+When she and Dex pulled apart, Biana noticed that all eyes were on them. Oops, they hadn't told anyone they were dating yet, had they? Oh well, they all knew now, huh? Alden cleared his throat, breaking the awkward silence. Biana and Dex took a step apart, both red faced. Oh boy, would he mention what just happened, or move on? The intensity of the moment weighed upon her shoulders so heavily that behind their backs, she took Dex's hand and squeezed it lightly. He squeezed back, and seemed to be anticipating her father's answer just as much as she was.

Just before they could be satisfied with an answer, Della came running at them, squealing with joy, arms wide and the biggest smile Biana had ever seen on her face, "OOOOOOH! That was so sweet! Congratulations!" She strangled the two teens in a hug labeled choke hold. "I'm so happy for you guys! OOOOOOOH! My little girl has a boyfriend!"

"Moooom," she groaned, embarrassed, "I think dad wants to talk about what happened? You know... the ambush?"

"Yes," Alden cleared this throat, "even though your relationship is a cause to celebrate, we have other important matters to discuss."

"Agreed," Sophie stood up, bolding stepping forewords, her fingers intertwined with Fitz's.

Edaline smiled sadly, "I'm so sorry they ruined your Winnowing Gala, Sophie, this was meant to be your night."

"I'm more upset that they just came in here and hurt so many people, and that we were so unprepared that we couldn't handle it properly," the brown eyed elf said confidently, but Biana could see how hard she was gripping her cognate's hand. Sophie turned towards Alden, "How many are injured?"

"Most of us here, to varying degrees," answered Alden. There were about thirty elves and one hundred twenty goblins in the venue. "But we don't know how many of the people who escaped were caught in the crossfire."

"Okay..." Sophie pinched the brink of her nose, squeezing her eyes shut, "Anyone who is well enough to go home should go home. I'll contact the Black Swan, and we'll sort through this whole situation."

Fitz stood up and took his place by Sophie, "Maybe you should go home too, once the Black Swan gets here. We're all tired, and they can deal with the mess of everything."

"I have to help plan and fix things here. It's my gala and my responsibility," Sophie turned to her cognate, "you should go home though."

"I won't go home until you do," he threatened, "and we both need to rest up. Our cognate trials are only a couple days away."

Alden placed a hand on the blonde girl's shoulder, "He's right, Sophie. You both need to be at your best for the trials. I'll personally talk to the Black Swan if that'll make you feel better, but you, Fitz, Biana, and Dex should all go home."

Biana perked up slightly when she heard her name. In all honesty, she did just want to go home. She was tired, and seeing Keefe... that way... especially as he slammed her brother into a wall... it brought a sick feeling to her stomach that she didn't need.

"Are you just saying this because you don't want us to get involved because Keefe was our friend and you don't want things to get too 'personal'?" Sophie accused, "Because any remorse I felt for Keefe left when I saw him tackle Fitz-"

"That wasn't Keefe," Fitz interjected softly.

Biana frowned, "What do you mean? Of course it was."

"No, it wasn't, his eyes looked like someone was pouring darkness into them-"

"Figuratively? Of course-" Sophie started but Fitz cut her off.

"No. It was literally pouring into his iris, like paint or something, and spilling out the top into the whites," he shuddered slightly, "besides, even if he was working for the Neverseen, Keefe would've never looked at me the way he did. It may have been Keefe's body, but that definitely wasn't Keefe."

"He's right," Lord Cassius stepped up, pale and easily mistakable for a dead man walking, "this is a letter Keefe left before he was pulled into the Neverseen full time." He pulled a letter out of his inside coat pocket and held it out to Sophie, who stared at it with a hateful gaze. When it was clear she wouldn't take it, he turned with a sad smile and handed it to Biana, who accepted it with a shaking hand. Dex looked at her warily, but Biana had to read this letter- not because she still had feelings for Keefe, but because she needed closure. Maybe this letter would tell her that he hadn't meant all those things he said, and maybe they'd stop haunting her dreams. Besides, she had been his last girlfriend, it was kind of her responsibility to accept it when the person who it was written for wouldn't.

