't, then she would give up.

-Okay Camalia, you can do this. You're smart, you're strong, you've gone this far, you. Can. Do. This. I believe in you !

She got up and got rid of all the dust on her clothes. She strapped the guitare on her shoulders and reajusted her hair. Today was a big day. The music mage had to look nice for the occasion. She could do this. She was so nervous she could throw up right then and there, but she could do this.

She closed her eyes and breathed in and out, focusing her magic in her chest.

The familiar warmth built up under her skin. She concentrated, opened her eyes and played one powerful note.

With a deafening explosion, the bars of her cell exploded and whammed against the wall across.

Camalia stepped out and with another note, closed the prison's door.

She stood in the middle of the corridor, back on the door, facing the empty hallway.

One blink, and it wasn't empty anymore.

Two giant black snakes were blocking the view, hissing in a alarmed way.

-My name is Camalia, and today I will perform the song from the heart to free myself from my curse ! As long as the melody will play, neither Witheria nor Decaiera will be able to hurt me. This is the condition. If the song failed, it is that my heart has changed. Then through years and pain, the new song of heart I'll have to gain.

She declaimed that with a clear voice. There was no going back now. The song from the heart had been summoned, she had to play it.

It's time.

Camalia had to focus.

It had to work.

It had to.

The first notes played under the enraged glare of the two snakes, and the music mage started to sing.

"I was once a lost little child

Wandering in the street

And despite my past being wild

I was finally allowed to meet

A place I could call my house

But I still have those doubts

But I still have those thoughts

Is my life really worth anything ?

Should I really be trying ?"

Someone tried to open the prison door, and when they realized it was locked, they started to wham on it to burst it open.

Camalia casted all the sounds out, focusing all her senses and energy into the song.

"Years after years of staring to one wall

Forgetting how the sky looks

For the sake and security of all

I tried to lose myself in books

All alone in my hideout

And I keep having all this doubts

And I keep having all this thoughts

Why should I be suffering ?

Why should I be hiding ?"

In the level below, the prisonners felt their exhaustion wear off before a heavy explosion was being heard. At the same time, all the cells magically unlocked. Without a second guessing, everyone started to run away.

-Come on, Varian ! We won't have another chance like this one !

Andrew needed the boy for his plan to work, but this idiot was standing in the corridor, listening to the weird music coming from upstairs. When he saw that the alchemist was still not moving, he turned around and joined the others. Better be free than in jail with a plan.

"I never asked to be cursed

None of this is my choice

This is never what I wanted

So please listen to my voice"

The hits on the door stopped, as if the person behind it was finally listenning.

Varian made it to the last step.

His heart missed an heartbeat when he saw the two giant black snakes of his dream, in the exact same position, and with Camalia facing them, except she wasn't dead.

She wasn't dying, she was singing her heart out.

"Because I kept on yelling and screaming, and pleading, and begging and whimpering

But no one ever came

And the voices said "you should be ashamed""

Camalia took a deep breath, ready to nail the final lines when she saw her friend and her eyes widened.

Noticing the change, one of the snake started to slowly turn to Varian, making him go white with fear.

Camalia purposefully missed a note, focusing the snake's attention on her.

-Eyes on me Witheria !

The blue hair strip boy tried to stop the crazy beating of his heart as Camalia resumed her singing.

"And I keep having all this doubts

And I keep having all this thoughts

Why should I be the one crying ?

Why shouldn't they be dying ?"

The last sentence shook both Varian and Captain behind the door. But nothing could distract the girl anymore and she kept going.

"And I keep having all this doubts

And I keep having all this thoughts

Is this really what wants my heart ?

Please someone just help me out

Oh~

And I keep having all this doubts

And I keep having all this thoughts

Oh how I wish I could be

Anyone but me."

The song ended and everything fell silent. No one moved. Camalia was staring at the two snakes, with hope and despair.

Please.

It had to work.

A soft hiss started to fill the room, until the snakes laughthers were all anyone could hear.

Camalia felt everything fall apart. No, it had to work. It was supposed to work. Why didn't it work ? Was her plan to ambitious ? Was she being too confident ? What had gone wrong ?

Her legs were numb and her throat was aching, but she couldn't cry.

It was too horrible to cry about it.

Nothing mattered anymore.

It didn't work.

It was all Camalia could think about, over and over again.

It didn't work.

It was her big plan, her last chance.

She bet everything on this.

And it didn't work.

-Why didn't it work...?

Her voice was nothing but a whisper.

In front of her, as she was being swallowed by dark thoughts and as her spirit finally died, the two snakes were laughing and laughing.

And behind them, Varian was seeing his dream come true. He hated Camalia for what she had done to him, but...

