The guards remain. I am not too dumb to not realize that I am still being followed and watched by the soldiers whom Anden had dispatched, and at the same time by those who are waiting for me to reach out before they get around to sending Tess's head to Eden as a present.

I try not to break my routine, discreetly keeping my thoughts and theories to myself. Any written word can be used as an evidence against me. Computers are also out of the question, since my own mail was used against me. Changing locks and passwords will not be enough to stop a group who have hired computer geniuses that could rival those of the Republic. Sharing it with Day, who've been so confused with his feelings for me... well, he's currently not an option. I don't want him to make a choice that forces him to leave his brother.

A long time ago, I surely would have made that inquiry. For him to choose one over another; with me being foolish and believing the words of my commanding officer who had formulated everything, with me thinking that he had been genuinely good to the core that he believed a disguised Republic who tried to earn his trust. I was foolish enough to believe that the few days we'd spent back then was enough to turn the tides. I was foolish later on as well, to think that the feelings we had for each other will be enough.

He is already confused on his own. Forcing him to choose helping me over the safety of his brother is the same cruelty that I had subjected him to before.

The Republic or the Colonies. War or the antidote.

It mirrors everything.

The Republic or the vigilantes. His brother or me.

The idea of bringing it up again sickens me.

I've made a map of every possible worst case scenario in my head. The safest place for everything right now is somewhere that no one else can properly reach – even with the help of a lie detector, physical torture, or whatsoever.

So, the worst case scenarios are already there with the corresponding consequences, which are worse than the previous.. But what can I do? Nothing is currently pleasant about this situation. A move might paint me as one of the terrorists and get me charged with treason, since someone is using every blackmail possible to make me part of whatever propaganda they are running.

I hate being this powerless.

But when the days slowly pass, and the five days asked of me slowly shorten into hours, I know that I can stop someone from dying. The guilt will consume me later, if I don't do something.

I have roughly nine more hours. Despite that, I still find myself hesitating. I can't believe what kind of friend I am, to wait until there is less than ten hours left. And though none of the soldiers tries to stop or openly follow me, I know that they are there, mingling and camouflaging in the shadows. The same thing that those terrorists are capable of; surely they'll stop my soldiers from rendering them vulnerable.

"Tell me your demands, and we can talk this through," I say to no one in particular, the moment that I make it through the alleyway where I received from them the warning concerning Tess's life. "I don't understand what you are really planning to do. But, please, I am reaching out to you right now, so don't do anything with Tess. I'm begging you."

There's no reply, not even a sign that anyone is listening. But the presence of someone there remains.

I tense up momentarily at the sound of a hard thing falling against concrete, fully anticipating some punches to be delivered. The sight of a gun skidding on the floor before stopping uselessly a few feet away does nothing to ease that tension, too. The people behind the shadows seem to linger, evicting any of my guards that will have absolute proof of me committing treason.

How heavy treason is as a crime isn't new to me. I've seen how each of them were hunted down. How many of them were labelled as traitors. The betrayer of one's motherland. It is never my intention to do that. My goal had been pure—to exchange a friend's life for a strange ransom.

I can't help but to chuckle dryly to myself. What am I doing here? Thinking that someone is listening to my desperate pleas in the darkness?

"Of course," I mumble. "It is either you're not paying attention, or you truly didn't need me at all. But I am telling you that I am willing to give my part of the bargain if it will ensure that Tess will be safe, and that Eden will be away from all of this danger. All that you wanted is me and Day, so let's settle this conflict with just the two of us on the board. Leave everything away."

Suddenly, something falls in front of me. Not something, but someone who've leapt right there, blending too well in the shadows ahead of me. He moves quietly and carefully, ensuring that he remains in the darkness.

I can reach out for my phone right at this moment, turn on the flashlight, and clear my doubts of who this man is. One face is enough for us to search the records and link the rest of the terrorists in the bigger chain, like catching the spider by its web.

"Don't get so sure of yourself, Miss Iparis," the man finally speaks after three seconds of silence. His voice is muffled through some sort of mask that he is surely wearing. "And of course, dealing with your set of bodyguards had been quite a handful."

