I have no way of knowing what time it is when the guards rush into my cell to finally unchain me. Long enough for the blood along my wrists to have dried over the steel securing them, for a dull ache to have emerged in my body and a chill to seep into my bones, long enough for my eyes to burn against my apparent exhaustion. But when I am finally unchained and moved to one of the holding cells right outside the arena, housing a wall of metal lockers with blood red banners hanging over the walls, I find there is no relief. There is no sense of urgency, however, either as I take a seat along the cool metal bench beneath me, flexing my hands under my gloves and adjusting the positioning of my tactical vest and knives given all my other weapons were taken from me. No guns in the arena, just brute weapons. With my elbows resting along my knees and forehead ducked over my entwined fingers, I close my eyes in an attempt to try to find some semblance of peace while I still can.

It is not long, however, until the door to my chained cell buzzes as someone keys in, and walking into the space is none other than Eadric here to greet me with a new ebony and crimson variation of his old armor, a daunting mask of black war paint streaked down his face in sharp angles as it once was with his hair pulled back in a similar fashion as well. His large form hugs the heavy armor comfortably, like a second skin, his fingerless gloves flexing against the numerous blades strapped to his belt with his large claymore strapped over his shoulder, and in my current state, sleep deprived and glancing over him with a glazed over gaze, he could amount to a devilish spawn terrifying enough to shock me still.

But then this terrifying form slowly steps forward to kneel in front of me, his lips parted and eyes wide under the angry shadow his frayed fringe casts over his head as he leans forward to catch my downward casted gaze.

"Do you remember the night I dislocated my shoulder hunting down that black panther?" He begins, his tone low, gravelly, rumbling against the walling closing us in. "We barely knew one another then and yet you were the one who popped it back in place. You fed me the medicine I needed to get through the night comfortably, and for the first time, you faced me in bed, holding tight to my hands all through the night to keep me warm."

I shuffle uncomfortably against the emotions beginning to well in my chest, forcing my eyes to remain locked over my hands wrung together before me.

"You managed to fall asleep shortly after you thought I did. But the truth was, that night, I stayed up for a long time, spending hours trying to decipher why I wanted so badly to trust someone. Never once in my life have I ever wanted to put myself in someone else's power, yet here I was, slowing giving myself away to you piece by piece in a way that was beyond my control as we continued to get to know one another. But that night was the first night in so long that I got to experience what it felt like to be held... to be cared for. For the first time in years, that deep seated desire to have my passions reciprocated was fueled in a way that made me feel fulfilled with you by my side. Of all the women I could have found on the ground, and you with the men in the sky, instead we managed to find each other, and five years later, we found each other again."

I tense as Eadric slowly reaches forward to take my gloved hand in his own, and he hesitates when I do so, his gaze flitting up to find mine still stubbornly refusing to meet it.

Abruptly, Eadric leans back in a huff before deadpanning, "Long way from that to barely being able to look at me."

"Not really." I mutter, finally raising my eyes to meet his own.

"How is that?" Eadric asks, his jaw clenched.

"The last five years you spent comforting another woman from the ground." I remind him, my tone bitter. "I spent those years with no one but Maaike there to look out for me, and now you're willing to allow her to die in a war by your sister's side all for the sake of protecting that woman."

"This has nothing to do with Iolana." Eadric declares, shame, perhaps, causing his jaw to clench.

Upon hearing him say this, I rear back, feigning confusion as I cock my head to the side. "I'm sorry, but I thought I heard you say that she was your family, Eadric, that all of my old friends were and that I apparently wasn't a part of that family anymore."

"Dammit, Aurora, you know that's not what I meant." Eadric grunts, his jaw working against his increasing anger.

"Well, I meant what I said about Maaike being my family, and there's no way in hell I'm going to waste my time conversing with someone so willing to put my family in danger in order to appeal to his psycho little sister's desires." With this statement I rise, stepping away from Eadric in attempt at catching my breath.

With a harsh grunt, Eadric rises after me to secure a rough grip over my bicep before yanking me back to slam me against the chained wall behind me. "Don't test my patience, Aurora." He warns, his grip uncomfortably tight over my arm.

"Why are you here?" I counter, my teeth gritted against the pain of his grip. "To make me feel like shit over letting my emotions get the best of me one goddamn time? To ask for forgiveness, or try to obtain mine?"

"I'm trying to protect you!" Eadric argues, his grip tightening over my arm. "To keep you alive for another goddamn day despite you insisting on making it so difficult for me-!"

"Eadric!" I shout, desperate for him to let up on the pressure of his hold.