"Thank you," Biana said with a polite smile, "I know this must be hard."

Cassius nodded and hesitated before patting her shoulder gently, then took a step back. As he light leaped away, he smiled the saddest smile Biana had ever seen, and that was something else that would haunt Biana's dreams in the days to come.

As soon as Cassius was gone, the crowd dispersed, and Sophie gave Biana a hard look that read, 'I don't like what you're doing, but I trust you,' before turning on her heel to talk to Fitz.

Before Biana opened the letter, Dex asked, "Are you sure you want to read it, I mean..." When he didn't meet her eyes she realized that he was worried that she still liked Keefe.

She cupped his cheek and eased his face over so he was looking at her, "Hey," she cooed softly, "I love you. Someone needs to read this letter he left, and I was his last girlfriend, so..."

"It's sort of your duty, isn't it?" Dex finished for her and nodded, "I get it. I can come back if you'd like, so you can read it in private."

Biting her lip a little, she slid her hand down his face and neck down to his chest, where she let it rest over his heart, "Actually... could you stay? This is important, and I want you to be there for the important parts... so... If you don't mind that is-"

Her voice fell away as Dex put his hand over hers with a reassuring smile, "Of course." Taking her hand, he lead her to the side of the room and sat with her on the floor. He watched as she opened the wax seal and unfolded the parchment, reading along with her silently.

'Dear Sophie,

By the time you're receiving this, you probably hate me- scratch that, I know you do. Everyone else probably does too... but there's more to the story than you think. Please, just give me this one chance to explain, and if you hate me forever even afterwards, I'll accept that. Just let me give you clarity on the entirety of the situation.

It all started at the beginning of the year when I found my mother on the doorstep, her mind resolved to the that of a garbled child's, what we would soon find was the result of the Neverseen's latest new developing technology: blasts. It's this giant ray gun they use to keep their followers in line- it wipes away all emotions and inhibitions more and more with every new blast you receive, but I'll talk about those more later.

So I found my mother on the doorstep, drooling and giggling about how the shiny green ribbon tied around her neck like some dog collar sprange with she pulled the end and let go. I was terrified. I have always seen my mother as this pillar of strength, and to see her so... so... dehumanized... There was a note attached to the ribbon, it was a threat. The Neverseen claimed that since my mother failed before her contract was fulfilled, that I had to take her place as one of their members, or else they would hurt everyone I loved. Maybe if I hadn't seen my mother the way she was, the way she is now that they used her as a primo test subject for this developing technology... Maybe I would've fought against them, gone to the Black Swan and formulated a plan to take the wicked group down. Maybe we would've won. It's too late now, I know, but I wonder, now that it's been a few days since I last had a blast, what would have happened. If I hadn't been so scared that what happened to my mother would happen to my friends, to you, then maybe all of this could have been avoided. Maybe not, but who knows? I'd like to.

Anyways, I panicked. I went to the location they told me to, and did the things they asked. It started off as a once a week thing. I'd go, do a job, come back, fine. That is, until they finally perfected the blasts to the point where they could be used for the masses of goons... goons such as myself.

I couldn't help but comply, I had seen first hand at what these villains were capable of- villains that I am now at ranks with- and continued to fear for the safety of my friends. I realized that it was inevitable that they would be after you guys anyways, but before the blasts, I could thwart their plans just a little bit so they wouldn't notice. I was successful until one little mistake lead me to the chair in front of the ray gun, the gateway to the final sealing of my fate. My last thoughts before feeling the first tinglings of numbness were of you, Sophie.

