KATERINA'S EYES FLUTTERED open, a sharp pain throbbing at the back of her head. She groaned, instinctively trying to reach back to touch the wound, but something stopped her. Her hands. They were bound. Her legs too. Panic surged through her as she looked down and saw the ropes tightly securing her to a chair.

Her heart raced. "No, no, no." The previous events came crashing back to her. Five. The kiss. The gun. Darius. The room started spinning as she realized the full weight of what had happened. She tugged against the ropes with all her strength, but they wouldn't budge.

"Damn it, Five!" she muttered, struggling harder. "HELP!" she shouted, her voice cracking. She pulled harder, her wrists chafing against the bindings. Her mind was a storm of fear and guilt. Darius was most likely dead by now. She failed. She was too late. Tears blurred her vision as the faces of her brother and Five flashed in her mind. The betrayal. The mission. The unbearable weight of it all.

A sob escaped her as she slumped forward, tears soaking her cheeks. Why didn't I just kill him when I had the chance?

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoed from the hallway. Her head shot up, hope sparking for a moment.

"Help!" she cried out, her voice hoarse. "Please! Someone!"

The footsteps quickened, and the door flew open. Allison stood in the doorway, eyes wide, frozen in shock.

"Kat?" she whispered, rushing to her side. "Oh my God, Kat." Allison immediately started working on the ropes around her wrists, glancing worriedly at Katerina's tear-streaked face. "What happened to you? Are you okay?"

Katerina's mouth opened, but no words came out. How could she explain? How could she admit she'd tried to kill Five?

Before she could gather her thoughts, another figure appeared in the doorway. Luther. His towering frame blocked the light as he stormed in, face tense with disapproval.

"Allison, what are you doing?!" he barked, rushing to pull her away from Katerina.

Allison turned on him, incredulous. "Luther, what the hell are you doing? She's tied up—"

"Because she tried to kill Five!" Luther snapped, his voice hard as steel. He glared at Katerina, his eyes filled with something between anger and disappointment.

Katerina, still bound, lifted her head, her voice trembling. "I didn't have a choice..."

Luther turned on her, his massive frame looming. "There's always a choice, Kat. You made yours."

"I had to!" Katerina pleaded, her desperation growing. "They have my brother. They're going to kill him if I don't—"

"You think that justifies murder?" Luther's voice boomed through the room, silencing her for a moment. "We don't just kill people because we're forced into a corner."

Katerina shook her head, her heart pounding with guilt and fear. "I need to save him. Please, let me go." Her voice cracked with emotion. "Please..."

Allison, quiet now, exchanged a glance with Luther. She stepped back from Katerina, a sad understanding in her eyes. Without saying another word, she turned and left the room.

Luther remained, staring down at Katerina. "I can't let you go," he said softly, but firmly. "You're a danger to the family."

"Luther, please—" she begged, but it was too late. He was already moving to retie her wrists, holding her down as she struggled weakly.

Once she was secured, Luther effortlessly lifted her and carried her downstairs, his face unreadable as Katerina struggled in vain. When they reached the living room, the rest of the family was gathered there, their conversations halting the moment they saw her.

The room fell silent, the tension thick.

Diego narrowed his eyes. "What the hell is going on?"

Klaus, lounging lazily on the couch, sat up straight. "Kat?" His voice was soft, concerned.

Luther lowered her onto a armchair but kept a firm hand on her shoulder to prevent her from bolting.

"She tried to kill Five," Luther said flatly.

Gasps rippled through the room. Diego stood up, his fists clenched. "You've got to be kidding me."

Allison, now standing off to the side, crossed her arms, her expression pained.

"I didn't have a choice," Katerina repeated weakly, her voice cracking.

Klaus looked at her, wide-eyed and confused. "Kat... is that true?"

Luther answered for her, his voice cold. "She put a gun to his chest and pulled the trigger. She tried to kill him."

Klaus shook his head, his voice rising in disbelief. "No. No way. Kat wouldn't do that."

"Klaus, she did," Allison said quietly, her voice laced with sorrow.

Klaus's expression crumbled, but then he looked at Luther with determination. "Let her go, Luther. You don't know what she's going through."

"Are you insane?" Diego barked. "She's dangerous!"

"I'm telling you, let her go!" Klaus shouted, standing up and stepping between Luther and Katerina. "We don't know the whole story."

Luther glared at Klaus, but his grip loosened.