Upon realizing the source of my distress, Eadric retreats immediately, his lips parted and eyes widened in shock as he releases me completely. Slowly, I raise my free hand to graze it over my sore bicep, taking a moment to stretch it out before looking to him for an explanation. "I-I'm sorry," he begins, regret already unsteadying his tone as glances down to my arm again, "I haven't... it's been a while since I..."

"For me too." I offer after a moment, allowing my arm to fall.

Eadric winces as he raises a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose, his breaths sporadic and sharp as he tries to focus. "These past few hours, I've done everything in my power to get into my sister's good books and find out as much about the arena as I can. It's similar to the rules of the conclaves that take place in your clan, the arena district as Eerika explained to me."

"Great." I mutter, moving to cross my arms over my chest. "This ought to be good."

"From what I was able to uncover, the fights are to the death. You have to try to be the last survivor-"

"No shit, Eadric-"

"Except it's more than that." He insists, stepping up close to me again. "Apparently, Eerika is the one who decides the winner's fate regardless of the outcome, and her decision is usually based on the pull of the crowd. That means you have to get the crowd on your side."

"And how the hell do I do that?" I ask, my eyes narrowing in question as I drop my arms in a huff.

"By making the match entertaining." Eadric hints, only to grow irritable against my still dumbfounded expression. "Aurora, it won't be enough to just kill Einar or Apache. You have to make their deaths bold-"

"Eadric, do you hear yourself right now?" I interrupt, bewildered by what he is asking me to do. "You're asking me to kill the man who raised you!"

"I love Apache." Eadric states, his words heavy. "But he is not of my blood. The second we were wed," Eadric explains, raising his hands to hold tight to my neck, "you became mine."

"I feel sick." I mutter, raising the back of my hand to my mouth.

"Apache will do anything to make sure Einar survives." Eadric continues, his words rushed, desperate as though I had not said anything at all. "But he has a weakness. When he fought in one of the unification wars before your people came down, his kneecap was shattered and took years to heal. But never quite did properly. When you get in there, you will see three weapons; a sword, a hammer, and a spear. Go for the spear: it will force him to haul around the hammer, a weapon too large for his liking. When his strikes become sloppy, that's when you go in for a hard kick to his knee before finishing the kill. Einar will have no choice but to go for the sword while she was trained primarily to handle a spear, and you'll worry about her after you take out Apache. Do you understand?"

Unable to do anything but swallow down the bile emerging in my throat, I remain silent against his demands.

Eadric holds firmer to my face in response to this. "Aurora, tell me you understand." He pleads.

"I wish I did." I finally mutter, raising my hands to pull away his own. "But all I understand is it takes one person's death to save all of us, our guardians included. If it's not enough to be the last, then I'll put on a show."

It takes all of two seconds for Eadric's eyes to widen in understanding, and another for him to drop his head as he releases a sharp breath in despair. "Aurora, you can't kill Eerika. I can't let you."

"It's not up to you-"

"Aurora, listen to me!" Eadric begs, moving to grab my shoulders to pin me back against the wall. "If you kill Eerika, the guards will kill you."

Rendered speechless by the desperation in his expression, I still.

"I can't lose you again." He confesses before allowing his head to fall so his forehead rest against mine. "I'm not strong enough to bear it if I did."

I wince against the pressure of his touch, against the power of words. "Eadric-"

"Can't you see it kills me enough to let you fight in the first place?" He whispers, pulling back to face me head on. "I'm begging you, Aurora, don't go after Eerika. It's too risky."

"And if I refuse to fight?" I ask, a pathetic attempt at trying for another angle.

"Apparently it's been done before." Eadric explains with a sigh. "You get executed."

"Einar and Apache are still loyal to our throne, aren't they? They wouldn't actually hurt us, you don't think?"

"Faith has a strange way of being warped when pitted against loyalty. Einar and Apache would've done anything for us while they had faith in our rule. Eerika continuing to outsmart us in the eyes of our people scares them, and for all they know, we're never planning on taking back the throne. By killing you, peace for Einar and Apache are momentarily won, as it is for all our people."

"I thought you trusted Apache with your life?" I follow after hearing this explanation, disbelieving.

"I did." Eadric states, his tone dark. "But I'm not willing to take a chance with yours. Apache and Einar are in love, Aurora, and that's a hard bond to crack. Just worry about yourself in there, and watch them. If it looks like they're going to attack, you go for the sword, and you make the kills entertaining to the crowd. Do you understand?"

With a hollowness in my chest, I nod, and when Eadric returns the gesture and turns to walk away, I shove him back around by his shoulder to face me before walking straight into his arms.

Eadric tenses momentarily in shock towards the foreignness of my touch, my arms wrapped tight around his armored shoulders. It takes him a moment to adjust, but not before long, he releases an exhausted breath and wraps his arms around my geared up torso.

