A/N: Hi, everyone! I'll have a longer note at the bottom, but for now, enjoy! This is a brief overview of all the chapters just in case:
Grow Up-Ella wakes up after being kidnapped, but blacks out again after a tussle with a few Mogs.
Our Loss-Marina, Six, and Nine mourn Eight, and Marina receives a message from Five saying that they can still save him.
Still Alive-Ella awakens in a throne room and meets Kelly.
Abduction-The Mogs catch up with Adam, John, Sarah, Malcolm, and Sam, and John is kidnapped in the midst of the battle.
No Escape-Six receives a telepathic message from Ella.
My Fault-Adam ponders his situation during the car ride to the nearest hospital to help Sarah.
Telepathic Message-First we hear about Ella's telepathic message in her point of view, and then Marina learns about it. Six, Marina, and Nine set off to find the other group. (Sam, Six, Adam, and Malcolm.)
Quick Naps-Six realizes during the train trip towards the other group that she has opened up to the Garde and now cares deeply about them.
I'm pressing my temples in an attempt to dull my headache when the door cranks open again. Dim light seeps into the room and glances off the cracks between the tiles. I glare at the dark figure silhouetted in the doorway as it slowly nears the throne, its steps punctuated by sharp clomps of steel-tipped boots.
A wave of panic hits me when I see the familiar, disgusting, purple splotch on his neck. Setrakus Ra continues to stroll forward, leisurely wielding the cane that had immobilized so many of my friends. I feel a shiver go through me when he turns his head, his eyes piercing through the blue forcefield as he finally stops a few yards before it, choosing to keep his distance.
I feel like I can't move. All of the oxygen in the room seems to have been sucked up and dispersed outside, leaving only the dustless remains of exhaled air. I want to stand up, stare him down defiantly, and curse him for everything he's ever done, but I can't.
My lungs gasp as I try not to panic. I twist the fabric of my dress in my left fist while panicked thoughts keep flashing through my head. I force myself to take a deep breath as I slowly unclench my fists. As my heart starts to beat at a steady rate again, my brain can finally take the time to think.
I can't let him have the information he wants, or else my friends will pay the price, nor can I let him hold me prisoner here too long, or else my friends might die anyway trying to save me.
Then again, draining information out of me probably isn't the main reason he wants me here.
His face is lit an eerie blue color that reflects his cold expression, and for a second, I imagine him standing here, ordering the execution of all the Lorics and humans with that same distant expression. As if he read my thoughts, his demeanor suddenly changes.
"Ella," he says, smiling benevolently, his eyes creasing at the corners in the classic look of a kind grandfather, but with a hard glint in his eyes that ruin the familiar picture. "You must know why you're here."
I push myself up and mutely glare at him. Of course I know why. But I won't give him the satisfaction of knowing that the nightmares he's been sending actually affected me.
"Ella, you must be tired and hungry after traveling so much. I am offering you food and care, and only under a few conditions."
He must be crazy to think that I'll give in so easily, but I don't speak up just yet, waiting to hear the rest of his offer.
"As you know, you've been chosen to become the next great Mogadorian leader." His smile widens, as if he can tell how hopeless I am feeling, but I don't let any of my emotions show.
"There is a reason behind choosing you, a reason you will know once you agree. I'm promising you the entire Earth and all of Mogadore, possibly the entire universe. I know that those foolish Lorics can't have promised you more than this."
He thinks that'll convince me?
"I know you're still having a hard time believing in the Mogadorian cause, since you have been brainwashed, but you have to trust me that the upcoming war is not a selfish act."
I press my lips together. As if.
"All these petty wars on Earth will be over once we spread our influence. There will be no more bloodshed."
It was ironic, listening to him talk about this while he was planning for the most immense war in history.
"After everyone is united under the Mogadorian cause, there will be peace, and more time for innovation and scientific research. We could stop all the unnecessary evils on earth, like diseases. Shortage of food. Maybe even cancer."
My mind swirls with the possibilities. I've heard of the new technology of the Mogs, but I've never really thought of how much good it could do. A nagging voice at the back of my mind tells me that he's lying, that he has to be lying about these things. But I know he isn't.
He continues, carefully watching my reaction. "If you still can't be convinced, you have to realize that on this side, our side, you can lead a better future. The Elders doomed you to a life of misery and hiding. They never cared for you," he explains as his face darkens. The glow of the dome almost makes the gleam in eyes seem maniacal, unreal. The urge to speak up grabs me harder than ever, but he continues before I find my voice.
