--- renovated chapter---

An icy chill settled over the streets as the sun fell lower in the sky and cast a faint orange glow over the buildings. Deep shadows contrasted with the fading rays, plunging the twists and turns of the factory sector into darkness. Kyra allowed silent tears to slide down her cheeks, pausing every so often to catch her breath in between sobs. By the time they arrived at the Exempt headquarters her eyes were dry. James never said a word.

A flashing red light cast an eerie glow over the shadows in the foyer. Usually bustling, the space was unnerving at night, empty except for them and the fog leaving their mouths with each exhale. Kyra crossed her arms and buried her chin in the collar of her coat, part of her hoping she could avoid the meeting by disappearing in the folds of fabric.

"They sent everyone home," James observed, lashes casting harsh shadows against his cheeks as he scanned the darkness. "Unusual for the Commander. I wonder what he wants."

"Nothing good, I bet."

As they approached the door slid open, sending the shadows crawling back to the corners.

"Can't get any worse, can it?" James' hand on her back edged her forward. Softly, he said, "Don't worry, I'm right here with you."

She took a deep breath - as if each molecule of air was full of courage - and stepped inside. The Commander sat at the head of the table, of course; Ethan sat across from him. In the second it took her to find Ethan's eyes, the door slid shut behind her, the warmth of where James' hand had been the only sign remaining of him. She whipped around but it was too little, too late.

"It's worse," she murmured, turning back to face the room.

"Miss Jackson." The Commander tilted his head, motioning for her to take a seat. She slid in next to Ethan. She gripped his hand under the table - the warm and calloused palm familiar against her own - anticipating the dreadful words about to leave the Commander's mouth.

The Commander leaned forward, chin resting on his fingertips. "From what I've heard your preparations are going well."

Kyra couldn't hide the surprise that crossed her face. "Reasonably."

"Is that all you called us down here to say?" Ethan asked, brows furrowed. 

The Commander breathed a sigh. "Pleasantries, citizens."

Kyra had a strong urge to tell the Commander where to shove those "pleasantries". The thought pulled her up short. Frowning, she wondered where exactly she'd learned that phrase; James, most likely. It was still strange for her to think of things she didn't remember learning or know about things she'd never seen.

"Our time is a bit limited these days," Ethan said through gritted teeth. "I'd suggest getting to the point."

"Very well." The Commander reached under the desk and slid a Tab to them. "Our plan to rescue the Outsiders has been moved forward."

Kyra's hand froze on the Tab. "To when?"

"Tomorrow night."

The words were so calm, said so easily that Kyra didn't realise what they meant for several moments. Panic clawed from her stomach to her chest, its fiery fingers attempting to escape her throat. She hugged her abdomen tightly as if that would keep her life from falling apart. Kyra composed herself enough to say, "Why has it been moved forward?"

The Commander leaned back in his seat, sighing. "Because the Outsiders' execution has been set for a month from now.

Kyra's body tensed, her hand clamping on Ethan's like a vice. Her eyes went to the wall of glass - all that separated her from James. His sister, a girl Kyra had grown up next to, known since she was a child, was to be executed. Everything relied on them, on the plan two teenagers had concocted. Either they succeeded, or Ashley... she couldn't even think the word.

Ethan leaned forward on his elbows, fingers probing his temples. "What's the plan?"

"Take a look for yourself." The Commander motioned to the Tab in front of them.

Kyra skimmed over the plan with a frown. "Does this seem a little... impossible to you?" she asked Ethan.

His eyes didn't leave the screen as he responded. "Completely. The power outage in the Control Centre jail buys us an hour for Ashley to get us Enforcer uniforms, use the underground passages to sneak into the loading station and find our way onto a truck. With no assistance, apparently." Ethan glared up at the Commander.

"As much as you refuse to believe it, I benefit if this plan succeeds. Hence, I've done everything I can to ensure it does." The Commander smiled with tight lips. "Read the fine print."

