I wander around the darkness. I find Silco's chair. His face is relaxed and calm, untroubled by the burdens of conciseness. I crouch in front of his chair and listen to his breaths.

My fingers trace the scars on his face. Even in sleep he looks powerful. The scars across his cheek are rough and uneven. I trace the smooth skin on his unscarred cheek and compare the two.

A tear slides down my cheek and my vision is obscured my purple. I wipe the liquid away and realize my tears are purple now. I take a sharp peice of wood and cut a small stripe on the palm of my hand. The blood runs purple and pools in my palm. It reminds me of my hair when I was young.

I hear a rustle behind me. I glance back to see VI's shadow moving in the darkness. She struggles against her binds. She is tied to a chair. I watch her struggle for a moment before speaking.

I stand and walk around the table.

"I really thought I buried this place." I scoff. "But I should have known better."

"Emris?"

"Nothing ever stays dead."

"Are we alone?" Vi sounds frantic.

"For now." My throat contracts. "Maybe forever."

I circle her in the shadows.

"Wanna know a secret? Silco thinks he made me. With all his lessons and stories. 'Exercise your doubts, Emris' 'be what they fear Emris' like everything was the same when Vander left him. But he didn't make Emris. You did."

"I'm sorry, Emris. I never meant to leave you."

"You never left. I always heard you... and Mylo and Claggor and Powder and Ekko and Vander. None of you left, if anything you were around more."

I press myself against a wall.

"Shadows in the streets, prickles on the back of my neck. Your voice and theirs picking me apart, criticizing every move I made. Pushing me farther and faster and harder. You all are the reason I'm still alive. All I wanted was to prove them wrong, prove I could survive and was more than a screwup."

"I spent so many nights on that shitty prison, on that freezing floor, hungry, bloody, counting the hours. The only thing.. the only thing that kept me going was getting back to you and keeping powder safe."

"Liar."

I flick the lighter open in front of her face. A small flame emerges between the two of us.

"I always knew you would come back."

I spin her chair around.

"What's going on?"

I flick my hand and send the lighter flying across the table. The room lights up as the candles catch fire. A large dining table has been set. On either end are Vi and Silco. Silco remains unconscious, his breaths vibrating my bones. He wakes and murmurs into his gag.

"He took everything from us. Right here he stabbed Vander in the back. Just like he planned to do with me. All the times saying you abandoned me when he knew the truth."

He murmurs into his gag.

"Liar." I look at the chair in front of me. "Hmm. We're missing a few guests."

I walk behind Vi and drag powder's chair beside Vi.

"Powder!" Vi screams.

"Vi?"

Powder opens her eyes and looks around the room frantically. Her face looks terrified. Tears stain down her cheeks and she sniffs. She sobs as she finds my eyes. I stare at her. Her face flickers between her face now and her face when she was small.

"Eris, please don't do this. What is going on? We can help you."

"You said you could help once before. We said that and look what happened." I yell

"No, Emris."

"We're missing someone else."

I leave again and return with a platter covered by a large dome lid. I give Vi a pointed look as I set it down on the table. I lay my hand over the dome and grin at Vi.

"I paid your girlfriend a little visit this morning."

VI's eyes flick from my face to my hand. Fear strikes her face.

"What did you do?"

"I made her a snack."

I slightly lift the dome. Steam seeps out from under the lid. Vi takes shaky breaths. I hear her heartbeat speed. I pull the lid up and she screams. She looks away and squeezes her eyes shut.

"Sheesh. I'm not that crazy."

I throw the lid behind me as I walk to get Caitlyn. I roll her in a wheelchair. I shove her into the table and lean over the back of the chair. She has a gag on as well. I can hear her whimpers behind the gag.

"Now. Where should I sit? That's your choice really." I hand vi the gun. "Make her go away, please. Send her on her way and you can have Emris back."

"No, I... I can't."

I scoff. And take the gun from her hands. I aim the gun at Caitlyn's head and Vi protests.