"I'm so sorry, Eadric." I whisper, clutching the nape of his neck.

"As long as your safe." He mutters, his tone wavering. "As hard as this is, I just need you to be safe."

"If it comes to that, I'll try to make it quick." I assure him. "And I promise you I'll do everything I can to stay alive in there."

"Just make a show of your power." He orders, pulling back to set a hand under my chin. "Show them how strong you are in there, and we can face the hardships of their loss later."

"A warrior doesn't mourn until after the battle's won."

"A warrior doesn't mourn until after the battle's won, that's right." Eadric nods, tucking his hand back to hold tight to the nape of my neck. "Who taught you that mantra of ours?"

"Einar." I mutter, devastated.

Eadric makes no further remark after hearing this, simply steps forward to encase my head in his hands before pressing his forehead to mine.

Through the corridors I am rushed out of before being directed right before the large, bloodstained door leading straight to the base of the pit; the arena. I am roughly shoved by a guard to stand just before it. That animosity is fair, I suppose, though none of these guards seem to favor outsiders all that much given the dark glares those manning the door give me as well. The stark, metallic stench of blood pooled along the floor of this room, having seeped beneath it from the victims who may have tried to make a run for it results in my lips parting as I glance around me to see it smeared along the walls around me.

"What the hell is this place?" I ask the two menacing guards manning the door.

"The bloodworks." A towering individual explains, aged scars marring his ivory complexion. "Blood often seeps through the grate of the fighting pit into this section of lock up."

"Right." I remark. The guard says nothing against the wry raise of my brow that follows before the familiar buzz rings out behind me, drawing my gaze to it.

Einar and Apache come to stand along either side of me in the following moment. We exchange no glances, no words, allowing the blood smeared along the walls to speak for us when the guards finally get their cue and pull open the rusted plate to usher us through it. Metal flooring, blood stained railings, a grated center now fully exposed in preparation for the slaughter that is to follow. The chained fencing securing the standing crowd back into their place over the ramp does nothing to hide the saddened expressions dawning the crowd as torch lights illuminate their heavy breaths and furrowed brows, and it is clear their love for Apache and Einar has not ceased over the years. These individuals beside me have led battalions and won wars, have given up everything to their troops and to their people, and it is clear that no one looking down at us is comfortable with what is to come. Only Eerika, currently sat over her throne along the highest point of the pit, seems unfazed by the sacrifice she is demanding her people to wordlessly watch. She continues to glare down at us with ebony and crimson war paint marring her features, Olvir stood on one side of her with her brother set along the other. With the red canopy glowing with torch light from behind them, it almost looks as though they were engulfed in hellfire.

Maaike is nowhere in sight, likely swallowed up in the crowd aside her fellow novitiates.

With the twists in her cropped hair disheveled and eyes narrowed with calculated rage fueling her every movement, Eerika rises from her thrown to meet the unfenced section of her stage, setting her hands firmly along the railing as she raises her chin to address her people. "We gather here today to remind ourselves what happens to the enemies of Unum Cantavit. It doesn't matter who you are. If you choose sides against us, if you divide us, if you defy us, then you are not us. Before we give these traitors a second chance to be called mother, father, or sister, we pay tribute to those who have died so that we might live." Eerika bows her head in this moment, her grip tightening over the railing. "Omnes me pro nobis omnibus."

All around me, the crowd mimics Eerika, taking a moment of silence to honor those who have fallen in this terrible place as they utter this mantra under their breaths. But I keep my eyes on Eerika, watching her every move as she opens her eyes to meet my glare with an expression just as fearsome in nature. With a cruel grin to accompany her demand, she orders, "Be the last."

Just as I turn to the wall of weapons strung up behind me, Apache surges forward to roughly tackle me to the ground, keeping me pinned in place as Einar checks that he can maintain his hold on me before heading over to the weapons cache to grab the sword before I have the chance to. With nothing but former training to assist me, I use my arms and waist to wriggle far forward enough that I am able to land a hard elbow into Apache's face to gain enough purchase to escape his rough grip. Unfortunately, Einar is already reaching for the sword by the time I have managed to wrestle Apache off of me, his nose now bloodied by my efforts.

I decide to take a page out of his book and slam Einar against the wall of weapons the second I have rushed far forward enough to meet her. With my hand pinning her head against the wall and other reaching for the sword she currently holds, I release a sharp knee into her liver, causing her to collapse with the wind knocked out of her before yanking the weapon out of her hand. While I properly arm the sword, I think little of Apache's positioning behind me until he is physically yanking me back from Einar before he hauls me up and throws me over onto the concrete across us. I brace for the impact as my face and chest slam into the wall before falling onto the metal floor behind me, delirious.

