She had taken the time to rest again, still trying to process the strange dream that had come when she first slept at the Hallows. The nightmares seemed to back off now that she was here in these walls, at least the most gruesome and vivid parts of them. She still felt that immense sadness, the weight of walking alone in her dreams, but she was no longer troubled by visions of Gavroche’s mangled corpse. More often now the dreams showed the boy he had become, happy, loved, playful. He looked so much like her mate and yet she knew that relationship was no longer there. He seemed to love her, but it was not in the way of lovers. He loved her as family, as his grandmother, saw safety. She saw her children in her dreams more too. Hay, Dorian, Nessie, Corbin, Alex, Lucy… even the two she had taken in under her wing, Saga and Riv. Every time she dreamed of them it was with love, her family’s memories trying to comfort her, just as she knew her children would. They needed her. She had to overcome this. She needed to find her strength and will to carry on.

Bellamy wondered about her dream. Had the Goddess given her a sign, a show of her mercy? It had been clear that Gavroche was given a second chance, but it almost seemed as if the Goddess pitied her. Felt for her loss, for the love she’d been forced to give up. Bellamy loved Gav, had wanted to take away his pain, but losing him was something she’d been terrified to experience. She felt alone, even though Bellamy knew better. And she realized she was afraid. Though her dreams were not as haunted as they had been before, she still felt as if, no matter what good was in her dreams, that the shadows at the edges grew closer. Threatening to grab her, drag her down… Bellamy shuddered. She was afraid. Afraid of losing herself and what would become of her, of her family, if she gave in. Would she pass on as well? Would she become lost, to become one of the Lesser?

Questions swam in Bellamy’s mind as she lay in her room and, as the day wore into night, the woman found herself slipping into slumber. Her chest rose and fell, and everything would become dark. Bellamy found herself floating in that darkness, unable to see, without a sense of direction. Her maw opened but no sound could be heard. But she felt the sensation of falling. Falling… falling…

Bellamy jolted up, breathing hard. Only she was no longer in the Hallows. She was lying in grass, beneath the shade of a tree overlooking a lake. Beyond she could see mountains, a sparse scattering of trees beyond. Bellamy’s head spun, confusion in her green gaze. Where… where was she? Her gaze fell to her paws. Had she died? Passed away in her sleep? Her ears slipped against her head. This place of beauty… was this the afterlife the Divinities promised them? But… her heart sank. “What does beauty matter… I’m still alone…”

"Speech," 'Thought.'

The life he had here wasn't all that bad. He got to see his family to some degree. Winter and Snow occasionally visited him, and even Finn and Lumi visited from time to time as well. He had accepted his place in the world long ago. To walk the ethereal planes of Somnium. He had done all he could in life, and though he wasn't proud of some of his decisions, he had come to terms with his regrets and choices. He wasn't perfect. Far from it. Much like everyone else. Did he regret not trying harder in some aspects? Of course he did. While he still felt like he failed Ignis in many ways, he also felt like there was no helping him until his nephew wanted to try to help himself, first. He sighed as he laid out on his side, stretched out beneath Somnium's sun. The gentle lapping of the lake on the shore nearby was soothing. The breeze in the trees. The sound of birds and cicadas. It was like a peaceful summer all the time. Winter did not touch here unless he wished it. But he was enjoying his otherworldly version of retirement...but he had to admit...he did often think of those he had left behind. Those he had trusted. Those he loved regardless of their relationship to him. Shaye. Actaea. Elias, Bellamy...and many others. He did, of course, miss his first love. He did not see her in this place...it was possible she really had gone to join the ranks of Valhalla where she rightfully belonged. Something else he had come to accept. He'd never see her again, but something told him she was where she belonged. And that was alright with him. The Winter King stretched out before rising to his feet, shaking his coat free of any grass that clung to him. While thirst wasn't a real thing here, he still acted as if things were like the living world. He ate. He drank. He slept. It gave him a sense of normalcy. Made him feel a little more like he still existed. Like he was still alive. He slowly made his way toward the lake, though as he got closer, he noticed something different today. Someone was...there? He slowed down, his crimson gaze nearly squinting as he tried to determine whether or not his mind was playing tricks on him. And then...the form spoke. His ears perked immediately. That voice...he recognized it. But he had to be sure. Absolutely sure that his mind was in fact, not playing tricks. He hurried to the tree where she was, and as he approached, he couldn't contain the happiness he felt at seeing her again. "You are not alone, Bellamy," He reassured, and he couldn't help the crooked grin that parted his lips.

