I woke up on the chair in Zolona's bedroom. My gaze scanned the room, finding Echo was also waking up. The keys were still on the table and I used them unlocked the door. To our surprise, Zolona was still asleep and in The Game.

"Where would Ember be?" I asked.

"In her cell probably," Echo assumed.

"Let's hurry," I said.

We ran down the spiral staircase. I barged into the into the dungeon, the door slamming against the back wall.

Arvin was the only prisoner there.

"Where's Ember and Dusk?" Echo's lip quivered.

Arvin's eyes widened. "You didn't ask for her and Dusk to write a new song with you?"

"No, we were trying to find Raven's memories when..." Echo said.

I clenched my teeth together. "Isla was stalling."

We ran back upstairs and checked corridors.

Echo and I bumped into Cora and Jordan.

"Where's my sister?" Echo asked.

Cora's eyes widened. "You mean you didn't..."

"Please tell us if you've seen her," I begged.

Jordan pointed towards the eastern side of the castle. "She and Dusk were escorted to the upper east wing of the castle."

"What's in the upper east wing?" Echo asked.

"Just a bunch of empty rooms, why?" Cora asked.

I took Echo's hand and we ran that direction.

We went up a flight of stairs. The sounds of struggle and gunshots came from the second to last door

We opened the door to find Dusk unconscious.

Ember was covered in a pool of blood at her stomach, neck and chest, but she was alive, red coating her hair, clothes, and skin. Slashes covered her body in cuts. I could recognize the weapons. It had obviously been a mix between gunshot wounds and knife cuts. She looked up at Echo weakly.

He rushed to his sister. "Ember!"

"You shouldn't have come!" Ember croaked weakly.

Echo smiled. "I had to come. You're my sister."

"Behind you," she struggled to lift her arm and point her finger to the shadowy corner behind us.

Someone threw a knife at me. I dodged, struggling to gasp for air. I turned to the corner to find a person there, their face hidden in darkness. I squinted my eyes when another knife was thrown at me, barely missing my face. Someone else was breathing, their breaths shallow.

"Come out!" Echo said.

"You survived?" the person asked.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

The voice chuckled in the corner. "It just means more for me."

"Why do this?" Echo's lip quivered.

"You already know the answer," the person said.

I attempted to throw a light blast and they avoided, running into another corner. "How?"

The person laughed. "We've faced before."

"I don't remember her facing anyone except my mother," Echo said.

"She wouldn't," the person emerged with a knife, "Isn't that why you haven't found all the information yet?"

I gasped at who I saw. I knew I made him angry and I had changed, but this was even crazy and psychotic for him to do.

4758 had never behaved like this.

His clothes were covered in blood, and his face didn't lack stains. The splatters foretold he didn't mind getting his hands dirty, and the twisted smile on his face showed he loved doing it. Holy. Crap. His eyes didn't portray emotion at all, the deep brown like an endless abyss. The knife in his hands had been recently sharpened, still pointed at its tip, fresh blood dripping off it.

It reminded me of old slasher movies Zolona showed me with a mad serial killer-- someone too far off the deep end to possibly reason with. He was someone who craved blood to be spilled. How in the heck was I supposed to beat someone I thought was my ally, when really they were a wolf-in-sheep's clothing?

"You," I growled.

"Who else were you expecting?" his smile widened.

My eyes narrowed. "I never thought you'd stoop so low! I thought you were my friend! Why?"

"I was never your friend. In fact, I was never your ally. I'm a great actor, aren't I?" 4758 asked.

My expression became blank like he just said a complex math equation. "What do you mean?"

"He didn't show up in your memories until you were fifteen," Echo said.

I stomped my foot, rage coursing through my body. "You said we grew up together! Why lie?!"

"I just need to finish my job." 4758 threw a knife at Echo.

He missed.

Echo's eyes widened. "You're trying to kill us."

"That's the obvious plan," 4758 confessed.

I punched him in the face.

"Still scared to hit me?" I raised my fists, ready to kick his ass. Boy, did it deserve to be kicked.

"She said you were getting soft," he attempted to swing a punch at me.

I ducked. He took out another knife and attempted to stab me.