"Klaus..." Luther started, but Klaus cut him off.

"Let her sit next to me. We'll figure this out." His voice softened, but it carried an unexpected firmness.

Reluctantly, Luther let go of Katerina and stepped back, still keeping his eye on her as Klaus gently guided her to sit back down.

The room was filled with tension, everyone watching her, but Klaus stayed close, giving her a look that told her she wasn't alone.

•••

"Okay, so here's the plan," Luther started, trying to sound confident as he sat up straighter. "Uh, we go through Dad's research—"

"Wait, what?" Allison cut in, her brows furrowed in confusion.

Almost immediately, the room descended into chaos. All the siblings began talking over one another, their voices rising in protest.

"Hold on—what the hell do you mean by that?" Diego chimed in, his voice sharp and demanding.

Klaus waved a hand dramatically, leaning back on the couch. "Wait a tick, wait a tick—what actually happened the first time around?" he asked, eyes wide with curiosity and suspicion.

Luther hesitated, looking around the room as everyone stared at him, waiting for an answer. He swallowed hard, suddenly unsure of how to explain what had happened without triggering more panic.

"Yeah," Diego pressed, his arms crossing over his chest, "what aren't you telling us? Come on, big boy, spit it out."

A tense silence filled the room as the siblings glared at Luther, waiting for his response. Katerina let out a sharp, unexpected laugh, breaking the silence. Everyone's attention shifted to her, confusion etched on their faces.

She stopped laughing and leaned forward slightly, a bitter smile playing on her lips. "You died."

"What was that?" Allison asked, her voice filled with disbelief.

Katerina's smirk grew wider. "Yeah, you heard me. You all died."

Luther let out a resigned sigh, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah...she's right. We died. All of us."

A stunned silence fell over the room, the reality of his words sinking in.

"And guess what?" Katerina chimed in, her voice dripping with mock cheerfulness. "I die too. So, might as well kill me now if you don't let me go." She shrugged, throwing her tied hands up in mock surrender, the ropes binding her wrists making the gesture clumsy.

Everyone stared at her, wide-eyed, still processing the weight of what Luther and Katerina had just revealed.

"You're not getting out of those ropes," Diego says sternly, shaking his head in disbelief. "We trusted you!"

Katerina rolled her eyes at him. "Oh, cry me a river, Diego." She leaned closer to Klaus, who had been watching her intently. "Can you reach into my pocket and light me a cigarette?" she whispered.

Klaus gave her a subtle nod. Without drawing attention, he reached into her pocket and fished out the pack of cigarettes. After fumbling with a lighter, he placed a cigarette between her lips and sparked it up.

She clumsily grasped the cigarette with her tied hands, taking a long drag and exhaling the smoke in one smooth motion. A look of brief satisfaction crossed her face.

"Hey, no smoking inside!" Luther snapped, glaring at her from across the room.

Katerina shot him a bored look. "The world is ending, Luther. My brother is probably dead. You all hate me" she said passing the cigarette to Klaus. "Might as well."

Klaus took a drag, lounging lazily on the couch. Diego and Luther scoffed in unison, their frustration palpable.

Katerina merely shrugged, taking another puff from Klaus when he passed it back. The room, despite the grim revelations, felt like it teetered on the edge of absurdity.

"Seriously?" Allison muttered under her breath, shaking her head at the scene unfolding before her.

Katerina sat in silence, feeling the weight of the cigarette between her fingers, the smoke curling lazily into the air. Each second that passed, she felt herself growing more and more numb. It was a strange feeling, like sinking into a cold, dark ocean. The deeper she went, the less she felt. The world could end tomorrow, and she wouldn't flinch. She couldn't bring herself to care about saving it—not anymore.

What was the point? She had nothing left to live for, no reason to fight. Her brother was either dead or close to it, and the only person she had started to trust—started to feel something for—was the one she had just betrayed. She had shot him. She had crossed that line.

And for what? For a chance to save someone who might already be gone? For a world that had done nothing but take from her? No. She wasn't a hero. She wasn't here to save the day. She was just a tool—another pawn in someone else's game.

The fight drained out of her, leaving her hollow. She wanted to care. She wanted to feel the rage, the desperation that used to drive her. But all she could feel was emptiness. The strings had been cut, and she was just waiting for everything to collapse.

She took another drag from the cigarette, the smoke burning her lungs. The pain was sharp, but fleeting. Just like everything else.

What did it matter if the world burned?