My thoughts are a jumbled mess as I stare at the words before me in incredulity. Why would Lucian agree to something like this? What does it all mean? Was I just an experiment to him? 

My chest throbs, it feels like a knife has punctured through my ribs, twisting slowly into my heart. 

Why does he want to bring in more humans? I blink a few times, hoping that his name would morph into Lazarus or Luna or anyone else that I don't care about but it doesn't change. 

Honestly, it would make much more sense for Lazarus to root for such an iniquitous arrangement but not Lucian. The only reason why Lucian would support something like this is because he truly believes it is right .

I know him and his inherent sense of self righteousness. 

He must believe he is doing the right thing by agreeing to bringing more humans here. It is just like when he told me he had prepared the new quarters for the two thousand humans they brought from Earth recently. 

How many others are they planning to bring in and more importantly why? Lucian's statement about ensuring the Plutonian's survival and ours echoes in my head but it makes no sense to me. I need to tell Rosie about this. She might be able to make some sense of it.

But the problem is I'm not required in Onyx anytime this week. In fact I don't know when they will call me in next.

The sound of something rattling outside brings me to my senses and I exit the folders and turn off Lucian's computer in a maddening rush. I whip around just in time to see Cyscus open the door and call out for me. 

"Mistress Aria, are you decent? I've brought you your breakfast."

I scuttle to the washroom silently while he knocks on the door.

"Mistress Aria?" His voice is laced with concern and he peeps inside, looking around for me. He catches me on my way to the bathroom and I freeze in place, staring at him. 

"Cyscus. Good morning. I was just going to wash up," I straighten up and adjust my disheveled night suit. 

He looks at me and then his eyes go to Lucian's library and his table. I hold my hands behind me and slowly slip off the finger pad 'S' gave me. I hold in the palm of my hands, silently praying that Cyscus will not notice. 

He walks inside and places the tray on the table. He adjusts the lights to make it brighter and I use the opportunity to rush into the bathroom, hide the device and brush my teeth. He is still there when I come out and he pulls out a chair for me to sit. 

I stare at him warily as I watch him pour a hot drink into a cup. He then stirs it rapidly with a spoon and a loud tinkling sound echoes throughout the room while he moves in haste. 

"Master Lucian told me you have a headache. He instructed me to prepare this concoction for you so that you will feel better. It is a powerful blend of herbs used to ease muscle aches and is perfect for migraines." Once he is done, he pushes the chair outwards, waiting for me to sit. 

I walk towards him slowly and take a seat. The concoction Cyscus prepared consists of a clear dark brown liquid. It looks like tea. I pick up the cup and take a small sip. 

Not only is the pungent liquid hot, it's bitter taste is absolutely horrible. My eyes crease in distaste and I almost spit it out. 

"It's not exactly delicious but it works wonders," He smiles at me and then he pushes a plate of food in front of me. 

"Don't worry Cyscus, I'm feeling much better after getting more sleep," I say gratefully and then I dig into the delicious sandwich he prepared. 

He is staring at me happily, looking proud at the way I am devouring the food and I almost choke under his attention. I'm not used to someone studying me while I stuff my face. Lucian never does that. 

"Sorry, it's just nice to see someone appreciate my recipe so much. Master Lucian usually rushes through his meals because he's always so busy and never had much of an appetite. He is much better now, ever since you came here," Cycus admits quietly. "We find him less scary when you're around."

The lump of bread in my throat stays in place and I have to willfully swallow it down. 

The familiar ache I felt before returns and soon my heart is pounding. I don't know if I have really changed him, not after reading his most recent report. 

I need to read the reports from the other members of the Trinity and the Generals. I need to know why Lucian is doing this. 

Cyscus keeps me company while I eat and chats about his friends who are the other housekeepers and cleaners in Lucian's mansion. He tells me about a maid and another butler who are having an affair with each other. They apparently get it on in the washing rooms when they think no one is watching but the entire household knows about their trysts.

