Heart of Demise.

It's looking up.

"Ha! It's about time!"

The dust settled, and Rupert's figure became more and more visible. He stood proudly with a puffed-up chest as if he was going to war.

"You really know how to make an entrance! I'm impressed."

I slowly clapped. Rupert walked towards me and sniffed me a few times. I didn't know what exactly it was for, but I didn't mind.

"What's going on?"

I almost forgot that someone else was here.

"I'm being saved, what else does it look like!?"

Rupert somehow managed to stand even taller than before.

"Saved? By a dear?"

"...Yeah?"

Even I had to admit it sounded a little ridiculous, but still, I'd take it.

"What's a deer doing all the way down here...?"

I didn't answer her, I was too busy petting my new best friend, behind the ears and everything. Once I finished, I took a look at the wall-- what used to be the wall, anyway, and smiled. We were finally making progress.

"What took you so long, Rupert?"

The deer stretched himself out and made a little running motion.

"... A long journey, I assume? Just how fast was I moving earlier?"

Rupert looked around, leering at the abundance of the mold, then stopped when he connected with Kyrelle.

"Your deer friend doesn't seem to like me."

She had good reason to believe that. Rupert backed up while sneering, making one nasty grimace.

"Hey, Rupert. Relax."

He immediately stopped sneering and tilted his head at me.

"I know it may not seem like it, but, she isn't... that bad of a person. Don't try to pick a fight."

He strained his eyes at Kyrelle one more time, then meekly nodded.

"Haaa, great, a fight is the last thing I want right now. I think we should get going then, right?"

The both of us moved toward the exit--

"W-Wait! You're already leaving!?"

We were, until Kyrelle suddenly shouted at me. I steadily turned to her and shook my head yes.

"I don't want to stay here forever. I've got places to be, people to see, you know the ordeal."

"But--"

She looked horribly lost for words, gazing at the table while mumbling for herself.

"Where are you gonna go?"

"Outside of the Complex, of course."

"Eh? What the hell are you saying?"

She burst her arm from the mold and slammed it on the table.

"Get out of the complex? Are you insane? Do you even know where to start?"

"Uh, well I..."

"See! You don't know what you're doing!"

She planted her face in her palm while I stood there like an idiot.

The question she proposed to me; it wouldn't be fair to say I haven't considered it before. I honestly thought I had an answer, that being to find the exit. But when I thought about it, that prospect was too simple.