Cynth shrouded her body in one of the many dresses her mother had offered to her that morning. There had been five she could choose from, but Cynth knew that Zoya only favored one of the options. She exhaled as she looked herself up and down in the tall metal mirror that was situated in the corner of her room.

Her hand itched to dart up to her brows, but Cynth knew that today was not a day for her to be pulling her hair out, though it was the only day that she was stressed enough to do it. She had never gone against her parents with a move this big. She had lashed out at them before, like when she had almost snapped Zoya in half, consequently having to attend the gala and play as her parent's little puppet even more.

It was a sickening loop, one that she didn't want to be involved with. Getting the sources and giving the humans the most power would certainly make her parents stop treating her like a dishrag they only used when they needed it.

Cynth knew that she would be "mutilating herself" as Zoya put it, had she not already done her makeup for the gala. Covering up her disorder was more work than people assumed. She had to ensure that her wig would stay in place with the little hair she had left on her scalp, that her fake eyelashes look natural, and above all, attempt to make her brows look natural. They were the most difficult to perfect, considering she had few actual brow-hairs remaining, and if she smudged it just to relieve her stress then she'd be late for the gala. While avoiding the gala seemed like a fun option, Cynth would far rather prefer to skip the lectures that would follow.

She gave herself a once-over in the mirror, analyzing the dress that Zoya had chosen for her. It was just above her knees, made of silky fabric that had tiny specks of black glitter crossing it, acting as a fake belt. Cynth wore boots that only went up to her ankles, made of a gray fabric that almost looked like murky water. Thankfully, she'd been able to resist the urge to give in to her stress, meaning her makeup was practically flawless as per usual. The true spotlight was on her wig, with a fan-hat settled on top of it. As the name suggested, it was a hat that looked like the front of a fan with spiraling twig-like pieces of plastic to weave the wearers hand around. They were often considered a symbol of being a prominent figure in the human government. Cynth had some strands of her wig wrapped around the pieces, but the rest of it dangled down to her waist as normal.

Her eyes darted up to the clock that dangled on the wall, noticing that it was only ten minutes until the gala was due to start. The ticking of the clock's hands sounded like footsteps surrounding her, pressing her in.

Cynth wasn't sure how mentally prepared she was for the night's events, but she had to be. If she wasn't and gave into her anxiety, then that might just sabotage this operation altogether. Her door was shut, and she knew that she'd prefer to keep it that way and stay away from the action, just dive right into her father's office and get what she needed, but then she'd be missed. Cynth disliked her parents, but she knew them. They would search her out and beckon for her to come downstairs whether she liked it or not.

If she made herself present, even if it was just for a few minutes, she'd be able to play off her disappearance as if she had simply met someone and decided to converse with them. She stifled the nausea that went through her in waves, and straightened her face. Cynth had to go into this how she expected to come out, powerful and fierce.

She crossed the room in two steps and settled her hand on the doorknob, twisting it. Cynth slid on her metaphorical mask, knowing that no matter how cruel the world was, she could be crueler.

Cynth heard the echoes of Zoya and Leon's voices downstairs, and she strode down the hall with her hands positioned on her hips. She cleared her throat to interrupt their conversation once she reached the foot of the stairs. They glanced up at her, and Leon nodded at her approvingly. "Lovely dress." That was the only comment he offered, and that on its own was enough to make Cynth's fake brows pucker in confusion. Normally, Leon didn't bother with formalities and just spared a singular glance at her.

Her mother grinned at her, a wide grin that made her teeth shine in the white lighting above them. Cynth blinked confusedly before she turned toward the entrance, spotting a well-groomed man. His hair was the color of fresh lilacs, swiped across his forehead. He wore a button-up shirt, but the thing that stuck out to Cynth the most was that all of the buttons were buttoned. She knew instantly that he was an important person, considering that the only humans who seemed to actually care about their appearance were people affiliated with the government.

