They managed to leave the forest. All that was left was a barren, rocky landscape to cross before they reached the huge canyon waiting for their arrival. Resting in a cave, the sun was setting, and the air was damp and cool. The cave was not very big or stable, but it was safer inside it than out where the virals would find them easier.

'I miss him already...' Sharp Claw said, while Fuzzy slept on his back and Midnight nuzzled him sympathetically.

'I do too,' Black Talon said. 'He was nice. That's a very rare thing.'

'I think niceness isn't all that rare,' Sharp Claw replied. 'You must have met some real mean raptors if you find it so hard to trust others.'

'I have. Plenty.'

'Well, maybe you should give trust another chance? It's not bad to get close to others.'

'I already did, with my friends. They're gone now, and it's been putting my heart through some pain. I try not to care, I try my best. But deep down, I do. I miss them, and it makes me hate myself even more for it.'

'You hate yourself?'

'Of course. Back before all of this, I didn't really. My friends, they made me happy. Whenever I was down, they always managed to bring me back up, always. But then, Life decided to be cruel. Life decided to take them from me. And I just spiralled into this black hole, this black hole that I can't escape. I just... I just feel so lonely sometimes...'

'But you have us, don't you?'

'... You're nice, and I admit, I think I like you. But it's not that simple. I allowed myself to get close to them. I allowed them into my heart. I made myself vulnerable around them. Before, things were real difficult, but they somehow managed to make me so much happier. That's why it's so hard.'

'I don't really understand...'

'And I don't blame you for it, kiddo. Not many can understand. Most will just criticise me, tell me to let go. But they don't know what it's like...'

Black Talon shut his eyes, sighing.

'Do you think we'll be able to do it? Blocking off the canyon?' Sharp Claw asked.

'It's possible. Now that I saw it again, even from afar, it looks unstable. We might just be able to succeed.'

Leafie suddenly got up, marched over to Black Talon, and lay down next to him, pressing against his feathered pelt.

'What is he doing?' Black Talon asked, ruffling his feathers uncomfortably.

'Well, I guess he wants to be near you,' Sharp Claw replied with a smile.

Black Talon stared, somewhat puzzled. The Pachycephalosaurus merely cooed in response.

He used his foot to slide Leafie away from him.

'That's better,' He said, looking content with the space he had while the Pachycephalosaurus looked somewhat annoyed, but did not do anything about it.

'Now, I'm off to sleep...'

---

He was in the void again. It was black, whirring silently.

Your friends care nothing for you, It said to him. They became virals willingly. They would rather become that than be anywhere near you.

'I trust them,' Black Talon admitted. 'What you're saying is absurd. Just watch.'

His three friends stood in front of him, spaced five meters apart from each other.

'Thorn Tooth? I want to talk about— '

Black Talon instantly stopped when the red raptor ignored him, looking straight through him, face devoid of expression. The dark raptor began to feel a strange jab to his heart, but he quickly ran over to Razor Feather

'I've missed all of you so much, and I feel...'

He trailed off when he understood that she, too, was not listening to him. She had a robotic look to her, as if she was not interested in anything. Black Talon felt another object pierce his heart, but then he remembered...

Fleet Claw! She always listened to him, and he could always count on her! She wouldn't hurt him.

...Would she...?

He ran to her.

'Fleet Claw, please! I really need to talk; the others won't listen!'

No reaction.

'Y-you have no idea how bad things have been! P-p-please, listen t-to me!'

Silence.

He felt yet another slash at his heart. It was bleeding now, churning into nothingness.

'I... I'm being ripped apart! P-please, I c-can feel it!'

They all looked ahead, as if nothing was happening, as if they could not care less. Black Talon collapsed to his knees, tears spilling from his eyes. The Thoughts. The Thoughts were taking over his mind.

'PLEASE! I'M BEING RIPPED APART FROM THE INSIDE, PLEASE, HELP ME! I NEED YOUR HELP, PLEASE, YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IT'S LIKE! MY SOUL IS CHIPPING PIECE BY PIECE, I FEEL SO LONELY, SO ABANDONED, LIFE JUST ISN'T WORTH LIVING ANYMORE, IT'S SO PAINFUL, AND I JUST WANT IT ALL TO STOP!'

If they had heard his desperate cries, they did not react to them. Black Talon whimpered, sobbing like a pathetic wretch.

'I... I hate everything, I just hate everything right now, and I want it all to stop. . . I just. . . I just feel so broken . . . and so . . . so drained. . . I can't. . . I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!'

