Keefe stayed in his room all day, contemplating what he should do next. Sure, his mother wasn't an angel, but he had never expected her to be a villain. 

In the end, Keefe decided on ignoring it for as long as possible and trying to see whether or not he could bear living with a family like this. He just couldn't dwell on it- every time he thought about it it made his eyes water.

So Keefe decided to just continue on with life. He went downstairs and asked a gnome named Zinnia to give him some food. Zinnia noticed that Keefe was looking ... well, miserable, and asked,

"Are you unwell, young master?" Zinnia was forced to be exceedingly formal by Lord Cassius, but Keefe knew that none of the gnomes really wanted to talk so formally. Another thing that made him extremely angry at his family.

"Don't call me 'young master', it's okay. You can just call me Keefe," Keefe sighed.

"But Lord Cassius will be unhappy," Zinnia said sadly.

Keefe slammed his fist on the table, unable to keep his feelings to himself. The way his family was treating everyone- it was so unacceptable!

He was going to confront Lady Gisela.

Keefe rushed upstairs, Zinnia following him frantically, and was about to walk into his mother's room, when he heard her speaking to someone on her imparter.

"-just got information on the Kamson family. Alexander Kamson-Vacker was killed as planned, thirteen years ago. But we just found out that Aubri Kamson was killed as well," Lady Gisela spoke.

"Yes .. but why is that important?" A voice from the other end of the imparter said.

"Because- we missed one crucial detail!" Gisela said. "They barely separate themselves! It's like they're one!"

"So?"

"We have to find a way to separate all of them. Then we can get on with the Operation." Lady Gisela said grimly. Then the beeping sound of the imparter hanging up filled the room.

Keefe couldn't believe it. His mother had killed someone.

Keefe couldn't move. He couldn't speak. He couldn't do anything but think.

He suddenly heard footsteps. Some of the rational side of his brain told him to get out of the way, but he was frozen. 

Lady Gisela pushed open the door. 

And saw Keefe.

Keefe's heart practically stopped when he saw Lady Gisela's face smiling in the dim light, after a look of shock crossed her face.

"Well, I see you've found out about my ... part-time job," Gisela said. "You will join me someday."

She seemed so sure- so absolutely certain- that Keefe would join her. As if he didn't even have to do any thinking, and he would just blindly follow his mother. The way she phrased it made him so angry. His blood was practically boiling with fury.

"No, I won't!" Keefe roared. His body filled with rage, he looked at her with a newfound fire in his eyes.

"You'll see," Gisela said casually, smirking.

"No. No, I'll never join you," Keefe reassured himself, tears flowing down his face. "I'll never join you."

But he still couldn't move. And Keefe was saved by Zinnia, who he had forgotten was there.

"Keefe, you must go!" Zinnia grabbed Keefe's hand and rushed him up to the Leapmaster.

"Where?" Keefe asked, unable to disagree.

He had to get away from this place.

"I don't know!" Zinnia said as she chose a random place for him to go. It was too frantic for her to even notice where he was going. Then she pushed Keefe into the beam of light.

"Wait, Zinnia, what about you!?" Keefe yelled.

"Don't worry about me, young master. I will find you," Zinnia said solemnly. 

And Keefe was swept away by the beam of light, to a place that was hopefully better than the one he left.

ok, i'm done with this chappie! finally! hope ya'll enjoyed this chapter, and make sure to vote and comment!

- tokyo