"Your so-called 'friends' didn't even try to help you when we rescued you. You might not remember, but Number Four chose to hide in safety with your human friend, Sam, rather than stop us. He didn't even lift a finger to help you." Setrakus Ra's voice deepens into a low whisper his eyebrows creasing in pity. Even though he's probably lying, I feel each of his words stab me, one by one.
"They never cared for you. You were always the little kid, the tag-along," he says, faking sympathy in his tone.
"No," I whisper. He raises his eyebrows, and his cane lightly drags across the floor, creating a light screeching noise that vibrates in my ears as he leans forward pityingly.
"No!" I say louder. My heartbeat is pounding in my chest and surging up into my brain, fueling the fire that Setrakus Ra has sparked.
He's lying. He's lying. It's all lies.
"That's not true! They cared for me! We cared for each other! The Elders chose us to restore Lorien because they believed in us!" I yell furiously. I'm breathing heavily and my heart is still pounding, aching for a fight.
Setrakus Ra smiles patiently, and gives me slight shakes of the head, as if I'm only a child.
"Ella, you will understand once you have read the Great Book. They truly have brainwashed you, but I'll be able to fix you eventually. All I ask of you is to calmly do what I say, and we will all be happier in the future."
I narrow my eyes. He really thinks I'll go along with that?
He opens his vest and takes out a piece of yellowing, papyrus-like paper from the inside pocket, sliding it onto the ground, and tops it with a thin, silver pen. His cane flicks it across the dome-like forcefield to me until the paper skids to a stop, and the pen rolls until it bumps into the lowest step, right next to my foot.
"For now, all you need to do is sign this," he intones. Even as I fight the urge, my eyes flicker down towards it. I recognize a few Mogadorian words emblazoned across the top in red that translate into "eternal leader". He wants me to sign this already?
"No!"
I hurl the word at him, and his eyes flicker dangerously for a second before stilling into a quiet calm again.
"No?" he prods, calmly clasping his hands together. "Ella, you have a great future ahead of you. If you sign this, you'll be able to have anything you want, anything you can even imagine. I might even let your friends live."
He stands placidly in front of me, waiting for an answer. I don't know why he's so desperate to do this. Why me? Even if I agreed to become a leader, I'm not ready to lead.
Setrakus' eyes move away for the first time, flicking towards the corridor, where I hear the rolling of a cart in the distance.
He turns back to me, his eyes narrowing a little upon seeing no movement towards the pen. "I suspected you wouldn't give in just yet, but let me warn you: if you don't agree now, we have other ways of convincing you, and they're not nearly as pleasant."
He seems to have noticed his slight change in attitude, and again pulls up his mask of calm and benevolence.
"Ella, even though you're still young, I believe you're smart enough to know what's best. I know you don't always feel like you were meant to fight a war. And it's true."
I bite my lip, trying to tune out his words. "You weren't meant to. You were meant to lead." He strolls forward a step, so close that he could reach out a hand and touch the dome.
"I know this, Ella. I'm sure of it."
"No," I say fiercely. "You don't know me. I'll never agree to this."
I see his eyes narrow into slices of obsidian as he drops his mask of calm. Silent fury seems to tumble inside of him.
"Very well, then Ella. I have warned you."
He turns towards the doorway, where a silhouette of a large hulking object stands, and slowly beckons it forward. When he turns around, I see a real smile spread on his face for the first time, and it sends shivers down my spine. It's not like the fake grins he gave me before, but something else completely different, something purely malicious and evil. That's how I know that what he has in plan is much, much worse than anything I prepared for.
As the smile quickly drops off his face, I hear a low growl from behind his throat.
"I know that this will convince you."
A/N: Hi everyone! Thanks for reading! I'm so so so so sorry for not updating in forever! I've been super busy and then I had a slight case of writer's block! Sorry about the chapter, too; I know this one kind of drags along, and I'm not really satisfied with how it turned out! Anyway, it's summer vacation, so I will definitely update more often!
Thanks so so much to all of my readers for sticking with me, especially my reviewers!
Thank you so much for your advice, TheThoughtsofKarasu! This chapter only shows the tip of the glacier of Setrakus Ra's thoughts, but I'll definitely continue to use your advice!
Samthevariablex, thanks for your encouragement!
I'm Number Eleven, thanks for your constant comments! You might get to see more of what you wanted in the next chapter! ;)
Meerkat78, thanks so much for being there for me and putting up with me! You're an amazing writer!
Paragon Eight, thanks so much! I'm glad you actually found my writing humorous!
And last but not least, Adamus Sutekh, thanks so much for your detailed reviews and encouragement! You have great insight!
Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone again! I would have given up on my story if it weren't for all of you!