Cynth's lip curled as she looked him up and down. After she gathered her bearings, she clicked, "I'm Cynth Leeyung, daughter of Leon and Zoya Leeyung. And you are?" Her voice was enough to send chills down someone's spine.

He gave her a wide smile that Cynth felt was just a little too fake for her liking. "Ryatt Chess." Ryatt didn't give her any inclination to who his parents might be, which left Cynth even more curious about him than the information about the sources. She did however recognize his voice, but she couldn't pin-point from where. She raised a brow at him, and he explained, "I advise your parents with their governmental decisions."

Everything clicked in Cynth's mind. She remembered when she head eavesdropped on her father's meeting, and recalled specifically someone telling Leon to quiet down because she was in the house. It had been him, and now her parents were expecting her to put on a show. And put on a show she would. A small smirk tugged at the corners of her lips, and she mused, "You seem a tad bit young to be a political advisor, now don't you? Are you sure you're qualified?"

"Cynth!" Zoya exclaimed, slapping at her arm. Cynth knew she would pay for that comment in the future, but she couldn't stop the satisfaction that flooded her at her quip.

Ryatt laughed, and waved his hand as if it were only water under the bridge. "No worries, Lady Leeyung. Your daughter is right, I am young, only eighteen, but that doesn't mean I'm anything short of qualified. I've been actively participating in making political decisions for the sake of human-hibri relations since I was fourteen, you see. It's my job to prevent all out war between all of the human, hibri, and patrias citizens on Selino while also making sure that humans don't let their control slip."

Cynth tapped her fingers against the seam of her dress, and gave him a curt nod. Distaste overcame her quick as a whip. He was one of the hibri sympathizers. She knew that her parents certainly disliked anyone who even bothered acknowledging the hibri as more than an innocent inconvenience, which made her puzzled as to why they were being so kind to Ryatt.

Never one to drop something as quick as it came up, Cynth said, voice heavy with poison, "We shall see just how qualified you are soon enough, I suppose." His face was now creased by a frown, and they stayed like that for a moment, staring each other down. Cynth didn't yield with her smug expression, while he seemed unimpressed.

Leon coughed, crossing his arms. "Thank you for coming to attend the gala, Ryatt. Your presence is much appreciated." Ryatt grinned up at her father, and Cynth was immediately annoyed. He was sucking up to her father as much as he could, all because he needed to make him like her. It was rare that Leon was able to get along with people who could stand the hibri and patrias, but it almost felt like Leon respected Ryatt more than her.

Cynth bit back a scowl as she ironed on a smile that was made to brighten the room for when the guests arrived. She folded her hands in front of her waist, and followed her family into the foyer.

Everything blurred as people spilled in through the doors being held open by the Leeyung's butlers. Cynth's world was now a combination of people bustling about and conversing amongst themselves. Whenever she heard her name or a Miss Cynth Leeyung thrown around, she widened her smile and nodded her head obediently. Sometimes she would murmur, "Hi, welcome." but those moments were sparse.

Cynth, Leon, Zoya, and Ryatt all stood in the foyer making small-talk with the exception of Cynth, who much preferred to watch the crowds flow and flood through their estate down to the ballroom where the gala was being held. Once they were fairly certain that no new company would arrive to join them during the gala, they ventured into the ballroom with their guests.

Cynth examined the room in its entirety, letting her eyes trace the golden walls and chandelier that dangled from the cream-colored roof, swaying overhead the dancing and chatty crowds. There was a band playing on the stage in the right side of the room, the sounds calming Cynth despite the adrenaline that was racing through her veins.

She tugged her lip into her mouth, biting down on it nervously. Get it together, she thought to herself. As soon as her parents whisked themselves away to rant to a friend of theirs about how annoying the hibri were, she would be able to leave the ballroom. Cynth hummed lowly beneath her breath as Zoya pointed out someone in the crowd. "I heard that Phori's fiancée was attacked by a hibri," she whispered, but it was loud enough for Cynth to hear the scorn in her voice.