His tales are quite entertaining but all this talk about housekeepers remind me of the Plutonian attendant who was killed by Lucian in his sleep. I wonder if Cyscus knew that Plutonian but I am too afraid to ask. 

Once I am done he clears up and leaves. I get ready for work and am about to leave but I stop in front of Lucian's table, my fingers thrumming on the smooth surface.

Should I take a peak at Lazarus's report? Or General Lyra's?

I take out the finger pad and slip it on. I am about to place my finger into the slot when my communicator rings suddenly. The loud chiming makes me jump back and pull the device out of my pocket. 

"Hello?"

"Aria! How's your head?" Remulus asks me. He is panting slightly, making it sound like he is walking extremely fast. 

"It's much better. I'm coming in now. Are you at the training grounds or in the Grey region?" I pocket the fingerprint device and sling my bag over my shoulder. Guess my snooping will have to wait. 

"No need to head to the CC. We won't be there. We're in the human quarters now. I called to tell you to go to the training room for the rest of the day since you aren't allowed in the quarters," He says.

"Human quarters? Why are you going there?" I ask him while I rush out of Lucian's house and into his glider. Phillius takes off and I press the communicator to my ear while Remulus explains the situation. 

"Something weird that's for sure. Some kind of graffiti. It happened in the new quarters that we set up and the lazies are now making us handle the clean up. Can you imagine? I have to clean walls now. I swear if I knew it was going to come to this I would have just become a stripper."

"Graffiti? The humans did that?" Where on Pluto did the humans get the energy or the resources to paint something on the walls? We never thought of such things but then again there were no rebellions during my time.

"Don't know. I'll tell you more later. Let's go for drinks after work," He suggests and I quickly agree. I know just the place. 

I train the whole day and mostly keep to myself which is easy to do since the Plutonian officers aren't the friendliest bunch. It is almost night when Remulus calls me to tell me he is on the way. I wait for him outside the army base and he meets me soon after. 

We head to Onyx as I suggested because I want to meet Rosie to ask her about my next shift. Remulus takes me there in his glider and I can't help but wonder what Lucian will think if he caught us going to the bar together. 

I didn't tell him about my evening plans and he hasn't called since this morning. Based on what Remulus just told me, I'm guessing Lucian must be extremely busy dealing with this new problem. 

The officers guarding the new human quarters found a large painting outside one of the dorms. The graffiti spanned the entire wall, it was enormous.

"I just don't get how they were able to do that," Remulus says and then his phone rings. He answers it and mumbles our whereabouts to the other person on the line. "Altair is joining us later." 

My shoulders slump slightly in relief. I have been thinking about Lucian this whole time and the fact that Altair is joining us makes me feel better about our outing tonight. 

"How did Lucian handle it?" I ask him. 

"Definitely not good. You see PG Lazarus was quick to blame the humans and they are being interrogated as we speak," He says making me shudder. I can't imagine what those kids must be going through right now. "But PG Lucian thinks the humans were not capable of this."

"Why does he think that? What was the drawing about?" 

"Honestly Aria if I knew what the drawing was about I would be leading the interrogation but I kind of agree with PG Lucian. It seems too complicated for a bunch of children to accomplish. Plus what could they gain from it? More punishment?"

"So you think it was a Plutonian?" I ask him and he stiffens ever so slightly. 

"Maybe. Or a half breed," He shoots me a devilish grin. "I need some hard liquor after watching them force those kids scrub that wall. The paint wouldn't give, General Grievous ordered for the wall to be blown up immediately."

Why the urgency? I wonder if it was something they didn't want anyone seeing. Something that was leaked out.

We reach Onyx and Remulus parks nearby. We walk into the restaurant and straight into the club. Remulus heads to the bar island and I follow him. My fingers tingle with nervousness when I catch Rosie staring at us. 

"Can I get you anything?" She asks Remulus and then me. He orders a drink and I choose to try something called DarkMatter. The drink is a befitting black and the taste is definitely better than the tea Cyscus prepared for me this morning. 

I introduce Remulus to Rosie and he smiles knowingly. 

