Morro's POV

     The guards were anything but gentle. It was obvious that I was going to be punished for not saying yes the minute I left the room. Queen Malevolence stated she had an offer for Harumi, but then claimed it was too late to share. Both Harumi and I were pressed in different directions once we exited the area. She was probably going back to a comfy bed. What was in store for me, I didn't know.

     I was forced down an unfamiliar hallway that delved even deeper into the darkness, through locked doors that had to be unlocked by eye sensors, and into a pitch-black corridor that smelled of dead rats. The air was thick and murky like a blanket of wet mold. I couldn't see anything, which meant the guards might not be able to either. As much as I wanted to twist out of their grips and make a run for Harumi, trying that would most likely end my death. The Oni were fast, cunning warriors that could shapeshift their way out of any situation. Right now, as far as I knew, they weren't intending to kill me yet.

     When we finally exited the tunnel, I found myself in a prison. The first thing that stuck out to me was that there seemed to be no cells. There was a locked door, but inside it was just layer after layer of bars. The second thing that stuck out was that it was the only 'cell'. The rest of the room was blaringly empty, save one small seat for a fatigued guard.

      Odd.

      One of the guards opened a cell door and the others shoved me into the bars. The minute they closed the door I started to get claustrophobic. Thin, metal pressed on me from the door side and large, widely spaced bars pressed on me from the other. There wasn't enough room to lean down, much less move around without serious discomfort. What was wrong with letting the prisoner move?

      "You gave me a nice room and warm meals and now you're throwing me in a prison? Doesn't seem very hospitable or logical." I called out to the guards. "You could have just shoved me out into the desert."

      They ignored me as all but one left the room. That one didn't look at me; he simply stood by the entryway with his eyes fixed on an imaginary point.

      I focused on trying to find a way out. Each bar was evenly spaced. The cell had no bed, no rug, and not even a space where I could sit. I slumped against one of the bars, my body already aching from the strange positions I had to contort myself into. There was nothing but the sound of dripping from somewhere outside the prison.

       Then, I heard a voice.

      "When wheels turn and birds fly, they have freedom to go where they wish."

       The singing was old and faded. And crazy, by the sound of the confused string of words. Before I could even move to investigate, a face slammed into the bars right in front of me.

       I yelped in surprise, trying to back up. I got a headache instead since my head slammed into the metal bars.

       The person in front of me squinted at my figure, confusing crossing her stretched figures. As my eyes adjusted to the dim light in the cell, I noticed she looked young and old at once, with vivid green eyes and sharp cheekbones. Her hair was a bird's nest, faded and ratty, with gray streaks running through the natural dark blonde color. As much as I was surprised at her sudden appearance, something about her immediately put me on guard. It wasn't the fact she was in prison. She looked... familiar.

     The woman scanned me. "Who are you?" She rasped.

      I eyed her warily. "A prisoner, like you."

      She laughed at that, but it was a cold laugh. "No one is a prisoner like me." When I didn't answer, she continued. "What could you have possibly done to get down here? Malevolence doesn't let anyone join me."

      "She said I'd be meeting a special guest."

      The woman's features tightened with rage. "Tell your queen I will not cooperate for whatever stupid plan she's come up with. I won't cooperate with a blade to my throat."

      Realization dawned on me as the woman wiggled her way down to a sort of sitting position, humming the strange verse she had been saying earlier. This woman hated Malevolence. She was in a prison with no other people, meaning it was probably designed for her. She had done something bad enough to make Malevolence feel like she had to lock her up in this unnatural prison.

      I forced myself downwards, so we were back to back. "I'm Morro. The supposed Master of Wind."

      I didn't know how much power I had left after the Departed Realm. I had felt my wind stir only once since we escaped, and even then, I was exhausted when it was barely there. If I still was the Master of Wind, then I had to be the weakest elemental master alive.

       The woman didn't say anything to me, just babbled quiet noises.

       "The enemy of my enemy is my friend." I said, pushing down flashbacks to my time with Sensei Wu.

      "My name is Mika," she replied after a few seconds of silence. "You are an elemental master? How did you even get here?"

      "It's a long story."

      Mika chuckled. "Look around; you're not going anywhere."

      The only one guard in the room didn't care about what we were saying, he just cared about whether we tried to escape or not. The bars held us both confined. A single lightbulb in the center of the room gave us the light we needed to see a foot in front of us. Silence reached everywhere in this moisty, decaying environment.

