Pumpkin hissed but didn't budge. She meowed and whined, egging her on, pleading and begging...

Gene frowned, and shook her head. "Pumpkin... we can't," she whispered. "Please. Issac said... he wants to see you."

Pumpkin pawed at the curtain and finally grabbed it with her mouth pulling it off. The...object on the table flashed. A large glass orb...with a human skull encased in it. Pumpkin cried a meow.

Gene's eyes went wide and shook her head, but she couldn't help staring at the skull. "Pumpkin..." she whispered. "What... is that?"

Pumpkin sat down, and looked at her with wide eyes. She couldn't answer.
"Issac." A voice from the door said softly. Invictus was leaning against the frame, his eyes closed. "His body died over two hundred years ago...but..."

Gene swallowed, looking over at him. She took a step back. "The... cat... did it," she whispered, scared he would get angry again, even though he didn't look it.

Invictus shook his head. "You should have just begged." He whispered, sobbing. "I could have killed you....but I'm just a puppet....I'm just his puppet He snarled at the skull in the orb. "Who's side are you on!?"

Gene took a few steps back, away from him, but the orb too. "I just want to stop... the demon," she whispered. "The cycle. Like you said." She took a deep breath. "I want to get you and Issac and Pumpkin out of here!"

Invictus's anger flared. "Issac is keeping you here!" He shouted.
Gene? a voice pulsed. Gene! I can see you...Gods...I can see you
"Don't listen to him!" Invictus pleaded.

Gene looked at Invictus, tears in her eyes. "Issac... can't... be the demon," she whispered, breathing hard. "I..." She glanced once to the skull, but back to Invictus. She didn't know who to believe.

I'm not! Gene! Please! He is! He took my place he trapped me in here! But even he must listen to that stone!
"No!" Invictus shouted. "Think...Gene..think...he made me give you that journal...he wanted you to talk to him! He wouldn't let me tell you anything!"
No...no no no...please stop telling her lies!

Gene closed her eyes, putting her hands over her ears. "Stop," she whispered. "Both of you... please..." She was starting to shake again, afraid and unable to think.

Invictus nodded and closed his eyes.
I love you....I told you that I loved you...
"I said the same thing..." Invictus whispered. "He made me say it."
Kill him and release me...please...
"Kill me and you take my place as his servant!"
Pumpkin meowed softly, above all the arguments. She looked up at Gene with her big, green eyes.

Gene squeezed her eyes shut tighter. "Shut up," she muttered. She dropped her hands to her sides, clenching them in fists. But she looked to Pumpkin, instead of Invictus or the skull, begging the cat for an answer, although she knew she wouldn't get one.

Pumpkin walked slowly over and licked her hand. She meowed softly and looked to Invictus on the floor, in sobs, silent now, in hopeless shock. He was clutching that stone, that pulsed like the orb with the skull in it.