Ethan squinted and adjusted his glasses to read a minuscule line of print. "Full assistance will be provided between the uniform storage room located at the top of the city fence to the loading bay according to the following conditions: one, the individuals arrive at the specified location within an hour; two, the individuals have not been detected; and three...only four individuals remain. The Exempt assisting the escapees will replace the previous member."

Kyra's lips parted as her gaze switched between the screen and Ethan, the words slipping through her mind like sand through fingers. "Only four? Why?"

"Four is already a stretch."

Ethan scoffed. "So stretch a little bit further, we're both going."

The Commander shook his head. "You misunderstand me. I don't care if you go. All I care about is seeing Ashley Henderson dead."

Kyra gripped the arm rests until her knuckle screamed but it was all that kept her sitting down. "Why?"

"Non deficere, ut moriatur. We fail, we die. That is our ultimate law."

"Are you kidding me? You want to take away an innocent life because of some archaic, old-world bull?"

"I doubt Alexia Ruth would say the same thing."

"Alexia?" Kyra's lip quivered as her hands fell to her lap. It felt like years ago that she'd sat around a lunch table with James, Danny and Evaleen discussing Alexia Ruth. "She got sent outside."

Ethan inhaled sharply. "That's what the citizens are told when someone is murdered."

The Commander raised one corner of his mouth in a smile that made her want to scream. "Ashley Henderson killed an innocent. And now your life depends on her death."

Silence filled the room like an icy chill. It was the kind of silence that felt fragile, as if to break it would set something in motion no one could go back from. The Commander crossed to the door and had his hand on the handle when Ethan spoke.

"How long have you been planning this?"

The Commander paused. "Planning what?"

"To use Ashley Henderson as a martyr." Ethan got to his feet, stopping when he was eye level with the Commander. "I've been doing some research on you, Commander. I know just how far your claws have dug into every crevice in this city – including the Control Centre. That's how you know so much about us, right? How you know exactly which buttons to push to get what you want?"

Kyra looked between Ethan and the Commander, the cogs turning in her mind. "You knew I would never be able to betray Ethan. From the beginning, you knew. And we've been doing exactly what you wanted us to, all so that we could get here. You want us to rescue Ashley just so that she can die bloody."

Ethan nodded. "Ashley may be well-liked by the Exempt, but she's spent months surviving with the Outsiders and that's an even deeper bond. If she was killed by a citizen they wouldn't rest until we're all dead."

"You don't want to take over the city, you want to destroy it."

The Commander's face was blank as he turned back, no indication of wrong or right clear in his features. "You have until you're on the edge of that wall to decide whether Ashley's life means more to you than reuniting your families. Good luck, Citizens." The door slammed shut behind him.

Ethan began to pace. As Kyra watched him she gnawed on her nails, mulling over the events of the past hour. It felt like a second and a lifetime had passed all at once. How had she been so blind to the Commander's plans? How had she not seen him twisting around her like a vine, affecting every decision she'd made since the day they'd met? And that wasn't even the worst of it.

Ethan paused to look at her, lips parted. "Kyra... what are we going to do?"

"I don't know," she confessed. She glanced at his face and added, "But I know one thing: no one will die tomorrow. Not Ashley, not us, not anyone. There'll be enough bloodshed in the war if they get what they want, we don't have to add a body to the pile."

"But what if the Commander finds a way to kill Ashley anyway? That life will be on our hands."

She stopped his pacing with a firm hand. "It will be on his, not ours," she amended. But even as she said it she knew it wasn't true: that death would be on her conscience, no matter who it was or what they'd done. It would all be her fault. All because she'd been too blind to see the threat in front of her.

Kyra rubbed her wrist where the bracelet used to sit. Even though the drug was long gone, her mind continued to miss crucial details. And now it could cost someone their life. This wasn't the fault of the city, it wasn't even the fault of the Commander. It was all on her. And she had no idea how to fix it.

--- author's note ---

Hey y'all, how are you guys?

Recently edited this chapter from scratch again and I'm way happier with it (very rare lmao). So if you see any mistakes I missed feel free to point them out!

Who's applying for the Wattys2019? Drop your story details below so I check out your story!!

Thank you again for everything - if you're reading this, you're the best x