Cara’s life was never easy, and the bulk of her struggles probably stemmed from the traumatic events of her sixth birthday. She had been enjoying a peaceful evening with her parents, watching a movie on their couch. It was the perfect day, or so Cara thought. But everything changed in an instant when an armed man burst into their home.
The man's face was constantly shifting, making it impossible for Cara to get a read on him. Every time she looked at him, he appeared completely different. And then, without warning, the man brutally murdered Cara's parents. It was fast, and her parents did not suffer. But for Cara, the pain was unbearable, and she cried uncontrollably over their cold bodies.
“I am sorry Cara,” the man spoke in a thousand shifting voices, “But I must do what my master commands of me.” As he began to turn away, he said one more thing, “If you ever run into me again, I will grant you one boon as long as you remember my name. I am Gregory.”
Cara’s struggles did not end that day. After her parents' murder, she was placed into the foster care system and began a life of constantly moving from home to home. In those turbulent years, Cara learned several hard lessons.
First, she learned not to trust anyone. In her experience, people only wanted to hurt her, so she kept her guard up at all times. Second, she learned to be cautious about what she said and to whom she said it. Opening her mouth only gave people the opportunity to use her words against her. And third, Cara learned the importance of taking care of herself. She had no one to rely on but herself, so she learned to be independent and self-sufficient. These lessons, that she treated as rules, are what made Cara who she is.
As the apocalypse began, Cara found herself breaking the rules she had set for herself, slowly softening. At first, it felt unnatural to her, going against her own survival instincts. But as she started to build relationships with the people around her and began to trust them, even just a little, she found herself starting to like it.
When Arien returned without Tilly, Cara knew exactly what had happened. She could see the pain and despair in his eyes, and she knew that he needed someone to be there for him. She remembered how she never had someone to help her during her struggles, and she knew that she had to be there for Arien in a way that no one had ever been there for her. And so, on that day, Cara softened even more and allowed herself to fully embrace the connections she had built with the people around her.
***
Fear Herself paced back and forth in her palace, frustration oozing from her every pore. With a swift kick to the wall, she screamed, "Gregory, get in here!"
A man with a constantly shifting face walked out, bowing before the childlike Overseer. "What is it, master?" he asked.
"I instructed you to make those three the most powerful. I even gave you a list of instructions to ensure they had the right motivation," Fear said, levitating a piece of the floor to bring her closer to Gregory. "So tell me, why aren't our viewers entertained?"
"I don't know, ma'am. I did everything as you instructed," Gregory replied, his voice shaky.
"I'll tell you why, Gregory. It's because they're at a standstill," Fear said, punching the wall in frustration. "And what's worse is that they shouldn't be at a standstill! If Cara had accepted the sponsorship offer, she would be much stronger by now." Fear began to giggle. "I know exactly what to do. We need to put her in a position where she'll have to reach out to Gilgamesh. Gregory, you'll go down there and fight her."
"I don't want to," Gregory stuttered.
"What did you say?" Fear's voice was deadly quiet as she forced Gregory to his knees with just her words. "Have you forgotten who's in a 10,000-year contract to do everything I say? Oh right, it's you. Now do as I say."
"Yes, master," Gregory said, rising to his feet with a sigh.
Before leaving to go to the surface, he hesitated for a moment and turned to face Fear Herself. "May I ask you a question?" he said in a respectful tone.
"What is it?" Fear Herself growled impatiently.
"I understand that you expect Cara to defeat me, but how many points will she receive for 'killing' me?" he asked.
Fear Herself paused for a moment, considering the question. "You will be worth 10,000 points and experience to whoever lands the killing blow," she replied with a sinister giggle. "And don't you dare hold back and let her win. You must push her to the brink so that she will reach out to Gilgamesh for help. You cannot return until she accepts a sponsorship," she added with a threatening tone.
Gregory smiled as he bowed to Fear Herself and prepared to head for the surface. He reminded himself that he had no reason to fear - until his contract was over, he could never truly die. As a bonus, Cara would finally be able to have her boon, and Gregory could be free of the guilt he was holding onto. However, he knew he had to be careful. He would not attack immediately but instead, wait for the perfect moment to strike. Once all three of the strongest fighters were gathered, he would make his move. He would face Jared, Cara, and Arien all at once, using all his powers to his advantage. The battle would be epic, and he would push them all to their limits, but he would make sure to keep the agreement with Fear Herself - he would not hold back and would not let Cara win. He needed to push her to the brink so that she would reach out to Gilgamesh for help, and he would do just that.