"Foul creatures," Cynth snarled. "It'll be their funeral when they realize they're the only reason for their downfall." Leon nodded his agreement, and gestured toward Zoya to lead the way. "I assume you're going to console her?" Cynth asked, cocking her head at them.

Zoya nodded, but her face turned into hard lines abruptly. "It would do us some good if you went to socialize with some of the other human girls." For a moment, Cynth dared to believe that her mother wanted her to make friends, before remembering that Zoya only had one motive, to continue holding power over the humans and the rest of Selino's inhabitants. "I've told you before that you need to speak with more people to show that we care about the people, Cynth. This gala is a part of that. I expect you to make yourself known as a proud member of this family."

Cynth watched them saunter off into the crowd, approaching a woman who must be Phori. Her face was barely able to hold itself into a smile by the looks of it. Phori's eyes were bloodshot, the green of her eyes looking as if the color had bled due to crying so much. Cynth shook her head at her mother's actions and crossed her arms defiantly.

There was no better time to sneak into her father's office than right then, she figured. Cynth ducked her head and did her best to stay inconspicuous, but with a head of black, gray, and blue hair, it was difficult to do so. Everyone knew who she was, and her hair only made her stick out more than she already did. Cynth ignored everyone who said hello to her, unless it was to make a comment on how irritating the hibri and patrias were in passing. Cynth, after having to practically fight her way past tables stocked full with food and drinks, the floors swarming with people engaged in quite a bit of gossip, was able to shoulder the door open and make it into the hallway.

She released a sigh the second she stepped into it, smoothing down the front of her dress. Cynth was fully prepared to make her way up the stairs and break into Leon's office, but she jolted once she heard a voice that rang through her ears. "Aren't you supposed to be socializing?"

Cynth resisted the urge to groan and bang her head against the wall in frustration, but she considered herself a better person than that and refused to stoop that low.

She turned around, eyes hardened and cold. "Aren't you supposed to be advising my parents?" she asked Ryatt innocently, a grin grazing her face.

He chuckled lightly, running a hand through his purple hair. "You're a curious one, Miss Leeyung. There's so many questionable things about you."

"Yeah, well you're going to have to keep questioning because I have more important things to do than talk to a lowly advisor." Ryatt somehow managed to keep a straight face despite how ill-mannered Cynth had been as she began to make her way up the stairs, the heels of her boots clicking against the marble surface.

When she cast a look behind her to make sure that he was no longer watching her, she only found empty air to her relief. She would hate to call off her plans of sneaking around because Ryatt had spotted her. If he bothered to tell her parents, she could cover it up by saying she was feeling ill and wouldn't want to disturb them by telling them of her "sickness."

She walked down the hall, heart thrumming in her chest as she reached the door that her father had banned her from ever stepping through many, many years ago. Cynth remembered when she was an inquisitive, young child, and had been reprimanded for even touching the door. Cynth shook her head, her fan-hat somehow managing to stay secure as she opened the door. There was no lock on it, she realized, probably because nobody would dare to break into Leon Leeyung's office. Some people did have enough nerve to break into the other governor's estates, it seemed. Cynth remembered how livid her father had been after hearing some information on the sources was stolen from another official's house by a couple of hibri.

During the break-in, they had managed to kill one of the hibri. Cynth didn't bother learning the hibri's name, it simply wasn't worth it. Besides, they were already gone. Leon had spent the day yelling at his colleagues about how such a breach could have happened. Possibly because you have no security.

Cynth closed the less-than-secure door behind her. Now that she was in Leon's office, she was feeling a lot less worried about this entire operation. Everything was well-organized, which surprised her quite a bit considering how much of a disorganized and messy person her father was.

Everything was filed into books that were well-bound and settled on dozens of shelves that wrapped around the office. At the head of the room, there was a wide wall of windows that showed the bustling city below. In front of the windows, her father's desk was situated. Cynth knew that she didn't have time to marvel at the view, and she immediately walked over toward the desk. She figured that the most important things would be stored where he spent the majority of his time.