     "You have time to tell," Mika leaned her hunched back against a bar. "Best get comfy."

     "Okay," I consented. "It started out when I met this girl..."

>(<>)<

Harumi's POV

     Even though I was filled with a flurry of emotions, I slept just fine. When I woke up in the morning, my anger towards living as the princess was directed at myself. Morro had been dragged off to 'meet a special guest' I was waiting on a Queen Malevolence to make me an offer, and I slept like a baby my fine nightgown and silken sheets.

      Despite my protests, I was dressed up fancy again by the androids. My caretaker arrived and escorted me to a dining room. She ignored all the questions I asked her about what being an 'ally' to the queen meant.

      The dining room was as extravagant as the rest of the palace, with large marble columns and magnificent portraits of Oni hanging perfectly symmetrical on the walls. There were candles alight around the room, but there were also lamps in the ceiling and floor that were turned on. The two-story window's curtains had been opened, letting the artificial sunlight stream in.

      The room was empty, except for two servants placing food at the other end of a very long table. I noticed the table was one of those tables that was designed to only have two people sit at it. An uncomfortable feeling settled in my chest. I sat down on one end, ready for something bad to happen. I had no idea what part I was going to have to play in order to get my answers, then grab Morro and escape.

      A guard walked into the room after back doors slammed open. "Please rise for Her Majesty, Queen Malevolence."

      The servants stopped what they were doing and stood straight up. I hesitantly rose from my chair, trying my best to ignore the puffy skirt that came up with me. On cue, the queen stepped in. She was in light now, so I could see her clearly.

      My eyes widened in shock.

      Malevolence really was as black as night. It was no wonder we couldn't see her in the dark room, for every feature she had was like a moonless, cloudy night. Dark scales covered her arms and shoulders. She wore a black gown that looked too simple to be for royalty. The ends of the dress trailed the floor feet behind her, the ends vanishing into a cloud of darkness. Malevolence's eyes were a neon violet with darker purple iris. Her face was a dragon's but, she had long, silky black hair that I could see no end too. No crown sat upon her head. The only noticeable jewelry was the magenta, glowing amulet that hung from her neck. She didn't look Oni, and she definitely didn't look human. She didn't seem to have any type of wings either, so Malevolence couldn't be dragon.

       Everyone bowed. Glancing around, I slowly dipped into a bow as well.

      "Rise, my brethren, and feast." Malevolence's voice seemed weaker.

      The servants immediately fled to the kitchen to get more food. I took my seat again. Malevolence scowled at all the light and blew out two candles near her. She seemed to realize I was watching her, and immediately brightened up.

      "Princess Katsuki, I heard you slept well."

      I didn't even want to know how she knew that. "Yes, Queen Malevolence." I replied, keeping my voice monotone. If I let emotion sneak in, then she might detect my plans. I didn't really want to be her ally; I was just playing a part to get the answers I needed.

      Malevolence smirked. "You are the royalty. Did I not say last night you have the freedom to just call me Malevolence?"

      I knew how to play the court games. "You are queen of your citizens. I pledged to be your ally. Therefore, we are of equal rank. If you wish to call me Princess, then I must be obliged to call you Queen."

      Malevolence looked pleased. "Princess, I want to offer a deal to you."

     "My ears are open, your Highness." Right now, I didn't care if I was annoying her. Every time she smirked and said princess made me want to lunge across the table and strangle her.

     "After breakfast, you will learn all that I wish for you to know. Oh, and your friend is getting along wonderfully with our other special guest, in case you were wondering about him."

      Why couldn't she just tell me what she wanted? I chewed the decadent food in silence. Malevolence talked of her kingdom and how wonderful it was. I didn't care about anything she said. I had lived in a palace and watched the Emperor talk to other powerful officials. The game was to make what you owned sound great, while letting your descriptions give away nothing. That way, the other people would think you had much when you could have nothing at all.

      After breakfast, she led me to a large balcony. It overlooked much more than the park I saw from my room. Unlike my balcony, which saw the artificial outside, this balcony showed the massive inside of the Underground City. I saw a very large factory with machines of all sorts making so many different items. Beyond it, what looked like a large hotel lobby stretched far into the distance.

      "Our world is built by imagination," Malevolence gestured to the factory. "Great minds showed us how to survive, and those minds have been making our life easier as time passes. We live in peace here. Who needs to fight when they can have everything by asking?"