Though the darkness has given way to the light of a summer day Bellamy can feel it creeping toward her. Twisting, calling… her ears pinned to her skull, a whine leaving her lips. Why couldn’t she find her strength? Where was that fire that once burned with her, that spit back with defiance at anyone who dared threaten to hold her down? The woman that against all odds changed her fate? Carved a path for herself, made not just a home but a whole pack for her family? Her mind raced, growing loud, until all at once a single voice, soft and reassuring, reached her. Everything else silenced within her. The darkness drew back, the vile thoughts and feelings retreating at the kindness and hope the presence of the one who had approached brought with him. Bellamy lifted her gaze, tears beginning to sting her eyes.

“Ace…” Her voice wavered, and the woman rose to her paws. Seeing him again, once more when she needed that light, that reassurance… She closed the distance between them and wrapped a leg around him as she held him close. “Divinites above Acere… I…” She could feel the tears and yet all she could picture was that crooked smile he had given her. She squeezed her eyes closed, taking a moment, trying to calm herself. She needed to pull herself together. She drew back, ears tilted back, but she managed a sad smile through the tears as she looked at him.

“I’m glad some things never change...” The smile wavered, a concern flickering into her mind. “Acere… I haven’t crossed to the stars yet, have I…?” The last time she had been here it was before the hunt for Gavroche's murderer. Though she felt killing him had been the right course of action, doing so seemed to encourage her decline. Acknowledging his deeds and delivering justice cemented the fact that Gavroche was gone. Well… the Gav she had known. A beautiful time in her life was stolen away and she hadn’t been there to fight for him. She hadn’t been there to fight for Acere either… and yet, knowing how Acere felt about it, she knew Gav would not have blamed her.

She couldn’t help but wonder if she’d let herself go too far. It wasn’t as if she was a young woman anymore. She had aged, gray beginning to touch her face and throat, and Gavroche’s death had aged her even further. She had stopped caring for herself. Her coat was unkempt, having lost so much of her weight that her frame was now light. She would have believed that her heart had given up. Was that what the darkness had been before…?

"Speech," 'Thought.'

Something about seeing Bellamy caused something to stir within him. He cared deeply for the woman, that he could not deny. He had always cared about her in one form or another, both in life, and in death. And lately, she was a frequent visitor to his realm. He enjoyed seeing her and spending time with her, and as she closed the distance and moved to embrace him, the Winter King pressed his ethereal form into her and gently nuzzled her cheek. Granted, the contact would never be as it was before his death, but he could imagine what it would have felt like, and it was as real to him now as it would've been in life. "It is good to see you again, Bellamy. How I have missed you," He murmured as he offered her comfort once again. Her demeanor had shifted, and for that he was glad. He didn't like to see her looking so defeated and like the weight of the world was crushing her. The last time he had seen her, she had told him that Gavroche had been murdered and that she planned on seeking revenge. Had she gone through with it, he wondered? "You are not yet a permanent part of my world. It is fortunate, as clearly it is not yet your time, my dear." He pulled back to look into her eyes, his smile at seeing her never wavering. Though he noticed how gaunt and frail and old she looked. Was it simply just age ravaging her body and spirit? Or was it the crushing weight of everything else, as well? "You sought revenge for Gavroche, didn't you? I can see there has been a heavy toll upon your shoulders."

Acere confirmed she was not part of his world yet and Bellamy breathed out slowly. Not yet. She hadn’t died yet. Ace then asked if she had sought revenge for Gavroche, noting the toll it had taken on her. Bellamy’s gaze fell. “The death of his killer brought no peace. It merely cemented the fact he was gone, and that the one behind it didn’t care.” A heavy sigh passed her lips. “At the suggestion of one of our members, we hung his hide at our borders… a warning for those who would try to harm our family.” For a long moment Bellamy would become quiet.

“I miss him terribly, Acere.” Bellamy told him. She drew closer again, resting her head against his form. Even if their states were different, even if the feeling wasn’t what it once was, knowing he was there, feeling him… Bellamy swallowed hard. “I stopped taking care of myself… My daughter found me at his gravesite in the rain. She knew I needed help. I… I knew too… I told her of the Hallows… that's where I am now.” Bellamy drew back again, lifting her gaze to him. Tears had pricked her eyes.

“I kept trying to reach you… but I couldn’t get through…” The world of the living and dead, and their connection, was such a strange one. “I’ve been having dreams, I think signs from the Goddess but… I…” Bellamy shuffled on her paws. “...I was worried I’d lost you too, Acere…” Her ears pinned against her head. “You are the only bit of hope that the end has meaning, that there might be peace when I move on. I’ve been afraid…” Another swallow.

“I… wish I could stay.” Her gaze fell again, staring at her paws as the confession left her lips. “...but I know how much it would hurt my children. I’m tired, Acere… so tired of hurting…”

"Speech," 'Thought.'