Cynth pushed his desk chair out of the way, kicking it to the side by flicking her foot out. It skidded across the floor as she dropped down into a crouch in front of the drawers that were attached to his desk. "I didn't think my father was that dull," she whispered to herself upon noticing that, like the door to the office, none of the drawers were secured by a lock either. Cynth decided to check the drawer at the bottom first, pulling it open. Once she found nothing, she proceeded to rifle through the rest of the drawers.

Her hope for finding something in the desk was quickly vanishing as each time she yanked open one of the drawers, she only found empty space. There were no highly suspicious documents that could lead to the sources, which still may or may not be fictional based on what Leon's meeting had included the other day. Cynth just had to hope she wasn't chasing a ghost.

Sadly, the desk had led her to directly nowhere, resulting in a dead end. She sighed, and began to walk toward the bookshelf when she stumbled on her father's office chair. It was thrown toward the shelf, rocking it. Cynth was able to regain her footing instead of hitting the floor, and she regained her composure only to find a book gaping wide-open on the floor. Papers were strewn all over the place beside it, scribbled with words that Cynth didn't have time to read. When she began to pick up the papers, she caught a glimpse at the word, "Sources."

Cynth froze, and began to finger through the papers she had already picked up. She read through it, whispering to herself. "Tercy Cess is a famous rana, most known for attempting to make peace between the hibri, humans, and patrias alike. She died due to unknown circumstances and was buried at an undisclosed location. Few people know this, but it seems Tercy might've been more than just a peace advocate, but a member of the ranae governing powers..."

She didn't have the time to read through the rest of the papers, but she knew what she had to do with them. Cynth pulled out a scanner from her pocket, a device that could scan documents and download them for future reference. She had never heard of Tercy before, to her surprise due to her extensive tutoring as a child, but luckily the scanner had the capability to search things upon seeing a single mention of it, a feature Cynth knew would be good to explore in the future.

Cynth, her heart feeling like it was skipping multiple beats, scanned each page that had fallen out of the book. She snapped it shut and ensured that all of the pages were inside as she had found them, getting to her feet and beginning to slide the book onto the shelf.

When she looked up, she saw... a girl. Her skin was smooth, and light-brown. Her hair was long and was a few shades darker than tree-bark. Cynth watched her for a moment, her heart beating in her chest wildly. She was standing there with a panicked look on her face, horror in her light violet eyes.

"What're you doing? You're not supposed to be up here," Cynth snapped at her quickly.

The girl stared at Cynth for a wide-eyed moment before she blurted, "Well, what are you doing here?"

Cynth felt her lip curl into a distasteful scowl as she ran her eyes up and down the person who had intruded on her... well, intruding in her father's office. "I've never seen you before," Cynth pondered aloud.

"Oh! You know. I, um, move around. A lot." Cynth nodded, but anyone could tell that she was far from convinced that was the reason. Probably sensing Cynth's mistrust, the girl asked guardedly, arms crossed, "So, why are you here?"

Cynth rolled her eyes elaborately, sliding her scanner into her pocket carefully and placing her hands on her hips. "Organizing things," Cynth lied quickly. The words tumbled out of her mouth almost like someone tumbling over the ground, abruptly and almost jaggedly.

"Yeah," she said slowly. "Right." There was a moment of silence before she whispered, voice irritatingly smug, "Organizing Tercy Cess conspiracy theories?"

Cynth was incredibly uncomfortable at how much this girl was trying to pry into what she was doing. In fact, she was half-tempted to pry open the windows, jump down to the ground, and make a run for it just to avoid making eye-contact for any longer. She narrowed her eyes at the girl and said, "What else would I be doing?"

"I don't know. What... would you be doing?" she asked, voice sounding like the picture of innocence.

