Chapter Verdict
Roisin ran through the woods as fast as her feet would carry her, narrowly missing several roots jutting from the ground.
"You can't save them" Atlas said as he stood to the left of her on the path, Roisin kept running, Atlas wasn't here, he couldn't be.
"You're useless" Ashe said, laughing and pointing at Roisin from the right side of the path.
"Run, you coward" Logan smirked, he was sat in the canopy above the path, throwing rocks at Roisin, which she managed to dodge, the canopy of trees around Roisin seemed to twist and warp, with a mist slowly edging closer to her.
"I don't love you, how could I ever love someone like you?" Dex laughed hysterically, as he stood in front of her, as fast as Roisin ran, she didn't seem to move. Soon the mist enveloped Roisin, and she was surrounded by pure white.
Roisin stopped running and looked around, there was nothingness, much like the void which had once surrounded her in those vision, although this time, everything was pure white.
In the distance, Roisin could see several of those 'Judge' creatures, all twisted and mangled in different ways. Then didn't move, just observed her.
Roisin closed her eyes, when she opened them, an apartment door was stood alone in the white void, Roisin stepped closer and opened the door. When she walked in, she was greeted with the familiar site of her childhood home, where she and Syl had grown up with her parents. Although she was young then, she still recalled this home.
The apartment colour was washed out, and from the balcony vista, nothing but the white void was visible. Roisin walked in and sat on the couch. She put her head in her hands and began to cry.
Roisin jumped as she felt a hand run down her back, she turned to see Ruby sat beside her, looking the same as she had that night, before she had left the apartment for the final time, the rose on her dress, still white.
"Mum?!" Roisin gasped. Ruby nodded and smiled.
"You've grown" She said as she hugged Roisin.
"Mum, what is this place?" Roisin asked.
"This is where I live now" Ruby smiled. "They deemed this place to be where I would spend my time before I am called, and it's not all that bad" She added.
"They? Called?" Roisin asked.
"The Judges" Ruby replied, though she felt at peace, the thought of The Judge's appearance still disturbed her.
"So this is?" Roisin asked.
"Yes, this is the afterlife, the 'Underworld', the lifestream" Ruby nodded.
"What did you mean by called?" Roisin asked.
"The Judges, they were appointed by the gods to continue the cycle of life and death in their stead, here in this realm, souls wander, atoning for their crimes, until they are ready to go back" Ruby explained
"Then... Rory?" Roisin asked.
"I was told about him, sometimes, souls are too rotten and must be consumed" Ruby looked down, "That said, if they could find any redeeming quality to him, there is a chance they would spare his soul" Ruby added.
"Hmm, I'm not sure which I prefer" Roisin joked. Ruby nodded and smiled.
"Mum, are you atoning?" Roisin asked.
"No, I was waiting, for you" Ruby smiled.
"For me?" Roisin wiped the tears from her eyes.
"I wanted to see you, one final time before the end" Ruby wiped the tears from her eyes. "I love you, Roisin" Ruby cried, Roisin hugged her mother tightly. "I have a gift for you" Ruby said, hugging Roisin back. "Close your eyes" She said. Roisin closed her eyes and felt energy flow into her, she felt different, more powerful.
Roisin opened her eyes, her mother was gone, and all that remained was a red rose, sat on the couch, Roisin picked up the Rose and pinned it onto her jacket.
The balcony doors opened, the Temple sat just beyond. Roisin took a deep breath and walked out of the doors and toward the Temple.
"It was necessary to bring you here, child, please forgive me for the hardships you have endured" A voice boomed, Roisin looked around for the source of the voice but there was none. Roisin shrugged and headed into the Temple, back into the darkness.
She walked for several minutes in the pitch darkness, before he began to hear the sounds of the marshlands coming back. She heard arguing just outside of the archway.
As Roisin exited the tunnel, she saw Sebastien tied up.
"Where's Roisin?!" Dex yelled at Sebastien.
"What did I miss?" Roisin joked, as she walked toward the group.
"Where the hell did you go? We were so worried!" Ashe said, as she ran at Roisin and hugged her.
"Uh... long story" Roisin smiled, as she hugged Ashe. Dex also joined in the hug and kissed Roisin on the cheek.
Ariel meanwhile kept her eye on Sebastien, as she held a dagger in her hand. Sebastien watched the others and tried to get their attention.
"Hey! Mind letting me go yet?" He asked.
"You're not going free til we get to Pyre" Ariel said.
"But Roisin's here now! Surely you can see I had nothing to do with her disappearance!" Sebastien reasoned.
"Still don't trust you" Ariel shrugged.
Roisin was too busy talking excitedly with the others to pay any attention to Ariel and Sebastien. She closed her eyes and thought back to her mother, what was the power she had gifted to Roisin? While she felt more powerful, she wasn't sure why and how to use the power yet. But for now, it didn't matter, she though, she was safe, she was home, with her friends.