      I stared at the whirling machines. Products rolled across assembly lines. I could hear the pressured steam fly through the air. It was beautiful, in its own unique way.

      "I could be happy here." Malevolence said airily.

      Of course, she wanted to conquer something. I rubbed my arms; it was cold standing next to her.

       Malevolence turned to me. One of her claws tapped the amulet on her neck gently. "I lost someone once. Someone I loved very dearly. He wanted the world, and I was ready to give it to him. We fought for our dream, but in the end, he was banished. I was forced to retreat and lie in wait. After some time, he freed himself. Sadly, he was killed soon after.

      I didn't think she was the type to love. There was no room for love when you had this much power. "Who killed him?" I asked.

     "People you know well," Malevolence answered. "Luckily for him, I had something that could bring him back."

      She couldn't have had the Oni masks, and I thought they were the only thing that could bring someone back from the Departed Realm. Perhaps she knew about the existence of Transmitea.

       "I used it, but the same people killed him again before we could reunite once again." She flared with anger. "You understand pain. You understand grief. You knew love, and they stripped it away. You triumphed over the pain, and they stamped you out. They killed you too. Now, you are here. It is no coincidence."

      "The Ninja." Their name was like a cold rock over my soul. The ones that had gotten away. It was their fault that my parents were dead. It was their struggle for power that caused me to die. It always came back to them.

      Malevolence seethed. "They are no heroes." She paused, her anger turning back into a cold cockiness. "My deal for you, princess, is one you will like. The Ninja have broken you and me. I want the same revenge as you. Unlike the other people who have gone after them, I will not fail." Her eyes lit up. "I have an army of shapeshifters on my side. All I need to do is get to Ninjago."

      "How are you going to do that?"

      "Our special guest normally opens portals for us, but something has upset the Ethereal Divide. Large numbers cannot realm hop right now. I need you."

       I waited for her to elaborate.

      "Garmadon is behind this. He knew I was trying to cross over, and he used his power to hold me back. Now that he has lost his power, I should be free to travel to Ninjago. There is still a disturbance somewhere. I think Garmadon warned the Ninja, and they are using their powers to keep the Ethereal Divide unstable. I need you to stop them from doing that."

      I have seen things in the Departed Realm. A darkness, and everlasting night, that even frightens me. If my father's realm is to survive, I must be stronger.

      I blinked, trying to process what Malevolence said. Emperor Garmadon knew she was trying to cross into Ninjago. He knew all along, and he was doing everything in his power to stop her. She was the darkness he was trying to hold back.

      Let me be your only family. So I can help you complete who you've set out to become. To fight this darkness you speak of. And fight to keep your father's realm.

      "I need you to kill them." Malevolence said.

      Her words cut through my mental fog like a sharpened katana.

      "You can cross into Ninjago. The Ethereal Divide can handle small numbers. You can wipe out their little team. Once they're gone, I can move my army into their Realm."

      And fight to keep your father's realm.

      I had promised to help Emperor Garmadon fight off the darkness. This wasn't about someone dressing me up as the thing I hated the most. This wasn't about my parents' deaths and who caused them. This was about the fate of all Ninjago.

      "Why me? I thought you wanted revenge... a personal revenge."

      "They wronged you too, didn't they?" Malevolence sensed the hesitation in my voice. "I don't care who kills them, as long as they're dead. Once Ninjago is mine, I can bring back my lost one and we will accomplish what we have wanted to do since the creation of that realm."

      "What do I get out of this?" What could possibly get me to accept her outrageous offer and go against everything I promised to the man I brought back from the dead?

      "Well, to start, you'll be avenging your parents' deaths. The little ninja are the ones who couldn't stop the Devourer in time to save your family." She paced around me, her darkness sending chills down my arms. "Once I conquer Ninjago and bring my loved one back, we will move out, leaving Ninjago to you. As its leader, you could release your precious Emperor from prison and rule Ninjago like you had before everything got... messy. You'll have the father figure you always dreamed of, this time without the Ninja to ruin everything. Wouldn't that be nice?"

       It was everything I had ever worked towards. The paradise she described had been everything I had ever wanted. But something about this seemed off. Maybe Morro was right. Maybe I should have refused to be her ally and escaped as soon as I could. Now, I was tangled in a web with strings that were too tight to get out of.

      I looked out at the factory; its once magnificent view suddenly seeming suffocating. "Can I think about it?"