"No. Emris listen. We... we can just go. We'll leave and never come back."

"Where would we go?"

"She wants to leave with the enforcer and her real sister. Not you."

"No, no, no she's not saying that!"

I point the gun at Mylo and Claggor dummies.

"It's true, well put this all behind us. You and me and powder. You'll never have to see him again, Emris."

Silco tries talking through his gag. I'm not sure if that's what I want at all.

"What do you have to say about that?"

I barely rip the gag off his face when he begins yelling at Vi.

"She's lying. You'll be with her a day before she realizes you're not that girl anymore and turns her back on you."

I tap my pistol on my jaw, tears brimming my eyes.

"You aren't lying? You wouldn't lie to me. Not again."

"I'm not lying. I'm on your side I promise."

"Yes, she would."

"She's lying to you to save her girlfriend."

I raise my gun and shoot the Mylo dummies in the head. The kickback of the trigger comforts me as his head slams against the table.

"Shut up! We're talking."

"The topsiders offered me everything. Independence, a seat at the table, all in return for you. They can all burn. Everyone betrayed us, Emris. Vander. Them." He lifts his bound hands and caresses my arm. "They will never understand. It's only us. I love you. I'll never forsake you."

Before I can respond I hear something. I whirl to see Caitlyn standing with my pistol in her hands.

"Drop the gun!"

She untied herself. I look to the floor and use a shard of glass gleaming, laughing at me. I glare at Caitlyn through my brows. She nudges her gun in the air as a threat.

"It's time to leave them."

Emris whispers in my ear. I raise my gun. Caitlyn fires shots at my feet.

"No! Stop!" Vi yells.

"Drop the gun," Caitlyn says.

I cock my head off to the side. With my jaw clenched I throw my gun on the table. Caitlyn doesn't release her hold on the gun. She doesn't waver. She wants me dead. I relax my muscles. I step to the side and before she can react I rip the gun from her hands. She flies forward and I bring my knee up to meet her head. I aim the gun at her unconscious body.

"Finish it."

"Wake up.

"Kill her."

"No don't."

"Do it."

"Finish it."

"Do it.

"Remember who you are I know you remember."

"Picture Mylo! Claggor!"

Their faces flash in front of me. I see Mylo glaring at me when k screwed up another job. I see Claggor snickering as he and Mylo share insults about me.

"Stop." I plea

"Vander!"

Vander's raised fist flashes in front of me. Before he can land a blow I hear Silco.

"Shut up! Don't listen to her!"

"Powder! Me!"

"No!" I yell.

I hear the cocking of a gun. I grab the pistol and pull the trigger. I hear birds fly away in the distance. My vision is a blur as my blood rushes in my ear. I look up and see Silco.

He holds his stomach. Blood drips from the corner of his mouth. His chair rocks back as he goes limp. I let out a small breath. My heart aches.

"No!"

I throw the gun behind me and rush over to him. I swing myself around the chair. I catch him before he falls forward. His head bobs.

"No. No. No. no. No. No" I stammer. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

Sobs escape my chest. My hands graze the bullet wound. Blood coats my fingers as I bring my hands to his face. My stomach turns and it feels as though my heart has stopped.

"I never would have given you to them." He whispers. "Not for anything."

He watches me closely and his eyelids droop. He is fighting death. I can hear his heart slow. He fights to keep it going. A sob escapes my throat.

"Don't cry. You're perfect."

He takes a blood-soaked hand and brings it to my face. I feel the grime on our skin but I don't care. He has blood on his mouth but I don't care. His hands urge me closer to him.

Our lips slide together, slowly, tenderly. His blood seeps into my mouth as we kiss. He tastes like cigar smoke and mint. His lips barely move and I know he is tired and dying.

I pull myself away and simply stare into his eyes as the light dulls.

"I love you, I'm sorry, please. I love you I love you. Please don't leave me. I'm sorry, I love you." I stammer.