It is in this moment that I predict a killing strike to follow, but it seems Einar and Apache are currently occupied as Apache attempts to lift Einar from the ground, tapping her cheek in the hopes she will recover quickly. Perhaps he thinks they stand a better chance making it out of this if they work together, or perhaps he really wants it to be her making it out of this instead of himself. Regardless of which it is, their current position acts as opportunity enough for me to pick myself up and head over to the spear on the wall. As soon as I have wrenched the spear free, I flip the weapon up into a throwing position, pulling back as I aim it straight for Eerika.

"No!" Einar shouts, drawing Apache's attention to me.

His desperate efforts to stop me leave me pinned to the ground beneath him yet again from his desperate tackle, but it is the slam of the spear piercing the wall just beside Eerika's head that shocks the room silent. Apache retreats from over top of me quickly to exchange wary glances with Einar before they raise their sweat-ridden brows to their red Queen.

By protocol, dozens of weapons are immediately aimed for me, but Eerika raises her hand, ordering them to stand down as she rises to yank the weapon from the top of her throne. With my lips parted and fast panting filling up the space, I watch Eerika carefully as she steps up to the railing, her eyes locked to my own. There is a feral edge to her finely tuned expression when lifts the weapon above the railing. Without a single word of protest, she tosses the weapon back into the ring.

"I said, be the last."

Apache, Einar and I exchange cautious glances before we each rush over to pick up a weapon to defend ourselves.

With a spear in my hand, a sword in Einar's and a hammer bared by Apache, my odds of making it out of this seem to diminish even further as the two begin to slowly close in on me. Apache takes it upon himself to urge Einar back before he seethes, nothing but venom lacing his tone, "Leave her to me."

With sweat stinging my eyes, I surge forward, flipping my spear in hand before throwing it towards Apache's shoulder. Instead, he spins so the tip merely grazes his arm, the same way his hammer scrapes my side with his downward aimed, somewhat clumsily executed attack. His hands secure over my neck before I have the chance to plan out my next attack, and before I know it, my entire body is shoved into the wall behind me, my feet lifted off the ground as Apache proceeds to choke me out.

Desperately, I try to fight him, doing all I can to wrench my hands over his wrist and apply pressure into his shoulder sockets, but I know my attempts against such a large man are futile like this. Evidently knowledgeable of his clear victory, Apache suddenly leans down as my vision begins to tunnel, his grip loosening ever so slightly as he whispers into my ear, "Long live the true Queen."

"Stop!" A high-pitched shout suddenly rings out, causing Apache to release me completely and Einar to look to the steel door leading straight from the bloodworks into the arena as Carter and Alice rush inside.

"Guards, take them away!" Eerika orders. Alice has shoved a metal bar into the handle of the steel door before they have a chance to enter, however, jamming it shut.

"Everybody, listen to me!" Carter orders, a hand raised. "You are all here, preparing for war because Eerika told you that we have no choice but to march, that we have to fight for the one place left where we can survive."

"Are you okay?" Alice whispers, having rushed over to help me stand as Carter continues to address the crowd.

"I'm fine." I nod, accepting her offer of help to stand. "But what's going on? I thought you guys left with Brian, John and Ukaleq to sneak out the others?"

"They decided to stay behind after hearing of your capture and besides, Carter and I found other matters to keep us busy here."

"Such as?"

"Just watch." Alice insists, motioning back to Carter.

"But this claim that we have to fight for the one place left where we can survive is in no way true, and Eerika knows it!"

"Carter, you do not belong in here." Eerika seethes, her anger intensifying.

Taking a moment to lift an object in his hand currently concealed by a rag of sorts, Carter abruptly whips the rag off to reveal a dainty plant potted in a clear cylinder of sorts, thriving with numerous flowers decorating the edges of each stem on it. "The hydrofarm is working again!"

Audible gasps ring out through the entire crowd as I look to Carter, amazed over having just heard of this.

"Soon, it'll be processing enough food to feed all of us here! Using the same techniques, we can grow crops in the wasteland, turning it into a viable home for all of us to survive in under Wyetta's terms!"

"Oh my god." I mutter, drawing Alice's bright smile to me.

"Just ask Bloodletter!" Carter challenges, silencing the low murmurs of the crowd. "She's seen it with her own eyes!"

Eadric reels back in shock, having dismissed Carter's abilities to get the hydrofarm running here days ago. But apparently Carter knew better than to give up on it in the end, and Eerika just did not care. With disappointment contorting his scowled expression, Eadric turns to his sister. "Is this true, Eerika?" He asks, his arms tensed at his sides.

Carter speaks up again when the Red Queen decides not to offer any answer. "Go to war if you want to, but at least tell them that they have a choice!"