I hear someone screaming and heavy footsteps about two hundred meters from me, like some hunted preys. I almost didn't hear the sizzle of a bullet whizzing past until the sound of the man fleeing stops, followed by a heavy thud.

In the shadows, all I can glimpse on the man across from me is his bright green eyes. He is surely clothed in black; he blends too well in the shadows casted by the dim light. It is certainly true to say that one must be much more cautious in dealing with the shadow casted by the fire, rather than the fire itself. "Insolent one," he remarks, before moving his aim a little higher to the right and pulls the trigger again without hesitation, eliciting another man's scream from that direction. "Almost letting a witness alive. May this serve as a lesson, got that?"

He receives the acknowledgment of two heavy stomps in the next second.

"With that, let's go back to business." He focuses his eyes on me. A glint on his eyes spark interest. No doubt that he is clearly enjoying being such a tease. "What was it that you were saying earlier on?"

I breathe in and out before steeling my resolve firmly once more. "I want you to let Tess go, and leave Eden alone."

"And why do you think we will do that?"

"Because I am asking you with all I am. Not to mention that you need me."

"And why do you think that we need you?"

"Because you've been messing up with my life, wanting me to clear up my name and everything about me. Though you are using an old method to attract the people you truly wanted on your side. I can't blame you for using such an antique strategy."

"And why do you think that we will favour that than anything else?"

"Because it somehow had proven its success rate given by history as proof."

He suddenly bursts out laughing, as if what I've just said is a joke. He continues laughing for one full minute, and it starts to be mocking.

Good work, June, I tell myself. You really are the worst in negotiations. You just secured the ticket of Tess' death and Eden's peril with your very cold and stupid heart.

"I didn't know that you'll have such a known and tepid humor, Miss Iparis," he remarks. "I will certainly not be bored if you'll give us the honour of gracing our agenda with your presence."

I quirk my eyebrow. "So I am right with all I've said. My involvement on your cause is an ace advantage. The reason why you have one recording us right now is for such video to be used against me. After all, with this conversation alone, I will absolutely be court-martialed for treason."

He claps his hands. "Good! Good! No doubt why you were known as the Prodigy. Oh, wait." He stops clapping. "You aren't the only one who is the prodigy, right? Even Mister Wing is also one. Have you forgotten it already?"

I draw my lips to a firm line. How could I forget that among all? It had been the reason for me to believe that the old Republic was a bunch of lies. That if I'd been born with the same status as Day back then, I would have surely suffered the same fate that he did. "Tell me, what you really need me for?"

He flourishes his hand as if to prepare me for what he's to say. "Propaganda. Wars had been quite bloody. A reform movement is what we are. Let our voices and ideologies bleed on to the commoners."

"Propaganda, huh? More of like insinuating a civil war for my taste."

"Don't think that your position in the government is the reason we wanted you, Miss Iparis. If it had been for someone with position, we would have immediately crippled the government by forcing Mister Wing to join us."

"But you can't do that. That's why you're using me as a bait for him." I smirk at that. Everything starts to make sense; like some blocks clicking on place inside my head. I can have the trump card now and then, flip this situation in my favour, and walk away from here free with every necessary intelligence for us to hunt them down.

"No, Miss Iparis. We could have proceeded with taking Mister Eden Wing, if that's the case." He chuckled. "Do you honestly believe that Mister Wing will be swayed with you as bait, after getting to know you for just about a month? The old Mister Wing, perhaps. But the Mister Wing now? It seems you've placed too much importance on yourself."

His words erase the confident grin that I had. All logic falters, with how his words paints the cruel reality that has such an impact on me. After all, he was right about that. I thought that it could have been like before, but he was right to say that Day's memories of me remained in haze. Yet I believe that Day knows from his heart that I mean something to him... or is it just me who've held onto that treasure all along? That I've been hoping that somehow... there will be that old spark?

"June, I feel it that I can't lose you."

Day's actions and words betray what he knew in mind but not with his heart. He feels it himself.

"There is another reason that you're meant to be a part of this, Miss Iparis," the masked man remarks as he buries his hands onto his pockets.