"I love you, Emris." His hands loosen their grip on my face.

"No, please."

"Don't cry. You're perfect."

His hand slides from my face. His body goes limp. The light leaves his eyes. I hear him release his final breath as he mutters my name.

"Emris."

His heart takes its last beat. A place in my heart has hollowed. My body feels empty. His voice echoes throughout my body. My body goes limp, I lay my head in his lap and sob. The tears don't stop. My stomach tightens and lurches.

I look up. His eyes are still open. I use my hands to close his eyes with a soft sob. A bubble forms in my throat. I push it out with a scream. I shove my face against Silco's cold, still chest. My throat scratches as I sob more. I lift my head and cradle his face in my hands.

"Please, come back to me." I smear the blood on his face. "Come back, I love you."

I hear a rustling noise and I stand. I lay a hand on Silco's shoulder and grab my pistol from the floor. Caitlyn stands now and is untying Vi. They don't see me.

I spare a glance. My hand moves to Silco's cheek before returning to his shoulder. I clench my jaw and flick my eyes up. The pistol hangs loosely in my hands as I tighten my fist around it.

I raise the gun. My hand caresses the trigger. As I aim I see crimson smeared over the side. Silco's blood. Tears run down my face. The gun starts shaking as my body goes weak. Powder sees me.

"Vi?" Powder warns her sister.

Vi looks up and Caitlyn pauses.

"Emris, wait please."

I let the gun drop to my side as I look at the chair in front of me. Emris is written in large purple letters. My hand slides from Silco's shoulder as I step forward. I tap the chair with the barrel of my gun. I give Vi a pointed look before I sit down. My body relaxes and I lean my head back. I stare at the ceiling for a moment. I lift my head and the three girls are staring at me.

"You know, I thought we might be able to be like we used to, well better." I stare at the ground. "Even though I'm different. But you changed too. So here's to the new us."

I drop the gun and let it clatter to the ground. I stand. I spare one last glance back at Silco's body before walking to the middle of the table. I pluck the gemstone from the desert and clean it off. I move a blanket from the corner and reveal the machine Silco wanted me to build. I pop in the stone.

They can all burn.

I take the machine and walk to the balcony. They don't stop me as they untie Powder. I throw the gun on my shoulder and aim.

"We'll show them. We will show them all."

A searing white light flashes as the gun fires. I let out a final scream the gun vibrates my chest as I send the missile flying across the sky. I watch its trajectory and know I aimed true. It should land right into the laps of those damned counselors.

I hear a scream behind me. I peer over my shoulder and see Caitlyn leaning heavily on Vi and powder. I look at each of them.

Caitlyn pushes the girls away and she charges at me. She tackles me to the ground. I let my body go limp as she punches, over and over she punches. I don't feel it. I can't feel it. I can't feel anything. I am a hollow shell, a punching bag.

Vi tugs Caitlyn off of me. Powder kneels beside me. She pushes me to sit up. Powder rips a square of her shirt and licks it. She tries to bring it to my cheek. Before her hand can touch my cheek, I grab her hand.

My eyes don't move from the ground as I stand.

"Powder, let's go."

"Abandoning me again, Vi?" I yell, anger taking over.

"I'm abandoning this. Emris died a long time ago."

"Come on Powder." Caitlyn urges her. Powder looks back at me.

"Goodbye, Powder." Tears brim her eyes.

She rushes back to me and throws her arms around me. I stiffen up at first. Slowly I wrap my arms around her and choke back tears.

"I'm sorry, Emris." My stomach lurches.

Powder doesn't look at me as she turns her back and walks away with Vi and Caitlyn.

My feet carry me back inside. There Silco's body rests. I round the chair and his skin is pale and cold beneath my fingertips. I crawl into his lap and bring my knees to my chest. I bury my head in his cold neck and sob.

"We showed them." I sob. "We did it."

"Yes, you did my love."

If you're okay with Silco dying you can stop here or keep reading for the alternate ending.