Around this time, I started getting moodier. My Neverseen rendezvous had gone from weekly to daily, and I regularly received the blasts. The days were a blur, and I could barely remember what I had said to someone, or what it was to feel. The only two people who could remind me of the feeling actually was anymore were you, and how much I love you, and Biana, who was always so good to me even when I was so awful to her.

Now that I'm slowly remembering how to feel, my heart aches for Biana. Out of all the things I remember doing, wronging her was probably the most wicked. To bear this burden that weighed upon my mind, body, heart, and soul, I confided in her. I never told her about the Neverseen, but I disguised my troubles as heartbreak over you, though the emotions and hurt eventually all mixed together thanks to the blasts. I've always known that she had a crush on me, and not only tortured her with this information, but foolishly confided in Alvar about it. He then told Fintan, who ordered for me to disguise myself as the person I was before, convince her of this, and ask her out. I was distancing myself from the group for reasons I didn't understand myself at the time, and the Neverseen needed a foot in the door for the plans the group would cook up to give the Neverseen the upper hand. I resisted at first, but a few blasts later, I gave in. I don't remember what I did to everyone during that time, but please, acknowledge my apology, and convey it to everyone, especially Biana.

As I am writing this letter, I haven't had a blast in a few days, which means I am anxious that they have some greater plan for me. If you've seen me do something so terrible and awful, that you can hardly believe that it's me, then it is, and it isn't all at the same time. Why? I've probably been sent to the poles. See, the blasts only last and are effective for so long, but if someone is really out of place, they get sent to the poles, where they tie you to a metal pole stabbed deeply into the dirt like cattle, and hit you with the full power of the blast ray gun until you no longer are anything. You're just a mindless shell that follows orders and what the Neverseen leaders want you to feel. You have no control over your body, and you never will again. I don't know if my conscious will be trapped when they inevitably send me one day. If it is, just know that I will spend every moment of it wanting to rip myself from my skin until I'm free so I can come back to you, because I love you, Sophie Foster. No jokes, no games, no tricks, no lies, no disguise. I have from the start, and as long as I have a conscious, I will love you, even though I don't you don't love me back. That's okay, because I can just pretend you do, and I'll be okay.

Tell everyone I'm sorry for me, and take care of my parents.

Loving you always,

Keefe Sencen'

A tear fell onto the parchment, and then another, and another, until it was a flood. Biana looked over at Dex, who looked shell shocked, and then over at Sophie, who was angrily talking to Fitz about something. Quietly, before Dex had gotten over his shock, she stood up and drifted over to where the two cognates were standing. As soon as she was in earshot, Fitz noticed her, and the two just looked at her, surprise written all over their faces. Biana hadn't stopped crying, but she held the letter out to Sophie, only saying two words, "Read it," before dropping it into Sophie's outstretched hand, turning on her heel, and retreating back to her boyfriend. Even though the letter had given her closure, it had also broken her heart.

VERY Important Note On Chapter Count:

Hey guys! So there are only SEVEN more chapters of YFIF! 🎊🎉👏🏻
That's right!

S E V E N!

I just wanted to let you guys know they the next three chapters, being the cognate trials, will be "thirteen (pt. 1)" "thirteen (pt. 2)" and "thirteen (pt. 3)" so it'll mess the numbers up a bit, so the final chapter count of YFIF part three (plus epilogue) will be 17 chapters, when in reality, it'll be 21, so don't freak out, but be aware that these last seven WILL BE the end.

I'm doing NANOWRIMO for my creative writing class, so it's possible I may start the next fanfiction in November instead of immediately after YFIF. I might write the next one during NANOWRIMO, maybe not at the beginning of the month, but more likely towards the end. I won't post my NANOWRIMO because I hope to get it professionally published after serious editing, but November will go by before you know it, and I hope you'll stick around until then! ❤️ I love each and every one of you so very very much- from my every sentence commenters to my every chapter voters to the people who just read the chapters (like I do lol), to the people who stopped after the first chapter (I understand).

Xoxo,

-F.M