With Carter's cries there to rally them, the crowd bursts into a fit of rage, an individual actually shouting, "Regina non magis!"

Bloodletter no more.

Soon enough, the chant catches on as the crowd begins to rip the gating from over the railings, separating the arena from the crowd. With this defiant chant on their lips and my relief increasing, the crowd begins to leap over or bend under the railings in order to descend into the pit, joining us combatants as they finally demand change from their tyrant of a Queen.

"Regina non magis! Regina non magis! Regina non magis!"

Eerika glances to Olvir first, the latter taking in her expectant expression with a sour one of his own as he unarms his gun before stepping over the railing to make the quick drop into the pit to join us. Eadric sets a hand over Eerika's shoulder, causing those not still chanting out to hold in anticipation until he presses a chaste kiss to his sister's cheek before sheathing his own weapon. When he finally turns his back on her, any leftover tension in the room seems to dissipate as Eerika storms out of the room, finally giving up control to her true King.

Amongst all the chaos, Apache works his way through the crowd to offer his appraisal. "You fought well." He states, lifting a hand. He sighs when I flinch, an explanation already on his lips as he leans forward to assure me, "I meant what I said, Aurora. I was never going to kill the true Queen in this arena. Eadric made sure of that."

"Eadric?" I ask, confused. "What does he have to do with this?"

"It was his plan to get Carter and Alice in here, to keep Eerika distracted enough to give them the chance to get the farm up and running again."

"It was?" I ask, dumfounded.

"It was."

"So, his shock wasn't because of hearing that the hydrofarm was up and running again." I deduct, attempting to make sense of all of this. "It was because he didn't know Eerika already knew."

"Looks like it." Apache states, glancing up to the ruler looking down on all of us calmly.

"But what if they wouldn't have gotten it up and running?" I ask, still facing him. "What if they wouldn't have gotten here in time to stop this fight? You would've killed me, Apache-"

"I was never going to kill you, Aurora." Apache whispers, setting a hand over the nape of my neck. "Even if they couldn't get it up and running in time, Eadric needed you ready to defend yourself in here, thinking Einar and I were the enemy. Our plan was to put on a show but keep you alive no matter what as it is our duty to protect the true monarch. Eadric may have deceived you, but he did it to make your job in here easier. I was going to let you win no matter what."

"We both were." A battered royal guard clarifies from behind him.

"Einar," I breathe, pulling her into my arms as guilt manifests over having harmed her. "God, I'm so sorry."

"Please, My Lady, you need not apologize for protecting yourself." Einar assures me, pulling back to set a hand over Apache's shoulder. "We both knew what Eadric would have to tell you in order to get you to defend yourself against us."

"But even then," Apache cuts in, motioning to the graze over his arm, "once a troublemaker, always a troublemaker it would seem."

"The spear," I mutter, the word creating a bitter taste in my mouth. "Oh, god, Eerika." My heart sinks against the full weight of my actions here as I raise a hand to wipe the sweat off my brow. "Fuck, I just tried to kill Eerika again."

"You tried to kill Bloodletter."

"No, Einar, I tried to kill Eadric's sister." With my eyes burning and stomach in knots, I look up to see Eadric watching me closely from his position in front of Eerika's throne. His eyes seem to harbor the betrayal I evoked all because I did not have faith in him, faith that he would be able to find a way to fix this. I put his family in danger, yet again, knowing how much family means in times like this even when he had a plan set all along.

Then again, it is clear there were risks given that Eadric had no way of knowing if Carter and Alice could crack the code of algae yet again in this bunker like they could in the Ring. But even so, I just proved Eerika right. Even after all these years, the coldhearted killer that committed genocides and slaughtered hundreds is still here, and as far as I am concerned, I do not think I will ever be able to shake Mors Regina Caeli and her monstrous grip from over my shoulders because even if I may have survived the arena tonight, I did not win the true battle I was confronted with this day. Not at all.

"Relax, My Lady." Einar insists, leaning forward to guide my wary gaze to her own. "Your actions were completely understandable under the current circumstances."

"You did what you had to do." Apache agrees. "He'll understand that in time."

"Will he?"

Before either royal guard has the chance to answer, a piercing alarm rings out, interrupting the surrounding cheers and chanting.

"What the hell is that?" Eadric asks from above, looking to his people for an answer.

"The fire alarm." Einar answers, wary.

"The hydrofarm!" Carter shouts. He is the first to rush out of the room with Alice, Einar, Apache and I short on his tail. The second we reach the wide doorway leading inside, a blinding array of wild flames engulfs our sight, Eerika standing in the doorway watching her people's only sustainable food source be turned to ash by her doing with disturbing ease. "No!"