"You're putting up a pretty decent fight, just like those adventure films. Too bad there's no happily ever after," 4758 smiled.

Dusk clobbered the back of 4758's head. "You know, I'm a pretty good actor too."

4758 was knocked unconscious.

"Dusk, are you alright?" Echo asked with concern.

Dusk rubbed his forehead, placing some blood on it, and nodded "Wasn't expecting that."

"I wouldn't have either," I found some nearby rope and restrained 4758.

Echo, Dusk, and I rushed to Ember.

"Did you stop him?" she asked.

Echo nodded. "Raven can help you."

I attempted to heal her wounds, thinking about the moments at the piano I enjoyed, but nothing happened.

'Crap, now isn't the time for me to screw up!'

"Why isn't it working?" Dusk said.

I sighed. "It's not a problem with me."

"Don't take the blame off you!" Dusk said.

"Please don't argue... over me," Ember said.

Dusk and I stopped talking.

"I'll take you to the hospital ward. You'll be fine," Echo tried to smile.

Ember's lip quivered. "Echo, you're going to have to let me go..."

"No! Everyone needs you-- I need you!" Echo placed his hand on his sister's shoulder, blood coated his hand like an unforgiving paint he couldn't wash off.

"You're the one who has the spark. They need you." Ember coughed.

Shit, this was awful. Worse than awful. I was letting someone else die. Moving her would only worsen her injuries-- the walk would be down flights of steps and across the castle-- but leave her and she'd die alone.

Dusk lowered his head. "We won't have much to live for."

"Shut up! Brooding isn't cute!" Ember paused, "Echo, you better promise me something."

"What is it?" Echo asked.

"Don't let her win. Promise to protect them, okay?" Ember asked.

"Protect who?" Echo asked.

"Those people in the shadows. We're all in the shadows, aren't we?" Ember said.

"Not alone, not without you, not..." Echo said.

The tears controlled my emotions.

"Promise me, Echo," Ember said.

"I promise," Echo swore quietly.

Ember breathing was shallow. "You know... I still remember that night back in Rivermouth with Melinda. It was like nothing was there but peace."

"Why does that matter?" Dusk asked.

Ember smiled to her boyfriend. "That's how nice everything seems to be right now."

Dusk's eyes widened. "Don't leave."

Echo's face was red and streaked by tears. "If I can't trust myself to do this..."

"Shh... just watch your back." Ember's voice quivered in the silence around her, "Do you dare to dream? It can make a difference, Just wait and see! If we all stick together, now and forever, we all might dare to dream. We will love because we want to! We will dare to dream our way out! We will let our talents show! Why should we back down?" Ember sang and released a shallow breath.

There was no response. She didn't continue to sing. Her eyes glossed over, no longer a window to her soul. The sound of breathing had diminished, her vocal chords no longer going to sing songs. Her lips, drenched in blood from the coughing, would never kiss again-- never speak. Just like a campfire to keep others warm while they sleep, she blew out before dawn.

"Ember? Ember, no! Please come back! Just come back!" Echo shrieked.

'Holy crap... she's dead...'

"Out of the way!" Dusk performed CPR on her.

Zolona came into the room and gasped. "What happened?"

"Ember's..." I could barely bring my voice to say the word, "Dead. Dusk doing CPR. Get the defibrillator."

Zolona ran out of the room yelling. "Protocol 385!"

"Come on, Ember!" Dusk said. He pressed his lips against hers and filled her chest with air. Air seeped its way out of the stab and bullet wounds. His hands were being covered by a sticky, scarlet blood.

The stench of copper and salt clouded the room.

"She always comes through," Echo put support on Ember's shoulder.

He looked at her wounds and his smile faded. He cried hysterically. I would say he was crying like a baby, but this was different. This was his twin-- dying. No one needed to go through this crap.

"Come on, Ember!" Dusk said.

"I don't know if she can come back, whether we want it to happen or not," I lowered my voice.

"She has to," Dusk said.

Echo looked up, tears were still stroking down his face, and yet— I saw something that I'd never seen in him. I just couldn't place it. "We can only hope for the best."

Zolona, Cora, Jordan, Sage, and 11838518 came in with the defibrillator. Several people crowded around us, and even Arvin was brought out.

