In his fight to keep his hands off Erica, Ruby often visited the House of Love and ravaged anyone he could.
His nights with Oriana were wild as always, but Ruby still could not get over Erica.
One night, Erica chased Ruby down at the House of Love, and heard moans inside.
She knocked on the door, ready to fight.
Oriana tried to calm Erica, but she kept attacking.
She was infuriated and inconsolable.
In the heat of misery, Erica flew off into the night.
Both women were furious, and Ruby was broken. He had pushed his Muse away.
Ruby locked himself in the dungeon of the Palace and wrote to Erica about his love, his past and his fears.
Writing was cathartic, as Ruby only spoke with the guitar and never with words.
For the first time, he verbalized his vampiric nature, his fear that he was incapable of loving, his fear of destroying Erica and along with her, himself.
Once the entire notebook was filled, he set off to find his Muse.
Nobody but Oriana could find Erica. Ruby sought her for guidance.
Angry though she was, she could not refuse him when he was suffering so deeply.
She took him across the magical barrier to the outer island and brought him to the field where she first met Erica.
Ruby gave her a passionate kiss goodbye.
Finally, he set off on his own to find his Muse. He followed the direction of the birds and spotted her, crying by a lake. Seeing her so miserable tore him apart, and he decided to wait until night.
He followed the direction of the birds and spotted her, staring into a puddle, unmoving. Though pained him to see her that way, he decided to leave her to her thoughts and wait until night.
Ruby followed her to her cave and sneaked in while she slept. She awakened at once.
Ruby did not wait long. He was burning to make love to his Muse.
Erica had never been with a man before, but she was eager and Ruby felt divine. She trembled as he infused her. They moved together in wild, synchronic rhythm.
Erica's sensuality unwound Ruby entirely. He surrendered all control as they thrashed and drowned in each other. He ravaged her in oblivion, absorbing her essence into his own, sucking her dry. As she faded away, Ruby was still hungry. His addiction to her was boundless, but still, she was not enough.
Ruby was staring his fate in the face, and could no longer hope to escape it. If he could not love Erica, he could not love at all.
He dug in deeper and drank her in with increasing abandon as she fell into deep sleep. There was nothing left. He was empty and the magic was gone.
As he struggled to breathe, the world blackened and the atmosphere swallowed him whole. He watch his Muse slip into darkness as everything disappeared.
Erica slept for days as her strength slowly replenished, but she could never again be the Muse she once was. She was doomed to crave Ruby’s touch- and his heart- eternally. Nothing else was real.
When she finally awakened, she found Ruby’s guitar, but he was gone.
She clutched the guitar, wishing it was Ruby.
She pleaded for him and seethed in pain as she realized he had abandoned her.
The temperature of the islands dropped as Ruby left Erosia freezing cold. Women everywhere cried in agony. When Oriana found out Ruby was missing, she brought Erica to the mainland.
As Erica headed to the Palace, some of Ruby's many lovers noticed Ruby’s guitar and stalked her.
Two women, who had collected notes for Ruby in a basket, followed her to protest his disappearance.
Nobody could accept that Ruby was gone.
When Erica reached the palace gate, she saw a banner stating Ruby had been exiled from Erosia, never to return.
She and the others tried to climb the fence.
Olivia shooed them before they reached the top.
When Violet saw Erica carrying Ruby's guitar, she was infuriated.
The Valentines surrounded Erica and wrestled the guitar away.
Two women spied from behind a tree nearby, carrying their letters.
While everyone fought over the guitar, they sneaked into the gate.
In desperation, Erica visited Olivia's private castle near the outskirts of the mainland to plead for answers.
Olivia explained that Ruby had lost faith in love, and thus betrayed Nokoma. Erica declared that she would chase him and resurrect his heart so he could come back.
Olivia explained that Dystopia corrupted people, so they could never return. She warned that if Erica left, she would lose her magic powers. Erica did not care, as all was worthless without Ruby. Olivia gave her Ruby's guitar, and instructed her to stand on the edge of a specific mountain and jump.
Erica prayed to Nokoma, begging him to watch over her, so she would not die, and would see Ruby again.
Then, as Olivia instructed, she let the mountain take her where it would.