      Malevolence's voice was eerily calm. "You have until morning, princess."

      My thoughts swirled as the guards led me back to my room. Malevolence grinned as I left, more than confident that I would be willing to kill when the time came.

>(<>)<

Morro's POV

      "Wait a minute... you were Wu's pupil?"

       "You know Master Wu?" I asked. Mika's face kept changing throughout my story. We had quickly discovered she could not understand me at all if I brought up the Departed Realm. Some sort of magic would block my speech about it so all she heard was gibberish. So, I went back to my life story, which Mika took great interest in.

       "Yes, I knew him... I knew him a little..." Mika paused, swallowing. "Tell me... the First Spinjitzu Master... is he still searching... still searching for someone?"

       "He's dead," I said, a twinge of guilt sparking inside me when I heard the desperation in her voice. "He's been dead for a long time."

      Mika rustled behind me. When I turned my head, I found she had moved herself around to face me. She stuck her face through the bars, whispering, "How old is Wu?"

       I tried to move myself around to face her. "Um, I think several hundred years. Maybe even a thousand. I'm not joking; he's like a block of wisdom and age."

       She didn't laugh. "Everything," she started, her voice suddenly very weak, "everything I hoped for is gone."

       "I don't understand," I said.

       Mika met my eyes. "Long before time had a name, the First Spinjitzu Master created Ninjago, to flee from war and create lasting peace. After a long time, he settled down and had two sons. They were to carry on his legacy, to keep the peace in Ninjago. The sons were close to their father and their mother wanted someone to be close to her."

       "Wu and Garmadon..." I had a bad feeling about this. "How do you know them?"

       "The mother gave forth another child, a daughter this time. This child was weak and pitiful, but unique nonetheless. The dragonblood was strong in this child and had inherited the dragon's ability to travel through the Ethereal Divide." Mika continued, not stopping to answer my question. Her eyes were glazed with memory.

       "Wu and Garmadon never mentioned having a sister."

       "Because they thought she was dead." Mika snapped at me, tired of my interruptions.

       "This girl could split the Ethereal Divide and travel like the dragons. She had no control over this power, which one day caused her to land into the hands of a dark queen who would use her to travel and conquer. The child would never be allowed to return to Ninjago, lest the dark queen's existence be revealed to the man she was trying to hide from."

       "Malevolence." I put the pieces together.

       "Do you see this prison?" Mika asked, gesturing to the close bars. Her face was wild, like a crazed madwoman. "It was designed to keep me captive. I'm trapped for all eternity. My Oni blood has kept me alive all these years. Malevolence has used me to travel across the realms. That is my only purpose, and it is the only reason I'm still alive."

       "You—you're the daughter of the First Spinjitzu Master?" I gaped at her.

       "I may be his daughter, but I was one he obviously didn't care for enough to save." Tears streamed down her wrinkled face. "Hundreds of years have passed, Morro, hundreds! I kept hoping he, or my brothers, would save me from this. I have been locked up, barely able to move, with no sense of time other than the greying of my hair, for so long. I tried to have hope. They didn't come for me. My mother was the only one to come close, and she was killed before I could even see her face once again."

       I reached out, gently touching her tightened fingers. "I know what it's like to feel like you have no hope. For some reason I can't tell you why, but sometimes life makes you feel like there is nothing left to believe in. I lost all my friends to the Departed Realm. But I was able to save one person, even if we aren't exactly friends yet. So, don't despair, because if I could save one person, then I can promise to save you too."

       Her eyes met mine, and now I realized how much they looked like Lloyd's. Perhaps that was why she looked familiar.

       "You have the mind of a leader." Mika sighed. "Just like Father."

       "Why was Malevolence hiding from the First Spinjitzu Master? Was it only because she had captured you?" I asked, fiddling with my muddy sleeves.

       "My father had already banished her husband and stripped away his natural form. He knew Malevolence would do anything to avenge what happened. If Malevolence was caught by Father, she would surely die by his hand." Mika stared at her lap.

       "Husband?" Things were just getting weirder.

      "The only one my father couldn't defeat. The one that has wanted to tip the balance for years. She supports that twit with every inch of her being. Malevolence's status among other creatures in different realms kept her well feared and protected throughout the years, safe from Father's watchful eye. Somewhere in the time span from then to now she was able to gain control of the Oni. She does have a powerful influence over others. I only hope that she won't use me to free her husband from captivity."