"Thirty!" Dusk started mouth to mouth, but the air escaped through her punctured lung.

Zolona pushed him away from Ember's body.

"Back up please!" 11838518 ordered. He, Jordan, and Zolona got out the defibrillator.

"Clear!" Zolona turned the machine on.

Dusk put his fingers on her neck looking for a pulse. Silence loomed in the room, waiting for Dusk's words. "No response."

I turned to Arvin.

"Oh my stars! Who did this?" Arvin asked.

"4758. Do you think they can...?" I asked.

Arvin looked at her wounds. "I don't know..."

I looked at 4758 with disgust. He looked at Sage with a bright smile on his face. I wasn't letting him off easy— him or Isla. There was no way they'd get away with this. I clenched my teeth.

Zolona raised her hand to stop defibrillating.

Dusk grabbed Zolona's arm. "Do it again!"

"I..." Zolona said.

Dusk screamed, "Do it again!"

"Aunt Zolona, we can't give up," Echo said.

"I'm sorry. She won't be coming back," Zolona said.

"This is your doing!" Dusk pointed at me and left the room sobbing.

Echo hugged his aunt. "This is all my fault."

People filed out of the room.

"No, it's not. It's his," Zolona clenched her teeth together, referring to 4758.

"My fault." Echo cried into Zolona's shoulder.

4758 was definitely going to pay for this. None of his talk, his acting skills, or his charm would help him out of this. We had witnesses, a body, his weapons, him captured, and we even had a confession. This was no accident, I was sure of that. 4758 smiled at Echo.

'There's no way he'd smile, when he failed his mission,'

I paused.

Silence regained the room other than Echo's tears, but my mind was in full gear.

There was no way he'd smile unless that was the point.

4758 didn't want Echo to die. 4758 wanted Echo to suffer. He wanted Echo to feel it was his fault. I wouldn't show 4758 what real suffering was, I'd redefine it. I only hoped I'd be able to mend all the damage.

..........................

Dusk clenched his teeth together. "Don't worry. He'll get what's coming to him."

Echo didn't say anything.

"You okay?" I asked.

Echo shook his head.

"Want to talk about it?" I asked.

Echo looked up at me slightly. His face seemed completely emotionless other than his eyes— they still had that feeling I couldn't recognize in them. At least, I couldn't register it with him. "Not now."

"Just let me know if you need anything," I sighed.

Dusk crossed his arms. "He needs revenge on 4758. It's what I need, since I can't get my girlfriend back."

"We all want her back, Dusk," I said.

Dusk's face was grim. "But she's not coming back. We have to make sure 4758 pays."

We silently opened the doors to the throne room where 4758 was being held on trial. He grinned at me.

Echo sat next to me on one side, Zolona was on the other. On the other side of Echo was Dusk, who crossed his arms. Echo slumped in his chair.

"Let's get started," Zolona said.

Cora hit a hammer on a nearby desk.

"We're going to ask him questions, which he will answer," Zolona said.

"How will we know if he's lying or not?" Jordan asked.

Dusk sat up in his chair. "I'll know."

"First question!" the eight year old boy said.

Sage rolled her eyes. "You don't need to ask the questions."

"Don't tell him that," said a fifteen year old girl.

"We appreciate your input," Echo produced a weak smile.

4758 raised an eyebrow. "You do, do you?"

"Shut the hell up!" Echo yelled, clenching his teeth.

My eyebrows shot up. Jaws dropped all over the room. Silence prevailed.

"By default, Zolona asks the first question!" Cora said.

Zolona sighed. She sank into her chair and crossed her legs. "4758, I think the question we want to know is if it was your choice."

"If given the choice of innocent or guilty, I would say guilty under the account of innocence," 4758 smiled, "Yes, I did it. I knew exactly what I was doing too, but don't we agree Ember deserved it? She was untamable. It was my duty to put her out."

"She did nothing wrong, you twisted, psychotic bastard!" Echo clenched his teeth.

"Couldn't hear you," 4758 said.

"He said Ember did nothing wrong... you murderer!" Dusk said.