I hear the siren from the distance, rashly getting closer to our position. But before I can even turn to see the rushing military truck, an explosion sets it off to a column of flames. I cover my ears with my hands as the first gunfire erupts about half a kilometre behind me.

"The reason behind is much more interesting, June Iparis," he adds – right as a dust smoke is set off.

I cough as I try to see through the smoke. My hands reach out for the small gun I've brought with me; just hidden by my ankle. I'd loaded it up. But with all of this smoke, I can't just carelessly shoot – not even when the gunfire that started two minutes ago is drawing closer to where I am. The sound of helicopter overhead alerts me right away of an impending skirmish. The smoke somehow recedes, clearing, and the spotlight from the hovering helicopter comes to view.

Before I can even move closer to the wall, someone places his hands on my shoulders. It takes me a second, and another second before I realize that it is Day himself standing right in front of me.

He is wearing a scarf around his nose and mouth, but I will never mistake his blond hair and his imperfect blue eyes for anyone else. He is shaking me as he assures, "June. June. It's me. I've come to save you."

"What? You've called for this?" I inquire.

"There is no time to explain. We'll need to leave now while there is a chaos. I'll explain everything to you later, so please, let's—"

Another round of gunfire, much closer this time, startles the two of us. Especially Day, whose frowning, angry, worried face drifts right toward pain and shock.

"Daniel!" I scream, abandoning my gun and holding onto him to settle him to the ground.

He moans as I reach for him, searching for where he is shot.

My hand instantly finds where, just at the lower back. Nothing fatal, if there's an immediate response from medic. "Daniel, come on," I say, already shaking in my fright. It had been like the last time, when I almost lost him and he lost me. I lean closer to him, making him focus on me. "Daniel, hang on, okay?"

He grunts, trying to speak up, but I press my finger against his lips. His hand instantly wounds around my wrist.

I lift my head, looking on amidst the chaos. Exchange of gunfire can still be heard. The smoke thickens as I hear and smell something burning nearby. But in this moment, in my hope to see an angel, I meet a devil.

The same masked man who've been talking with me earlier draws nearer to the two of us. He still has a pistol aimed at Day like he doesn't dare to take another shot. "Come with us now, or see him executed on the spot.," he remarks. The venom in his voice betrays all other emotions from earlier that says how they also need Day. "Or do you want me to kill you both, so you can watch from the afterlife how this Republic crumbles when we announce that the Champions of the Republic had been killed by the government?"

"You will not dare!" I scream, narrowing my eyes.

He cocks a bullet in place. "You decide."

In matters of life and death, I know that my life is much more meaningless that I can easily give it away. Day has Eden; he'll be all right, and he needs to survive. He had fought for so long to protect his family, and I will not take him to the grave with me.

"June..." Day mumbles before gulping in hard. His voice is hoarse with the trauma. "...Don't."

I look at him for a second before turning my attention to the masked man who've been tapping his foot like the tick of the clock. "I'll only come if I'll be assured that Day and his brother will be out of this. Despite wanting to have us both, you can't do that. Be content with having me."

"I guess you can make that appeal real, Miss Iparis," he says.

"A moment then."

"All right." He moves behind me before he takes three steps back and raises his hands in surrender, keeping his gun hanging by the finger.

"June," Day begs, making me look at him. "Don't go... you don't have to do this. You know they make empty promises... They'll come after me next. There's no point to this... Just... please, don't."

Seeing Day begs right now breaks my heart, but...

"Pay attention to me," I say, gulping in the sob that is trying to rise. I place my hands onto his cheeks, making him look at me. It is so hard to see his face with all the tears clouding my vision, not to mention how afraid I am of what they can do to him once it's all over. I try to disregard the feeling of the blood on my hands, wanting the last words to have a meaning. "Letting you go was the hardest thing I've ever had to do."

Someone takes me by the arms, pulling me away before I can even hear his reply. Before I can even ensure that he'll be safe. As I am being pulled away, the person keeping a tight hold of me mumbles under his breath, "That's not a happy story."

I break apart from his hold and brush away the tears from my eyes. "Well, I don't live a happy life."

The masked man snorts a laugh. "I know you'll say that."