While Amanda staggered toward the massive palace, Siniris and Katrina were speeding through its halls. Johnnie was unconcious in the room he and Katrina shared, having fainted after his bizarre declaration of the "Soul Merger". Katrina ran out of the room after that and ran into Siniris just outside. After explaining what had happened, Siniris had nodded and indicated for Katrina to follow her.
     "Siniris?" Katrina asked, "Do you know what this Soul Merger is? Could you explain it to me? It seems like a Blood Merger, but it also seems somehow different..."
     Siniris thought for a moment.
     "A Blood Merger, as you know, causes the body of the participant from the Living World to vanish, and the soul of that person enters the body of the Afterlife participant. The soul of that participant returns here. A Soul Merger is exactly the same, except that the Afterlife soul does not vacate their body, and instead both souls jointly inhabit the body."
     "Two souls in one body? Surely that would drive someone insane!" Katrina exclaimed.
     "Indeed. The soul of the Living World participant sends the Afterlife soul into a dormant state when a Soul Merger occurs. Should the Afterlife soul reawaken, the two souls compete for dominance, eventually driving themselves mad. The souls within Johnnie have begun to struggle against one another. This fact... scares me. It takes a poweful emotion to reawaken the dormant soul..."
     "Love..." Katrina sighed, "Our Johnnie loves me, while the other Johnnie, the one from the Living World, loves Amanda. I think that's what caused the other soul to wake up."
     Siniris nodded as they turned another corner, but said nothing. Katrina lowered her head, deep in thought and following Siniris' strides robotically. Only the sound of their footsteps kept them company. Siniris quickly rounded another corner, then came to a sudden halt. Still occupied with her thoughts, Katrina didn't notice and walked head first into a massive metal door.
     "Oww..." she cried softly, rubbing her head.
     Siniris chuckled and walked up to the door, standing beside Katrina and looking both solemn and slightly amused. Katrina smirked and blushed, then looked around at where they were.
     "Umm... I've never seen this place before," Katrina said.
     "Of course not. I have protections set up to keep people away from this room," Siniris replied, "I've temporarily removed them for your sake."
     "Protections?" Katrina asked, her golden eyes blinking in confusion.
     "Yes. Even if someone were to reach this room, they couldn't get in. But, I don't want to run the risk of someone knowing about my lab."
     Katrina shrugged and nodded.
     "Makes sense, I suppose. I take it that I am to say nothing about what I'm about to see?"
     "Correct," Siniris said, "You see, there is only one machine on the other side of this door. But, it's who is already in here and the function of said machine that only you, Johnnie, the person waiting for us in there, and myself will ever know about. A few people have stumbled through my protections and seen this door, but they never lived to find out what was inside."
     Katrina gulped.
     "What exactly... is in here?"
     "All will become clear soon, Katrina."
     With that statement, Siniris laid her hand on the door. The sound of locks unlocking met their ears, and after a few seconds, the door swung in, opening into a bright room.
     It was a small room, but the high ceiling gave it the feel of something more massive. Standing against the wall opposite them was a strange machine, one that Katrina had never before seen. It had three tubes, each eight feet  Against the wall to their right was a small desk, and a woman sat in the chair before it.
     "That woman..." Katrina said in awe.
     She had long brown hair that fell to just above her waist. As she turned around to face Katrina and Siniris, her emerald eyes glittered warmly in response to her soft smile. She wore a black formal shirt and a long black skirt. She stood up and approached them, her height nearly a match for Katrina's.
     "Where... where have I seen her before?" Katrina stammered.
     Siniris chuckled and embraced the woman.
     "Katrina, meet Angel."
     "Nice to see you again, Katrina. I haven't seen you since you were just barely a teenager," Angel said.
     "Wait..." Katrina said, looking between Siniris and Angel, "Siniris... is she... you?!"
     Angel laughed, "In a matter of speaking. I'm from the Living World."
     "I, too," Siniris smiled, "had a Soul Merger, and it was lucky that I did. I've seen many victims kill themselves because of a Soul Merger, so I vowed to find a way to divide the souls. The result of my work is this machine... and Angel here. Her form is the same as mine was, before I had another Blood Merger with Angel's twin sister, Iris, and inhabited the body that Amanda now inhabits."
     "So, that's why I recognized her," Katrina smirked, "I remembered you in this form. It's an honor to meet you, Angel."
     "The same to you, Katrina," Angel said, "My, have you grown since I last saw you. Such a beauty."
     Katrina blushed, then turned to Siniris.
     "So, this machine can split the souls of a Soul Merger?"
     "Yes. Bring Johnnie here. Angel, let's get the preparations made. You remember Johnnie, right?"
     "Of course, that charming boy. Is he the newest victim?" Angel asked.
     "Indeed. The first since us. Katrina, hurry! There isn't much time. Johnnie has two powerful souls within him. His time before he cracks is shortened due to that. Go! Angel, let's do it."
     Without another word, the two women began to input data on a control panel. Katrina turned and ran through the door, dashing back to her and Johnnie's room with as much speed as she could muster.