With a burst of bravery and loyalty, the alchemist jumped over one of the snakes tail and ran to Camalia. He brutally took his former friend by the shoulders and energically shook her.

-Camalia ! Snap out of it ! Stop focusing on what has gone wrong ! You never give up ! You're... You're smart, you're perseverant, and you're happy to be alive, no matter where or how ! I don't know what's going on, I don't know what you are doing, I don't know WHY there is two giant snakes in the hallway of the prison, but I do know you are giving up. But don't ! Don't give up, it's not an answer, it's... It's not a way out, it's a dead end ! Please... You're a great person, Camalia, and I-I don't want you to die.

The girl seemed to emerge at last from her distressed self. She stared in the blue, worried eyes of her friend, like she was seeing him for the first time. She frowned, and took a deep breath.

-Y-Yeah you're right. I don't why it didn't work but... I am not going to stop fighting them. I am not going to give up.

Witheria and Decaiera had stopped laughing, observing what was going on with a lot of interest.

The alchemist had a relieved smile and let go. He stepped back behind her. There was nothing he could do against those... Monsters anyway.

Camalia stood her ground again, straighten up and glared at the snakes, with determination and confidence.

Witheria narrowed her eyes and an amused smirk appeared on her face.

She was about to say something when a surprised squeak was heard beside her. She turn to the horrifyind sight of her sister slowly fading away, as if she was disentagrating into fin air.

-Decaiera !

Witheria tried to move toward her, but she couldn't. She looked down and her tail was gone. The snake chocked, terrified. She couldn't be dying. They were the girl's curse. She couldn't get rid of them, it wasn't possible... It wasn't...

On that thought, the giant monster gave her last breath.

Camalia was staring at the now empty corridor, hardly processing what just happened. She felt tears flowding down her cheeks and her knees finally gave up of standing.

It worked. Thank all existing superior beings it worked.

She started sobbing on the ground, relieved. But minutes passed and nothing happened.

Varian kneeled behind her and gave her a hug. Of course he was still upset at her, but it was not the place nor the moment to express his feelings. His totally former and past friend needed to be comforted, and since he was a really nice guy, he was there for her. That's all there was. No friendship behind this hug. Just two complete strangers hugging in jail. Nothing to see here, move along.

The slamming on the prison door resumed, making both of the teenagers to jolt. Camalia dried her tears and got up.

-We can't stay here, we have to go.

Varian hesitated. He didn't really want to be on the run again. But if Camalia was about to leave, and she could save his dad... He stood up as well and nodded. He started to run toward the stairs that lead to the level below but Camalia grabbed his sleeve and stopped him.

-What... Are you doing ?

-Escaping ! All the other prisonners went this way, so I thought...

-They did ? Wow, they're dumb. It's a dead end down there. Technically, the only way out is through there.

She pointed at the door that was about to burst any moment from now.

-But lucky you, I know another way.

Camalia started walking in the corridor, counting the cells. She stopped at the 8th one. She entered and started to touch stupidly the wall. Varian followed her and watched her do so with a hint of concern.

The music mage's hand sunk in one of the stone, making Varian jump in surprise. He rapidly got closer, only to realize that her hand hadn't been eaten by a rock, she just pushed it, and now an entire underground tunnel was facing them.

-Ta-daaaa !

Varian was in awe.

-How-

-How did I know this was there, right ? Well, it's quite easy, I saw a prisonner escape from the prison through here. Cap and the guards never found out how he did it, and this hasn't been used since. I remember Captain yelling "FLYNN RIDER !" It was a really fun moment. Anyway, it's here now, and we can escape.

-Eugene ?

Camalia turned to him.

-Nope, my name is Camalia. But good try.

She looked quickly outside the cell. The door should be able to hold a few more seconds. The girl rushed in her own cell, took a table stand and went straight back to the tunnel. She grasped Varian in her way, and just as the door exploded in shards, she locked the secret passageway again.

It was pitch black in there. Camalia held her guitare, ready to play a melody that'll enlight them, when it strucked her.

-Hum, Varian ?

-What ?

-I... Don't have a melody that produce fire nor light.

The alchemist rolled his eyes in the darkness and took the table stand from her hands. He searched blindlessly on the ground until he found what he needed. He took the two stones and started hitting them together, producing little sparkle every now and then. He took some roots that were sprouting on the ceiling and set them on fire. Then, it was easy to transform the table stand in a torch.

-Woah... How did you do that ?

-Frictions between two matters form energy, heat. Basic physics.

Varian started walking down the gallery. During his explanation, he didn't look to her even once. His face was shut, and his voice cold. He was still mad at her. Camalia's heart started to ache, but she took a deep breath and went after him. Maybe he was still upset, but he decided to go with her anyway.

They were going to be okay.