Screaming into the abyss, the three raptors before him looked at him, turning their heads in synch.

'I just. . . I'm so sorry. . . I can't let go, I know it's so pathetic, but— '

He felt someone put their hand on his shoulder. He looked up, and saw Fleet Claw smiling kindly at him.

'I miss the way things used to be...'

Thorn Tooth came to him next, smiling as well.

'Back when I was happy, when we made jokes together, when I didn't feel so alone...'

Finally, Razor Feather approached, the corners of her mouth lifted upwards.

'I'm sorry... I'm so sorry, for everything... I just want it all to stop...'

'Then get over it.'

His insides squirmed when he realised it was Fleet Claw telling him this. He looked up at her, shocked. Her face was blank.

'B-but, it-it's not that s-simple— '

'You're so pathetically desperate, why can't you just let go?' (Razor Feather)

'I'm trying, I really am, and I'm so sor— '

'Shut up. We regret ever befriending you, you worthless thing.' (Thorn Tooth)

Black Talon stared at them in horrified silence. His chest tore open, and his heart spilled out, still beating. It hit the dark floor, and disintegrated into the void.

'You're nothing to us,' they all said in unison.

Black Talon shuddered, feeling more tears stream from his brown eyes.

'W... Why...?' He murmured.

He felt a strange tingle in his hand. As he slowly looked down at it, he saw white cracks appearing on it. They suddenly spewed out this burning hot pain, and he winced. The cracks spread more and more, climbing up his arm.

'HELP ME PLEASE!' He screamed out to his friends, feeling the pain spread through his torso, swim into his legs, and crawl up his neck. 'I'M BEGGING YOU, DON'T LEAVE ME!'

He fell to the ground, writhing in pain. He pulled his hand out to his friends, reaching out to them, imploring them to save him while tears trickled down his feathered cheeks. They all ignored him, looking on.

'P-please... p-p-please... I can't d-do this m-much longer... please... help me...'

Suddenly, Fleet Claw's head turned to look at him. She was smiling. For one second- just one second- a tiny splinter of hope grew in Black Talon. Maybe she would listen after all? Maybe she would actually help him?

'I don't care about you anymore,' Fleet Claw said.

There was a loud, blood-curdling scream that held so much terror and misery. Black Talon didn't realise that it was his own scream from his own jaws. Flashing images appeared before him, staying only for a split second each. He could barely process each one, and yet he understood that they all held the same loneliness, the same fear, the same blood.

The searing pain reached his face, and his cry only strengthened. The images burst into shades of red as the pain consumed him.

---

His eyes snapped open. He felt tears forming inside them, and he was trembling.

Wh... What was that? He blinked the tears away, though was unable to stop trembling.

He sat there, shivering in silence, pondering. That nightmare... he never wanted to experience it again. All the screaming, the fact that his friends were all ignoring him, the way they acted like nothing was happening.

The sun was already up in the sky, casting its rays into the Earth.

Should I wake Sharp Claw up...? He looked over at the youngster, who was fast asleep.

Probably not... reminding him of my existence will only bother him...

He looked out the cave.

Why has Life forsaken me?

He could understand how pathetic he was behaving, but he couldn't help what he felt. He was lonely, and no matter how many nightmares he would have, or how many raptors would berate him, they would not change his emotions.

Suddenly, he heard alien-sounding chirps from outside.

What is that?

He lifted his head up, and sniffed deeply.

Viral Ornithomimus's. Of course.

They were not yet at the cave, but were approaching from behind the entrance. Black Talon flinched when he heard something jump onto the cave roof with a thud, followed by others joining it.

... If we don't get out of here the cave is going to collapse...

Listening to the sound of the virals clambering onto the roof, he shook Sharp Claw.

'Wake up!' He growled.

Sharp Claw opened an eye. At first, he pulled a confused face, but then he processed the sounds and smells around him.

'We need to get out!' He said.

'You think I haven't figured that out?' Black Talon replied dryly. 'Wake up the others, we don't have much time!'

Just as he said that, there was a crack right above them. The two shot looks of horror at each other, and looked up.

Cracks were streaking across the cave roof. The chirps of the virals got louder and louder, as did the sound of them clambering up.

Before either of them could react, the roof collapsed. Black Talon and Sharp Claw pounced back, just in time, to see a blur of rubble and Ornithomimus fall to the ground.

Midnight and Leafie awoke with a start, and cried out as both had their legs crushed by the rocks.