"Of course I know her. Ruthless Rosie," He raises his glass to her and then drinks it all in one gulp. Rosie smiles at him politely and then proceeds to take orders from the other customers. 

"What did the painting look like?" I lean in and ask Remulus. 

"I'm not allowed to say. Although I don't understand why. It was seriously nothing special," He replies. He then leans in and speaks so softly, I almost miss his words as they drown in the music around us. "It looked like a chart with three circles overlapped over each other and a small circle in the middle. The words slaves, paramours and fighters were written in each one."

"What?" My eyes go wide and the drink shakes in my hand. "It was about us humans?" 

"Yes. I don't know. I feel like the timing is just too convenient. Right after the rebellions in the quarters, it's like someone wants things to blow up." 

I nod my head, feeling shaky and disturbed. I can't help but wonder if 'S' was behind the whole thing or someone else. I agree with Remulus and Lucian wholly, there is no way the humans were behind this. 

The fact that they are punishing those kids to get answers over something they obviously didn't do enrages me and I feel like blowing up General Grievous and Lazarus. 

Altair arrives after awhile and they discuss the details about the whole thing again. Apparently the timing for this stunt was extremely inconvenient because the Plutonians are facing another issue on one of their colonized planets called Taygeta, who are rumored to be supplying weapons to a rebel force. 

Lucian has been up to his neck with these problems the whole day, it's no wonder he hasn't called me despite the late hour.

Thinking about his report, I quickly excuse myself and walk to the bathroom when I see Rosie heading there. 

"When do I come in next?" I ask her eagerly and she stares at her surroundings looking paranoid. 

"Probably next week. Or when the manager says so," She says and then she hurries back to the bar. 

I bite my lip as I stare after her. It sucks that I can't confide in her now but it is probably wise to tell her in the freezer where it is more secure.

We have a few more drinks and then I decide to head back when I realize that it is quite late. Remulus is busy flirting with some Plutonian woman who gives him her number before we leave. He drops me back and the cheeky smile on his face tells me that he is going to her place after. 

I head upstairs, feeling exhausted and weighed down from all the information today. First I find out that the humans are all experiments, then there is some weird graffiti in the quarters and some rebel army somewhere in outer space getting help from one of Pluto's colonized planets. 

Something is brewing in the air and I am almost afraid to think of what will happen tomorrow. 

I walk into Lucian's room and am not surprised to find it empty. I head into the shower and stand under the hot water, hoping to calm myself with its warmth. 

Being here like this makes me think of Lucian. The pleasure of being in his arms fills me with pain, I wish I understood his motives or his words. Even though I don't know what is going on, I feel so betrayed. 

I gave him a part of me that I didn't even know I had. My eyes sting and my tears mix with the water from above. I lean my head against the wall and sigh deeply. 

Why did I fall in love with a Plutonian?

I hear the door open and stiffen slightly. I've become so used to us showering together that I forgot to lock the door.

I rub my eyes and pretend to scrub my hair when I hear Lucian walk into the shower. He stands behind me and then I feel his body against mine. 

"How are you feeling?" He kisses my shoulder and his arms circle my waist. I close my eyes, wanting to melt into him, wanting to forget.

"I'm much better," I reply softly. I turn around to face him. His face is exhausted and his eyes are filled with worry. I wish I could see through them and read his mind. 

"How are you?" My body reacts before my brain does and I cup his face in my hands. My first instinct is to comfort him despite the betrayal I feel inside. 

"I--- I wish I could do better," His voice breaks and he looks away, unable to meet my gaze. "It feels like everything is spiraling out of control and we are running out of time."

I frown at his shaking form, having never seen him like this before. He leans in and hugs me tightly, as if afraid I will evaporate into the air around us. 

"What do you mean we are running out of time," I mumble, feeling numb. 

"I can't say yet but you'll find out soon, Aria."

More and more hints and also more problems. Don't worry guys everything will make sense soon and I swear some of ull are soooo close. I freaking smile to myself like a crazy person when I see how close you are.