Bab 227: Last words to the living

Seeing Xander approach the cage, Claire stood up, her tear-streaked face drained of all color and the tattered clothes on her body turning into wisps of white smoke. She knew her time had come but couldn't convince her heart to leave it all behind.

As Xander inserted the key in the lock, the sky stopped rumbling, and the clouds dispersed, letting the red moon shine through the darkness. 

"You're free now," Xander said, turning the key in the lock and pulling the door. 

The cage opened with a rusty groan, and Claire walked out with trembling steps. Once she was outside, her shackles disappeared automatically, and her disheveled brown locks coiled into a bun.

She looked up at Xander, meeting his confident eyes with her timid gaze. "What...what if I don't want to leave? What if I want to return to my village?" she asked in a quivering voice.