Black Talon watched in horror as the two young dinosaurs thrashed, trying to escape, but to no avail. Blood dripped from the rubble.

Luckily, most of the virals were trapped too, their long necks waving around, their toothless, beaked jaws opening and closing.

But there were three at the very back, standing tall on two legs, who had not been caught in the rocks.

Instinctively, Sharp Claw ran away with Fuzzy clutching his back, not even attempting to help either of his two trapped friends who screamed in fear.

The three virals saw Midnight and Leafie. They instantly ran forwards, with terrifying speed, towards their trapped prey, flexing the claws on their forearms.

Black Talon realised he only had a few seconds to do something.

And he only had the time to save one.

His eyes darted between the two struggling, screaming Saurians. His heart thumped in his ears.

Who would he save?

Midnight?

Or Leafie?

The virals were edging closer and closer with every passing moment.

He had to make the decision.

He had to make it now.

He shut his eyes for just a second, then opened them. He was not able to think with rationality- he was only able to rely on pure instinct.

He ran towards Leafie- his screams were louder, his face more bloodied. His instincts told him the Pachycephalosaurus needed him more.

Midnight stared, gawping, as the raptor who had helped save her life was now condemning her to death. Tears of terror appeared in her eyes as she watched Black Talon grab Leafie's arms and pull him out, then drag him away as fast as possible, helping him limp out of the cave.

She was going to die. Right here. Right now.

She felt three heavy virals pounce onto her, and start tearing into her flesh with ravenous jaws. The pain exploded in her, and she screamed like never before as she felt her own warm blood trickle down her scales

The last thing she saw was Black Talon and Leafie escaping from the place, the dark raptor holding onto the limping Pachycephalosaur.

---

It took Black Talon half an hour to find Sharp Claw and Fuzzy again. He thought he had lost them, but he managed to catch their scent, and found them cowering by a lone bush. Both had tears in their eyes, trembling in fear.

'There you are...' Black Talon said, walking to the young raptor and rodent.

'I... I'm so sorry... I was so afraid, I just... I could only run... I left the other two to die...' He wept.

Leafie crept out from behind Black Talon, and trotted towards Sharp Claw, cooing sadly. Sharp Claw's eyes widened in response.

'Leafie? You're alive...?' He whimpered, barely able to believe his eyes. Instantly, he moved forwards and put a wing around the Pachycephalosaurus, relieved.

'Midnight... she didn't make it, did she?'

Black Talon shook his head. Sharp Claw shuddered and shut his eyes, drawing Leafie closer to him.

'But... but you didn't abandon them... you could've just run, but you didn't... you saved one of them... Why?'

Black Talon remained silent.

'You bring me hope, Black Talon... hope that even raptors like you are capable of compassion... hope that we still have a chance...'

Black Talon remained silent. He couldn't get the Triceratops's final screams out of his head- there was nothing he could have done to save both, but still... he couldn't help but feel guilty. She had come to trust him. He had done his best not to look at her face as he left her to die, but he did. Her eyes were filled with so many things. Disbelief. Fear. Sadness. Anger.

'I know that you don't like to wait around much, so we should start moving to the canyon. Not much longer left until we reach it, right?' Sharp Claw said, trying to keep his voice from breaking.

'I don't have much hope...' Black Talon admitted. 'I was born with a lot of it, but when I experienced the world for what it truly was... I lost most of it. My friends, they nearly brought it back, but... I guess I needed a reminder that I must never be too happy...'

'Then why are you still here?' Sharp Claw asked. 'Why are you still trying to get to the canyon if you think everything is hopeless?'

Black Talon sighed.

'Because, for once, I want to be proven wrong.'

He stared into the distance while a cool wind blew against his jet-black feathers. His brown eyes were narrowed, analysing the canyon- their final destination.

Fuzzy jumped off Sharp Claw, scurried towards Black Talon, and clambered up his leg to sit on his back.

'What's he doing?' Black Talon asked, with a tiny hint of suspicion but not as much as he normally had.

'He's showing that he trusts you... he's grateful that you saved Leafie instead of leaving them both...' Sharp Claw said.

Black Talon normally would refrain from admitting that he was touched by something. He regretted not telling his friends what he should have told them a long time ago. He was not about to make the same mistake again.

'I am touched... I really am...' He admitted. 'Now, we should start moving. In less than 24 hours, we will know if we succeeded, or if we failed. The fate of the lives of countless many who live beyond the canyon rest upon our shoulders. Are you ready?'

'Yes,' Sharp Claw nodded vigorously. 'I am ready.'