       I went very still when the identity hit me. "The Overlord is her husband?"

       "No one knew about that?" Mika laughed coldly. "I guess my father covered a lot of things up. Then again, I didn't even know it until I pieced together what guards were saying."

      "Hold everything," I held up my hands. "Let me get this straight. You are the daughter of the First Spinjitzu Master. You were captured by Malevolence, who uses your power to travel across realms. Malevolence happens to be married to the Overlord... and she wants to bring him back from the dead?"

      "He's dead?" Mika's eyes filled with hope. The light died as quickly as it came. "Oh, that is what that amulet is for."

      I stopped her. "Am I right or am I wrong?"

      "Right," Mika confirmed. "Malevolence told me this next trip would be my last. She's going to Ninjago to use the amulet. This is really bad."

      "Amulet?"

      "The glowing thing around her neck. Rumor has it that it holds the Overlord's soul."

      "It holds what now?!"

      "Dark magic created it. If the rumor is correct, then as long as the amulet is intact, the Overlord will be able to return. Malevolence must be planning to bring him back."

       I stared at her, too shocked to form a coherent sentence. Mistake told me the Oni were capable of doing terrible things. I didn't think they would be planning something this catastrophic.

       Wheels turned in my head as I attempted to back up. I had to get to Harumi. I had to get both her and Mika out of here right now.

       "This has been her plan since the beginning." Mika watched my rub my sore head. "Once they have taken over Ninjago, evil will corrupt all sixteen realms."

       "The Ninja defeated him twice before, they can defeat him again." I said distractedly, my mind swirling with possible escape plans. How could one outrun and outwit an army of shapeshifters?

       "Will they?" Mika asked. "I don't know who these 'ninja' are, but even if they are powerful enough to stop the Overlord, can they defeat him, his wife, and an army of Oni all at once? Can they do that and still keep fighting when Malevolence resurrects him over and over and over?"

       I hesitated.

       "Exactly," Mika said. "Luckily, I still have a few more days before my usefulness is ended. There is a disturbance in the Ethereal Divide right now. Large numbers cannot pass through the portals. Malevolence will have to wait until it has faded to move her army into Ninjago."

       "How long do you think it will be there?" I asked.

        "Depending on what caused it, it could either be short or long. Malevolence thinks..." She looked at me. "She thinks ninja caused it. I didn't understand her at the time, but I do now. I'm guessing she was talking about the same ninja who defeated the Overlord."

       "I don't think the Ninja have that type of power." I said.

       "Hmm," Mika thought out loud. "You came from the Departed Realm, yes?"

       "Yeah."

       "Do you think your traveling out of the Departed Realm caused the disturbance? No one has ever been able to leave that realm before. Not even my father."

       "It's likely."

       "The disturbance only popped up recently. Probably around a few days ago." Mika judged my reactions carefully.

       "That's when we got here," I said.

       "Then, that must be it." Mika's face turned sorrowful again. "Malevolence thinks the ninja are behind this. I know how she works. She'll send an assassin after them. The portals can handle small numbers. I hope your ninja are good at surviving. It seems without them; her world takeover will be easy."

       Everything locked into place before my eyes. "No."

       Mika looked up, curious. "The ninja can't fight off a simple assassin? I thought they beat the Overlord twice."

       "No, no, no, no, no." I cried, making my way to the edge of the cell, where the Oni guard was still standing silently. Mistake had warned us, and we didn't listen. We had fallen right into their trap.

      There was only one person who would still be willing enough to kill the Ninja. There was only one person who still hadn't changed enough to realize it was the wrong move. There was only one person who had sworn to ally with Malevolence; only one person who had the wits to accomplish such a deed.

      Malevolence was going to use Harumi.

>(<>)<

Harumi's POV

      The more time I spent in the pompous room, the more I hated it. I couldn't trash it; last time I tried about a dozen androids stomped into the room in sync to restrain me and fix the mess. Above it all I could see my caretaker's violet eyes flashing with a warning that this better not happen again. The stupid droids wouldn't even let me wipe off the insane amount of makeup they slathered on my face.

       I ended up leaning against my balcony's rail, trying to figure out the odds of me growing wings if I jumped. I wanted to get out of this artificial world. I needed to find Morro and get out of here. I had my answers, but they had come with a price too big for me to shrug off. Everything had come down to one choice. Kill the Ninja... or let them live. Killing the Ninja meant I would be able to not only avenge my parents, but in the long run have Garmadon take over the city again and be able to build the paradise I wanted. Letting them live came with no major benefits I could think of... except that Lloyd might not hate me as much if I didn't try to kill him again.