Cynth puckered her brows, zeroing in on the girl. Something certainly seemed off about her, but she couldn't tell what it was. "Why should I tell you?" Cynth asked, her voice sounding more like a low-pitched growl for a moment.

"Oh! I don't know! You don't have to! Except... maybe I can help you out?" the girl mustered. Cynth got the sense that she thought she was being sly. She really, really wasn't.

Cynth dropped the charade in a heartbeat, and hissed, "Absolutely not. Why would I let nobody like you help me out, anyway? What do you even have to offer? An annoying companion isn't what I'm looking for." She exhaled in defeat, realizing that she had basically just trashed the entirety of her lie about organizing the theories.

"I can do more than you think," the girl said defensively. Almost too defensively. Cynth crossed her arms and dipped her head toward the girl in exasperation. "I have plenty of information you could use, if Tercy Cess is your target. You could say I have some very reliable sources."

Cynth remained silent, watching the girl, almost as if she were trying to tear her apart and then put her back together to figure more about her. Her mother was always going on about how Cynth needed to spend more time with others instead of being holed up in her room and going out to insult hibri and the patrias on the odd occasion. It would certainly keep her mother off of her back if she was busy planning how they would begin to search for the sources. The girl was suspicious, however, something that could cost her in the long-run. Clearly she was hiding something, but the question was what was she hiding?

Maybe it would be smart to keep an eye on her, Cynth considered, especially since she had mentioned the sources. Keep your enemies closer. Plus, if she could get extra help looking for the sources, that would only improve the situation. The only downside was the Cynth knew for a fact that she couldn't stand this girl. Cynth figured that if she really developed a boiling hatred for her, the wise thing to do would be to ditch her somewhere and run as far as she could.

"Fine. I'll let you come along, but you better keep up. What I'm doing is probably dangerous," Cynth told her, fixing her posture and staring her down.

The girl righted herself, now standing directly across from Cynth. "What are you even doing to begin with?" she asked, voice unreadable.

Cynth bit her lip, debating her past choices. This girl might be of some use, but was it really worth having to put up with her and the questions she was bound to ask? "I'm going to find the sources, so that the humans can overpower the patrias at last," she said, voice far too blunt for what she had just told the girl, patting her pocket to make sure that the scanner was still there. "What's your name even?" Cynth looked her up and down, noticing that she had asked the question during a period of time where the girl stood there, half-infatuated, half-confused.

"Uh, Will. I mean, technically it's Willa but Will sounds better," Will rambled, eyes wide. Cynth leveled her with a single look, and she cleared her throat. "Right. So what do these sources do, exactly?"

Cynth inhaled before she spoke, "They kind of ensure that the patrias magic works. Without them, we could take control. Which is what you want, correct? Because if not then I might have to figure out how to open that window and push you out of it."

Will laughed, almost dismissing it as a joke despite the serious look in Cynth's empty, silver eyes. "Yeah, of course that's what I want!" Will exclaimed, almost a little too cheerfully.

Cynth stared her down, and then slumped against the shelf exhaustively. "We need to go downstairs before my parents begin to question my disappearance." She began to make her way to the door and slid out of it, Will following closely behind. "Meet me by the fountain near town square in New Earth at noon tomorrow so we can discuss this." Her voice was sharp, like the blade of a knife.

Will looked confused for a brief second before responding. "Oh, okay." She bobbed her head up and down for added effect. They stood there for a moment, examining each other before the silence was split by Will. "How about your name?" Will asked. "You never really said."

"Cynth," she said. "Cynth Leeyung." Cynth closed the door and proceeded to walk down the stairs, her steps echoing through the hallway as she wondered what in the world she had just gotten herself into.

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Thanks for reading! Hopefully, you loved chapter six; great job to Cress (cressio) for writing it, and all the Cynth chapters! What do you think will happen next? Comment if you have any predictions!

With virtual hugs, purple Google features, and bro-weddings galore,

Google Form Crew

(G.F.C.)