❛ empire now ❜
★ ₊˚.  ❪ the commander, one ❫
˗ˏ⋆ ˎ˗⠀┊  3x16⠀┊ ⠀❝ xxxv ❞
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"ANAKIN KOM TRIKRU..."

Was simply, now, the commander. And although he would have to recite the lineage and all of the past commanders in front of whatever grounders who believe still in the flame and the commanders. The flame had merged with his mind, he was the flame and the flame was now him. The commanders merged with his mind, just as he merged with theirs.

He had been waiting for this day to arrive. It was his birthright, he just assumed that he would have had to fight to the death in a conclave in order to earth his right as a commander. In a way, he had, when he had protected Daisy from the murderer Ontari — was he truly protecting her or was he just doing it so it would favour him in the end.

Would they not follow him unless he fought in a conclave? Would they still follow him if they knew that he had so willingly taken the key; instead of fighting back and ending Jahas life? Would the grounders still support him, knowing how much he cared for Daisy and Marie? Would the grounders still support him if they knew all the times he had let the world crush him down and when his heart showed softness?

Or would they realize that he earned the place he was in now. He had murdered so many others from such a young age. He lead numerous war parties, and was sent into villages and killed until there was no one left but himself. He held so many marks on his body, from the battles he had fought in.

Would they see him for who the brother to Lexa Kom Trikru, or would they see him as his own being; as Anakin Kom Trikru, the commander.

Anakin knew where he was when his body felt light and heavy at the same time, something he wasn't sure how he could begin to explain if anyone asked. His mind was quiet, yet the voices of the previous commanders yelled and screamed at him.

"Hello?" Anakin spoke, yet his mouth never opened. The flame was a wonderful place, where anything Anakin wanted, was essentially a reality. He could sit in a room where trees grew pink, because in the flame he could create what he wanted. "Lexa?"

"Anakin." One of the previous commanders stepped into Anakin's vision, his steps precise as he neared the newly appointed commander. "It is  nice to meet you, your sister speaks highly of you."

Anakin made a face, images of the persons previous life flashing all around him, the feeling of their life blooming within him. "Maffei Kom Boudalankru. Glad to meet you too." His voice was strained slightly, a feeling of liquid stuck in his throat.

"You are feeling my death." Maffei spoke as he sat in the chair across from Anakin's newly appeared throne. "My throat was sliced, and I choked on my own blood. It'll pass shortly."

Maffei was right, the feeling of death washing over Anakin passes just as quickly as it had started. Anakin gasped in as much air as he could before his chest released and he moved to the throne. "How long have I been here?" He means the flame, the world he's created, everything around him.

"You've only been here for a minute. Time moves much faster here than it does in the real world." Maffei told him before he stood and handed Anakin a watch, broken and shattered to pieces, but still a watch. "You need to take the chip, Anakin. Then you'll be able to take on ALIE."

Anakin took the watch in his hand and held it. "Do you know what will happen?" He asked, wondering if his reign would last, or if it would die with ALIE. Anakin wasn't going to act unkind, no, this was a previous commander.

"The flame has predicted it, yes."

Grumbling at the answer, Anakin gave a curt nod and forced his eyes closed and his mind to be quiet.

"ANAKIN ..."

Woke with a gasp as his mind raced once more. He watched the world around him spin as he tried to take a shaky step, his body drained from everything he had endured recently. The flame took a toll on his body, one he wasn't used to yet. He knew it would happen, he had watched it happen to his sister.

"I need to take the chip again." Anakin spoke as he pressed his hand to his forehead, hoping it would stop the massive ache he had. Someone placed a chip in his open hand, which he brought close to his mouth before Clarke grabbed his wrist.

"We all die if you fail." Clarke spoke harshly, putting all the weight on his shoulders, not that it wasn't there before. "ALIE can't win."

Anakin pulled his wrist from her grasp. "There is a bounty on your head for taking the flame and leaving — robbing me of my birthright — Clarke Griffin, if you are still here when I wake, I will execute you myself." Clarke stepped away, red faces and eyes narrowed. Her attempt at showing she wasn't scared was worthless, Anakin could see right past her mask. "I promise you that, Clarke. If you return to my lands, you will be executed for betraying your banishment."

Anakin shallowed the key/chip and closed his eyes, allowing his body to enter the city of light once more.

"ANAKIN..."

Opened his eyes to a bright light, one that had him putting his arm over his eyes as he looked around. He knew where he was, in the middle of the city of light, where the water met the stone in a beautiful design.

"Anakin." A voice whispered and Anakin whirled around, his hand grasping for where his sword once was, but now replaced with empty air. "Anakin."

He could see people walking near him, but never once did they turn and look at him. He was invisible to their eyes, nothing but air.

His eyes caught onto a girl who had her hair braided in an infinity sign, a clear indication that Anakin was to follow her. Which is what he did, automatically, like he had no control over what he was doing.

"Hey man." Jasper Jordan smiled brightly as he held a cone of ice cream in one hand, walking closer to Anakin but ultimately stepping around him, heading towards someone else. "How are you?"

The girl disappeared with the crowd of people grossing the street, which had Anakin spinning in circles. He couldn't see anything but perfect happy people and shiny buildings.

No sign, no hope.

Or that was until he saw a cross walk sign that flashed with the infinity symbol, disappearing just as quickly as it had shown up. He took that as a sign of where he needed to head towards, but he was hesitant.

How was the flame protecting him? Was it because ALIEs creator was also the creator of the flame? Anakin didn't know, but in his gut he felt like he was going the wrong way, despite the signs pointing him in the correct direction.

He followed the signs he was given, walking in the direction he had been pointed in. He found himself at a staircase, one he had once sat on and ate ice cream. That was something ALIE offered as a treat, ice cream, because it wasn't something they had ever had.

Anakin felt his right knee ache before he collapsed to the ground, his hands going to his knee. It felt like it was on fire, that he was being drilled into once again.

People around him gathered, trying to kick and hit at the commander, who was trying to stand, despite being knocked over and the excruciating pain he was in.

Black blood dripped onto the sparkling surface below him, staining its colour black. As he tried to stand once more, a body pushed him behind them, and his eyes widened as he tried to regain his balance. "Lexa?" He watched as she swung her sword, and he clutched the one she had dropped, swinging it to anymore who came near him.

When there was nothing but bloodied bodies, from the hands of Lexa and Anakin, the male nightblood fell to the ground shaking.