I tap my feet restlessly together as I wait for it to be 10 minutes to midnight.

5 more minutes to go!

I have dressed up in dark, black clothes and am wearing a mask.
Hopefully, I don't run into someone on my way to the weapon's room.
I check my watch

3 minutes to go.

This is going to be the first time I ever sneak out, and although I am a nervous wreck, I am actually pretty excited.
I feel like a detective, a spy, fighting for justice.

1 more minute...

I stand up and pace around my room, my eyes glued to the clock.

As soon as the seconds hand touches 12, I quickly but slowly, open the door and peek outside.

It's dead silent and pitch dark out here.
Well, looks like they'd planned this nicely.

I start walking to the weapon's room, and reach there without any problem.
No soldiers.
Pitch dark so no one can notice anything.
What the hell did they do?

I knock on the door once, to let them know I am here, and the door opens, someone pulling me inside.

Gasping, I look to who it is.

Samantha?
She's a part of this?

She winks and I study my surroundings.

There's a torchlight in here, the only source of light, yet, illuminating the whole room.

There is weapons stacked up everywhere.
On the floor, shelves, and the room is huge alright.

"Ah, you made it here without any trouble. Nice room I chose, ain't it?"

I quickly turn around, to face the speaker, and he walks out from the shadows.

An evil, forced smile makes its way on my face.

I am facing the one and only.
The betrayer.
Prince Drake's brother.
Prince Andrew.

How clichè.

...

A few days ago

"How'd you get this ring?"

"What do you mean it belongs to Prince Drake?"

"No, you answer my question first."

"Prince Andrew, don't you think I need a good explanation first?"

I feel my hands sweating and I hold the ring.
Could this ring belong to Prick?
It looks rich enough.

I really hope not though.

Prince Andrew groans in frustration and says, "Drake has been looking for this ring for 4 weeks now. At first, he wasn't that worried since he could have misplaced it, but after you left, he was sure the ring is missing... Perhaps stolen.

"He has been looking for it all over the place. Now tell me, where did you find it?"

My breath becomes shallow. No... this- this can't be Prince Drake's.

I gulp, and force my tears to not come out.

"Did you say its been missing for 4 weeks now?"

Prince Andrew nods and I close my eyes.

4 weeks ago was when Mari died.

"My best friend, Mari, she died 4 weeks ago. Yesterday, I went back to her room. I just couldn't believe she would ever commit suicide. And then... Then, I found this in her room...

"I thought this would belong to Mari's murderer..."

Prince Andrew watches me as I try to process everything.

No, Drake would never kill her. He had no reason to.
But then... why is this ring here?

"Hey, do you know what happened to Mari?"

Prince Andrew looks down and I see the answer in his face.

I grab his shirt and ask him, "What happened?"

When he doesn't reply, I tug his shirt.

"It's confidential."

"Just tell me. Please!"

He sighs and doesn't look at me while talking.

"Mari had gone looking for you when you disappeared. The girl was really spiritual, and she somehow found out where you are. Prince Drake was drunk the day we told him.
I guess... he must've killed her then, and dropped the ring..."

I clutch the ring harder in my hand.

"I know this must be hard on you, Analia. I'm sorry about your friend..."

"How could he do that?" I whisper.

The pang of sadness is slowly turning into anger.

How could he do that?!?!

"Do you want revenge, Analia?"

I look up, the word revenge ringing in my ear.

I'd started to think Prince Drake was nice.

I'd started to like him.

Hell, I think I started to fall for him...

But no, in the end, he is who he is, the King of everything bad. A person who cares nothing about anything. Not me. Not his brother.
Not even his own brother...

And he should pay for what he did. For destroying mine, Mari's, and so many people's lives.

"Remember the cynists? I am the leader of them."

Shock fills me. Prince Andrew is the leader?
What the hell?

"We want to stop Prince Drake. We feel Princess Liferia is acting suspicious that is why we attacked her palace."

He takes my hand in which I hold the ring, and says, "Help us Analia. Help us stop him. Take your revenge and help many people."

I think about it.
Revenge? The one thing I hate. Revenge?

Running Prince Andrew's word over and over in my head, I finally make a decision.

Prince Drake deserves it.

People deserve to be better treated.

Taking a deep breath, in shaky voice, I say, "I want revenge and will help you. What do I have to do?"