"What did you?" Eadric accuses as soon as he has hustled up to meet us.

Einar is quick to answer for her Bloodletter as she bitterly mutters, "She took away the choice."

"You still have one." Eerika claims, turning to face all of us with a dark, hollow gaze. "You can stay here and die, or march with me and live."

"This is insane." Carter states, shaking his dead in disbelief. "All of this to support some psychotic power trip of yours!"

"All of this is to return for our home." Eerika counters. "The same choice confronts all of you. So make it, and meet me outside if you're brave enough to fight." With this, Eerika shoves past as to address those who have not heard the news yet.

Immediately, Eadric pursues her to help pacify the others, instructing them to head outside in order to maintain a unified front for when we march come midday. Packs with a week's worth of rations are distributed under blistering hot sun, all of these individuals furious yet familiar with war and hellbent on surviving. With no choice comes no upheaval, at least not on a fundamental level. As soon as rations have been distributed, those still loyal to Einar and Apache, now more numerous than ever, silently gather around the pair, all of their previous respect for Bloodletter gone as they look to Einar for answers. Olvir joins them as well, looking to his cousin in affirmation of her authority here with his men stood behind him.

"No matter what," he begins, glancing around to ensure Eerika is nowhere near the rear of the pack, "we follow you, cousin, regardless of who leads this army."

Apache nods, setting his hand over Olvir's shoulder to affirm, "We follow you."

With this, Einar returns his nod, briefly taking Apache's hand before turning to address her men. "A warrior's death awaits." She states, glancing to the gate. "Let's mount up!"

I walk over shortly after the others begin to marching out to grab a pack. Eadric is already organizing several for Carter, Alice, Brian, John and Ukaleq as I sling the closest black backpack over my shoulder before turning to acknowledge him. "I'm sorry about before." I mutter under my breath, for his ears only.

"For what exactly?" Eadric counters, not even bothering to glance up from the stack of packs in front of him. "For trying to kill my sister for a second time, or for deceiving my simple instructions for you yet again?"

"I take it you won't be forgiving me for either?" I counter, stepping back to better face him.

To this, Eadric bristles, his clenched jaw and narrowed glare all the more menacing under his wicked mask of war paint over his eyes. "You tried to kill my sister." He simply echoes, glancing over to the others to begin tossing their packs over to them.

"I tried to kill Bloodletter."

"You put yourself in danger."

"I did what I thought I had to for the sake of our people."

"So, you're not sorry then?"

"Did I say that?" I snap before turning away from Eadric in a huff. 

"It's implied." Eadric claims, abruptly turning to face me head on. "You've broken faith with me several times now, Aurora."

To this, I turn from him, attempting to clear the lump in my throat. Taking a moment, I release a slow breath as I pull a ration from the pack to chew on while I consider my next words carefully. "And your trust in me," I begin after swallowing, my tone low, "is it never to be earned back?"

"I don't know." Eadric states, rendering me speechless. "I'd be lying if I said I did."

A dark silence emerges as Eadric turns from me, shaking his head in disapproval towards my actions of late.

"You can hate me if it helps." I begin, raising my head to watch his downward casted glare carefully, "But until this war is over, I'm not letting you out of my sight."

"Do what you want." Eadric snaps, still refusing to meet my gaze. "I've got family waiting."

Iolana and Jackie. I clench my jaw angrily as Eadric shoves past the crowd to head towards the front of the pack. The others hesitate upon noticing Eadric's intense, angered manner, most of them glancing towards me out of pity, I think. Either way, just hearing him mention her, even if indirectly... it really is enough to infuriate me, and I barely even understand why. Before I can control it, my breathes are becoming short, sporadic, and an intense aching begins to emerge in my chest. The feeling is soon overcome, however, by an overwhelming pain in my stomach that renders me breathless. I clench a hand over my abdomen as the group starts to thin out ahead of me, then collapse, unable to utter a word as I curl to my side, the pain increasing.

Alice, the last one to head out, turns upon hearing the muffled noise produced by my fall. "Let me check it out." She informs Brian, setting a hand over his shoulder.

"I'll come too." Ukaleq offers.

"You're not going without us." Brian orders, motioning between him and John.

"Fine, but it's really not-oh my god!"

I hear a flurry of footsteps pace along the sanded ground until blurry silhouettes are crouched around me, four familiars faces emerging in my vision during the fleeting moments I allow my eyelids to part against the blinding sun.

"Aurora, Aurora, it's Alice and the others!" She informs me, brushing the hair off of my dampened forehead. "What's happening? What's going on?"

"My abdomen," I grunt, barely able to get the words out, "something's wrong."