"No one's completely innocent. Isn't that right, Dusk?" 4758 smiled.

Dusk stood from where he was sitting. "You leave that out of this!"

"Ember didn't know, did she?" 4758 raised an eyebrow.

"We're asking the questions," Dusk said.

Cora slammed the hammer down. "Next!"

"Were you sent alone or did you have allies?" Sage asked.

4758 sighed. "I was sent a long time ago. That doesn't really matter. Someone told me to do it, and I happily agreed to do it alone."

"Who sent you?" I asked.

"You already know," 4758 said.

Echo crossed his arms and slumped into his chair. "What about a motive? You said you happily agreed. I want to know why. Why the hell would you kill someone who hasn't done anything wrong!"

"I can't answer that," 4758 answered.

"Answer before I have your tongue ripped out of your miserable face..." Echo growled.

Such a dark expression on his face was foreign, the boy I knew far away. His eyes laced with a taste for vengeance, if not hatred and revenge. Was it the grief of losing Ember doing this to him? I'd never seen this side of him before. I can admit, although reluctantly, I was terrified.

4758 refused to give a response.

"I know you're lying. Everyone has their reasons, right Echo?" Dusk asked.

Echo nodded.

Zolona looked coldly into 4758's brown eyes. She raised an eyebrow, her voice was firm. "Answer my nephew's question."

"I thought about how she'd look dying on the floor covered in blood-- the wonderful pitches her screaming would make in my ears-- how shocked everyone would be, but most importantly how it would hurt you," 4758 pointed at Echo.

Everyone was silent. 4758 wasn't just having a bad day or a grudge. He was psychotic, more so than anyone else I'd ever encountered in my life. I felt as if I was about to puke on the floor.

"I've had enough of this ridiculous trial. I'm out of here." Echo rose from his chair.

My eyes widened and I reached for his shoulder. I couldn't stop him. I yelled, "Where are you going? I thought you were going to help us be merciful to him."

Echo opened the door, and turned one last time to face us. "I don't give a damn. I think the only punishment fitting for his crimes is death. If he wanted to put out Ember's flame, I see it only fitting for him to rot in them for eternity— in Hell."

4758 laughed. "And you said you don't kill. Some mercy you have!"

"If I wasn't, you'd wish you were dead. You've cost me my sister. There are are a lot of things worse than a death sentence. For once, I don't know if I'll be able to forgive someone. Thanks for breaking the streak," Echo slammed the door behind him.

"Next question?" Cora asked.

followed Echo. Outside the courtroom, he stormed down the hallway.

"Are you sure you don't want to talk about this? Do you need something to take your mind off..." I asked.

"I'm only protecting myself from now on," Echo moaned.

"Echo, I..." I said.

He interrupted. "You what? It's your fault this happened. You couldn't heal Ember? Likely story! I was so involved in finding your stupid memories. You don't need them 635202. You're a monster."

"My powers are connected to my emotions. I was in so much shock, I didn't know what to do... I couldn't focus. You have to understand that, right?"

"Another likely story, 635202." Echo sarcastically smiled.

He opened the door to his room.

"Want to talk about it?" I asked.

No response as he slammed the door. Bang! Just the sound reminded me of a gunshot.

"Leave me alone," Echo said.

"Look, I'm only trying to help you like you helped..."

"I said fuck off, 635202!" he said.

I paused, unable to answer him. Not even I dared to use the f-word. Even in the most dire situations, I didn't say it. Sure, I used shit, hell, piss, and damn, but that word... that was different, even for me. God, what had I done? Because of my emotions getting the best of me, I let an angel take a fall. I'd probably be condemned to a life in hell, sharing a room with 4758, if I didn't pull Echo with me. Crap. What the heck was I supposed to do? I had broken memories and a range of emotion I was still learning to tap into. I wasn't Echo. He needed himself right now. Problem was, anyone could tell as well I as I did 'Nice Echo' was on vacation.

I cut his wings off, tearing them in the fire Ember left behind-- the grief everyone felt. His mind and life had been shattered-- again-- and he was broken and bleeding on the floor.

And I was the one expected to take those pieces and pick him up. But how would I be able to fix broken wings if I didn't even know how to fly with my own?