      A few screaming kids ran across the grassy fields below me in the softening light, dripping wet from their recent swim in the lake. Their parents trailed behind them, holding the towels and beach toys the kids left behind. These people were happy. They loved the artificial world and all it meant for them.

       Malevolence had showed me what living down here was like.

       Our world is built by imagination. Great minds showed us how to survive, and those minds have been making our life easier as time passes. We live in peace here. Who needs to fight when they can have everything by asking?

       Day after day with the artificially perfect weather. Day after day where you could live with the best technology in the utmost comfort. Day after day where some genius would step forward with a new invention to make everything better. No work. No struggle. No monsters.

       It seemed like the perfect life.

       I watched kids spray the last bit of water from their little water guns at each other, squealing and playing tag in the grass. I couldn't remember the last time I'd been swimming. It came to me after a few seconds of distraction; a bittersweet memory on the tip of my mind.

      It was after we fell off the waterfall. Lloyd and I had to swim to shore.

       Imaging the wonder in his face when he saw the Oni temple brought a faint smile to my face. It was amazing how Lloyd could go from a dedicated leader to a fascinated child in a matter of seconds. But thinking of him set off a whole different set of conflicted emotions. My mind was already stressed with the bigger decision ahead.

       Kill them or let them live?

       The Ninja were responsible for my parents' deaths. It was their decision to stall that caused the Great Devourer to rampage on the city for a while before they finally took him out. How many others were like me out there? How many people were victims of the Ninja not being able to save everyone in time? With Garmadon and the Sons of Garmadon by my side, we could instill peace and order without the Ninja around to mess everything up. We could build the perfect city, where no evil would ever come to attack Ninjago again.

      I'm ready to be better.

      I had told that to myself and I had believed it. I knew on the inside I was a wicked and lost soul, with no way out of my cycle of destruction. I had left the Departed Realm with hope that maybe I could gain my second chance and work to stop all the bad I caused. When I arrived in this world, however, my priorities had been switched to staying alive and figuring things out. It was the same routine I always followed. Put on the mask you need to wear, dig around for the information you need, then rip off the mask and escape. I didn't want to get away from Malevolence to save the Ninja's lives; I wanted to get away from her so I didn't have to deal with her anymore.

       What would a changed villain do?

       That was what I couldn't figure out. If I didn't kill the Ninja, then I'd be doing it out of the motivation to follow my promise to Garmadon and protect his father's realm. If I did kill the Ninja, it would be out of the motivation to build the paradise I had always dreamed of in Ninjago City. Neither motivation seemed to be terribly bad, but the means to the end both seemed like wicked acts.

       Kill them or let them live?

       I had accomplished my dream of ruling Ninjago by Garmadon's side. I had everything I wanted in that one week after years of scheming and hating. What had come of my paradise?

       I lived in a constant state of fear that the Ninja would find a way to take it away. I lived in a constant state of paranoia that Garmadon would end up turning on me. I lived with the knowledge that no one else in the city adored my perfect city; that they hated me and all I stood for.

       If I returned and offered that to them again, they would still hate me. I would still be the villain in their eyes, not a savior. I would never be the hero of the story.

      Kill them or let them live?

       What would Morro do?

       That was easy; he'd let them live because he had forgiven them. He was a much better soul than I was.

       Behind me, the doors swung open to reveal my emotionless androids. "It is time to complete the evening procedure."

       My time would be up soon. I would have to decide on what to do, whether to risk angering Malevolence or to stay loyal to the one person who I had sacrificed everything for. All I could see as the androids scrubbed the makeup off my face were his green eyes as he watched me fall. All I could see as they changed me into a silky nightgown was his broken expression, like he still loved me despite my breaking his heart.

      I could silence those broken stares forever. Or I could face them once again.

      I woke up in the morning with a headache, dark circles under my eyes, and a major case of bedhead. The androids dressed and prepared me as usual. Before I knew it, it was time to let the queen know of my decision.

      Taking a deep breath, I followed the guards with my head held high. My mind had raged on for hours on what to do. Now, I finally knew the choice I would be satisfied with. Whether it was the right one or not was up to the future to decide. My choice would be a vital one, and it would change my life forever.