"No shit, Aurora, but in case you guys haven't noticed, none of us are medical experts here-"

Ukaleq cuts her boyfriend off with a hard elbow into his gut. "Shut up, John! This isn't a joking matter!"

"Does it look like I'm kidding, because I'd more so call this panicking-"

"Enough, you two!" Brian snaps, leaning down to pull me up into his stocky build. "We need to figure out what happening to her before the others get too far out. Is this poison? An internal wound?"

"Or some kind of grounder weapon?" John tries, looking to Ukaleq.

"I don't know." She mutters, lost. "The best guess I have is a natural toxin but in liquid form, I don't understand how she could've ingested it."

"Fuck!" John hisses, looking around until he sources my pack I discarded sometime during my collapse. He reaches forward to begin shuffling through the supplies as the pain continues to intensify, my head throbbing in time with my quickening heartbeat.

"What the hell are you doing?" Ukaleq barks, her patience waning.

"I'm trying to figure this out!" John snaps, his breathes quick. "You said the poison is liquid right? That means if it wasn't downed in a fucking shot glass, then something must've been soaked in it."

"Her rations..." Alice mutters, now finally coming to this conclusion herself.

"Here! They're here!" John shouts as he pulls them from my pack. "Check for the poison!"

Ukaleq pulls the compressed protein bars form the ruffled bag before taking in the slight yellow tinge I had not had cause to notice under the dimmed lights of the bunker before pressing her tongue to the tip of the bar. "Yeah," she mutters after a moment, tossing the bag aside, "they've been dosed."

"Shit!" John hisses.

Brian shakes his head, glancing down to me again. "Aurora," he calls, jostling my shoulder, "Aurora, have any updates for us?"

I raise a hand to cover my eyes, a cold sweat breaking out over my body. "You mean aside from the pain's getting worse?"

"There has to be an antidote in the medical center." Ukaleq declares, motioning to the bunker a little ways behind us. "I saw Kiche briefly before we started to head out. It's drawn from beetles, natural samples. Some of it must've been left behind but whoever did this to Aurora figured she'd be too wrecked to get there herself-"

"So let's get her there now!" Brian orders, hauling me up with him as he proceeds to rise.

"Carter is already too far ahead of the pack to help, he went up there with Eadric." John begins as he stands with the others. "He's the only one remotely qualified to help out-"

"No! Don't call the others!" I gasp. "They n-need to be upfront to keep an eye... an eye on Eerika."

"Aurora," Alice begins, saddened by my insistence, "Eadric needs to know about this-"

"He can't!" I gasp, attempting to shove myself from Brian's grip. "None of you can stay here with me. She... she can't know you guys helped me or y-you could be in danger-"

"Aurora, slow down." Brian orders, refusing to let up his grip over me. "Who is she? Who did this to you?"

"Who else?" I grunt, growing impatient.

The others exchange solemn glances as the answer comes to light.

"It's Eerika." Alice reveals with a heavy sigh. "She wants revenge."

"Which is why you all... you all have to go, now." I demand, finally removing myself from Brian's faltering hold on me. He hesitates like the others, however, when I begin to limp over to the rubble covered entrance into the bunker.

"Aurora, we can't let you do this on your own-"

"I'm going to say this once," I begin, my pain in my stomach momentarily forcing me to double over before I can spare a moment to glance back towards the others, "because I won't have time to say it again: Eadric will know nothing of this. As far as he is concerned, I-I stayed towards the rear of the pack to give him space, okay? As soon as the fighting starts, he... he won't have time to question it, and him and Eerika will be facing their common enemy as a united front. Now go. I... I don't have much time."

I am grateful I hardly gave the others the chance to respond to my declarations as I stumble into the medical center, forcing supplies and such over as I struggle to remain upright against the intense internal pain wracking my body with cold sweats and uncontrollable trembles. "Beetles... yellow sheen... it has to be here." I mumble. The samples that remained are shoved far back in the shelves, but I have little choice but to send several small glass vials onto the ground as I desperately search for the one I need. Unlabeled as Kiche likes to go by, the bottle I locate I have little time to question before I am popping off the cork to down the entire thing. However, the pain has caused my vision to begin to tunnel as I collapse on the ground, and before the pain can let up any, I have passed out.

"Aurora," someone calls, higher pitch; a distinct tone, "Aurora, come on, open your eyes! It's been days, you need to open your eyes, please!"

I struggle to listen to the pleas echoing through my head against my exhausted state that keeps my crumpled form limp over the ground. That is until a stunning slap along my cheek forces my eyelids apart as I gasp in shock.

"Aurora!" Maaike calls, her golden-brown eyes as wide as I have seen them she takes my head in her hands. "Aurora, are you alright?"

