Each soul has its price, values differ. One soul could be so precious and overprotected, and another could be so cheap that ending it would never be a concern. Values were placed like tickets in markets, that core principle shaped inequality in a decent form, convincing poor souls of their uselessness, turning people into owning privileges they don't deserve, and another to be sentenced to a life of misery.

Once the clock obeyed orders of the godlike entity, and another reality embraced the planet, a certain motivation stayed strong and steady, it was Ross' decision.

Old Ross found himself running dry of tears, hurtfulness strangled his good thoughts, taking him quickly back to Viribus alongside his fellow rebels, the old men and women who paid the price of unfulfilled expectations, it was almost midnight and Ross was sitting on his wheelchair with a variety of Viribus leaders surrounding him on a grand meeting table. That meeting lacked a crucial member that Ross skipped inviting for a reason, it was George.

"We haven't had such meetings for a very long while, what brings us here at such a late hour?" Lady Jackie said, she was the very oldest members of the rebellion and a very respected one. However, she didn't age well. Although she was only approaching her fifties, her face was badly wrinkled and her gray hair grew thin, scars of time were cruelly displayed on each of their faces. Time hasn't been kind to any of these men and women, neither was life.

Jackie's words quickly brought irritation to Ross' face, it was no secret that the two had a long relationship back in the days before Ross knew Marilyn, Ross moved on but Jackie never did, and she's still bitter about it as ever.

Ross felt the urge to go straight ahead into the subject after Jackie addressed the concerns of the council, but he felt unable to do so, he felt scared, especially of Jackie and Eddie, these two had the most firm and strict personality in the entirety of council, even Forger himself addressed that in the past, he knew if he couldn't get his former lover and the former street thug on his side, this meeting will reach nothing.

"It might a bit rude, but would you all mind I have a simple conversation with lady Jackie and Eddie?" Ross said, ushering the rest of the council to leave. It was indeed rude, but Ross had the upper hand and they could never disobey his small orders, and so, the rest of the council which was only two other men and three ladies left leaving behind the two suspiciously looking at each other. Once the door was closed, Jackie didn't hesitate to burst at Ross who she felt was acting irresponsible towards their cause.

"I can't believe how reckless and stupid you could be! Staying in Ilusia is dangerous, you're putting us all-" Eddie said, and soon, he was interrupted by Jackie who didn't sound less concerned.

"I'm not here to listen to all of that, something is on his mind" Jackie said, eyeing Ross in suspicion.

"True. I need you both to calm down, listen and be smart and decisive" Ross said, he was beginning to put a rationalised plan in his head that would make both Eddie and Jackie convinced of his plan.

"Go ahead. We're listening." Jackie said, resting on her chair as she gave Ross all her attention.

"George betrayed us" Ross said as both Eddie and Jackie looked at each others, exchanging gazes of confusion and disturbance.

"He's killing off chasers and reporting our actions to the black hats agents" He continued, a perfect lie that no one will struggle to believe, he left no chance for them to answer, or display their shock.

"The black hats will storm Viribus this week or month, but this time, they won't leave anything behind, they won't leave anyone behind."

Ross' words flew into the minds of his companions like knives, paralyzing their thoughts and filling their minds with fear and confusion, on the other hand, Ross felt the relief of how his lie sunk in smoothly, and both Eddie and Jackie felt the stinging thought of vulnerability they found themselves in, not even doubting Ross' words for a second.

"So, he sold us to the black hats?" Sighed Eddie, hitting the leg of the table in anger while Jackie gave no obvious reaction, just only resting on her chair while starring at the blankness of the room.

"I assume you already have a plan" Jackie said.

"I do. And you're not going to like it, but its all we have" Ross replied.

"Spit it out, looks like we have little time." Eddie said.

"We leave the empire in few days, its over, we can longer stay here. We can't rally up the rest or this will be our burial site, the airships are ready and so are we."

Moments of anger, followed by shock and then absolute silence took over the two, they were digesting the painful reality they were facing, and the betrayal they've been through and what they're about to do.

"What happened five years ago cannot happen again" Eddie said.

These words struck Ross like lightening enraging his suppressed tears to fill his swollen eyes, his expression became apparent but it was understandable for each of the attendants.

"Fine, off to the sky we go" Jackie agreed, and the journey to the unexplored lands begun.

Ilusia.

The two girls had already arrived at the heart of the big city. Lydia was eager to visit liberation square and see the big Milasic industries titan, on the other hand, Merit was unwelcoming of the idea, she felt unamused by it while Lydia stood cheering like a child, in fact, she is a child.

"Why do you look so grumpy, enjoy that goddamn! Look at that huge ass iron legs!!" Lydia shouted as she kept jumping insanely while Merit still had no excitement towards the repetitive show hardly no adults see anymore, things grow tasteless over the cruel years.

Merit couldn't shake off the thought of time playing her, she wondered what's it going to be this time. She looked at Lydia quite a lot of time but noticed no change, a part of her concluded that this time, it might not actually be a "minor" change like Jen claimed, and it terrified her.

The show was over. Lydia was exhausted and unable to go on, it was almost midnight. The two girls realized they have nowhere to sleep. Merit's bed was the entirety of the city, and although its been five years, she still doesn't mind sleeping in an alley.

"That's the station to Steamhall" Merit said as the two stood breathlessly in front of the entrance while the quietness of the world overtook the noise in Merit's head, the two entered the station, making sure not to trip over the sleeping or-dead- workers cramped all over each other, the station was in fact closed.

"Oh, fuck it.." Merit muttered upon realizing that even going to Steamhall at this hour is impossible, taking a look at the sleeping workers and the pungent stench of rotten food, Merit felt trapped within a city she wholeheartedly hated, even the train she loved riding felt like a painful memory she panicked to relive again.

The two had no other choice but to pick an empty spot among the cramped station, holding tightly their belongings while slowly resting on the dirt stained walls, letting go of the burden they, or at least Merit, had.

On the entrance to the station, a quiet steps were hardly heard, slowly walking inside the station with a companion. The sleepy workers twitched no eyes, some even drowned in their blankets once they sensed the evil approaching them, Merit was long gone into her dreamland as well as Lydia.

The steps got louder and closer, and now, they were finally standing in front of what brought them here, starring at the sleeping girls they kneeled down to them with what looked like a camera, without any trouble, the first man swapped the two cameras together leaving Merit with a different camera that has none of the pictures she has taken before, then, they got out, no one noticed, no one saw them depriving the clueless young girl of the only proof of the mystery she has seen, now, its up to her to go on without the camera, and have no evidence for the cause she's fighting for.
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I know this chapter is quite different and short but I've been struggling with writing lately, but won't abandon Distorted.
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