"I-I'm fine," I grunt, raising my hand to press it against the tender flesh over my cheek, "but we're talking about this later."

Maaike shrinks against the weight of her actions before raising a hand to the back of her neck. "Sorry," she mutters with a self-deprecating grin, "it's been a few days and I once I saw you were finally waking up, I guess I got a little over excited..."

"I noticed." I grunt, moving to sit up fully beside her. It is then I notice the IV in my arm, and the makeshift cot of sorts on the ground Maaike must have dragged me overtop of. There is a redness behind her wide gaze, a panicked flush filling her cheeks. Everything starts to come back to me then as I begin to fully understand the lengths she must have gone to in order to get away from Eerika's frontline of her troops undetected, and suddenly I have never been more proud of this brave, headstrong little girl as I pull her into my chest. With emotion flooding my words and tears blurring my vision, I whisper, "I missed you, little rat."

Maaike returns the embrace with a weighted breath before muttering into my shoulder, "I missed you too, and I'm so sorry, for everything; for the troops, for taking Eadric's word before your own, for all of it."

"No, what I asked of you was difficult." I relent, pulling back to face her head on. "You deserved to be second to the Commander of this Coalition. I just..."

"You just what?" Maaike presses, leaning towards me slightly.

"I just didn't want you to get hurt because of me."

"Because of you?" Maaike gasps, shocked by this comment. "Aurora, me getting hurt on that battlefield will never be down to you."

"I raised you for a life of fighting, Maaike, and you never asked for that."

"I wanted to learn from you, Aurora, ever since I was a child in the desert and you chose to show me mercy. I chose the life a warrior, I chose to be strong like you, Aurora, like a true hero."

"I'm proud of you." I state, tears in my eyes. "Truly, Maaike. You've come far."

"Then you need to let me take you a little bit further as soon as you're ready, Aurora, because the others are in trouble."

"They're in trouble?" I ask, taking her hands she offers to rise with her.

"Jackie and Iolana have planned to create a diversion to help the others approach the gorge safely, but with the low bedrock being the only way in, it's going to cause the others trouble later."

"Wait a minute, I thought we had the element of surprise with Iolana and Jackie getting the drive in to loop their camera feed?"

"That's the problem: one of ours on the inside must've ratted our plan out because the radio in Jackie's tech room has been going off with her warning for several hours now. The prisoner's know they're coming-"

"What?" I burst, halting then and there. "We've got to tell the others they're walking into an ambush-"

"Eerika must've told the troops to go radio silent because none of them would answer me, Aurora. But I have a plan."

I falter on my feet for a moment, but am grounded soon by Maaike's confidence. "Let's hear it."

"We have all of our gear from the house in the rover and we know the terrain. I say we race ahead to try to meet the others before they get to the gorge."

"Fair enough." I state, motioning for us to continue over to the rover. "How long do we have?"

"Before they get there? I'm not sure. Best guess, less than two hours at worse, four hours at best."

"Shit," I sigh, shaking my head, "no wonder you were getting desperate back there."

"Regardless, if Eerika leads her troops into that gorge, she's leading them straight into a trap. They'll get slaughtered and all of our friends will die."

I flinch towards Maaike harsh words as she wrenches the back of the rover open. "Damn, kid. You get that cynical nature from me?"

Maaike merely shakes her head before stepping inside the rover. "I'll document our ammo and armor. You get in that driver's seat to get us moving. We have to do everything we can to stop the others from waging a war they can't win."

With Maaike's determined expression and matured manner here to reassure me, I nod, genuine passion and heart fueling my next words as I declare, "Then let's stop a war."

--- A/N

It's been so long since a chapter's been released and I'm so sorry for the delay! Winter break was hectic, as was the start of the new year, but I sincerely hope all of you found time to spend with friends and family during this time of the year. But this apology is not the only reason for this author's note. I also wanted to update you guys on the direction this installment of the story is taking. I'm thinking there are only four or five chapters of the story left, at least that's what my outline is looking like at this point but we'll see. It may not sound like a lot, but rest assured each chapter is going to be packed with content and an increasingly fast-paced plot. It's just the epilogue that lacks the same level of planning as the resolution of this installment of the story has so we'll see how long it ends up being.

Regardless, thank you all so much for reading the story and putting up with my varied schedule, it is truly appreciated. These characters have been through hell and back but their stories are so important to me to finish, and I promise we are still on our way to doing every character justice with the upcoming resolution to come, even with Lakote who's storyline has yet to come into play. I promise he will be mentioned very soon, however, so keep your eyes open for that. With all of that out of the way, I hope you all are looking forward to this next chapter of World's Apart already in the works, and thank you guys so much for reading! Your loyalty to this story is truly appreciated.