My forehead rested on her shoulder. I could feel her trembling at the scrutiny of my own touch, could see her hesitating as she tried making out the chaos in front of her, all the while resisting the urge to fall beneath her insanity. Though her eyes were wide, quivering at the sights, I knew that she only sat there, in simplistic darkness, waiting for my words to reach her again. She couldn't see anything, that much I knew, blinded by whims she couldn't even begin to understand.

Blood covered her victorian coat, the darkening stains becoming more and more visible with each passing second. Her bangs were messily splayed against her face, her sharp, golden eyes reflecting the same, glassy look all the other corpses around her. She was pale, and even from here, I could hear her panicking heartbeat, her paralyzing tears rendering her motionless. If I listened closely, I could hear her saying one, simple word, over and over again. I only tightened my grip around her, before stealing a look from the outside.

I start to stand, when I catch sight of her mumbling. I narrow my eyes, and take both her arms. I breathe a deep sigh, and fall back into the friend she'd cultivated. "C'mon," I whisper gently. "We've got to go."

"…fault."

I steady her, and give her the soft smile I knew she adored. "Aki, we've got to get out of here."

"…away…"

"Aki-"

"GET AWAY FROM ME!"

My eyes widened at her outburst. Before I knew it, she shoved me away, her feral, golden eyes brimming with pain. She clutched herself tightly, so tightly I could see blood from her fingertips. Still, I never bothered pausing to take in her disheveled frustrations; we didn't have time for that. I grit my teeth, and try again. "Akiza, listen-!"

"It wasn't my fault!"

"What-?!"

"I had nothing to do with it!" she continued, her voice radiating with an inaudible madness, a madness that sounded so very familiar. "Just…just leave us alone. Leave me alone. Leave us alone. Leave me THE HELL ALONE!"

These delusions were getting out of hand. "Akiza-!"

"It's not my fault," she kept saying, as she shook her head profusely. "I had nothing to do with it. There's no way you're here. No…no no no no no no no-"

I grabbed both her shoulders. "Akiza!"

"You're one of them, aren't you?! Let go of me-!"

"We don't have time for this-"

It was then she gazed up at me. Tears streamed down her delicate faces, her quivering lips now ceasing their hesitation.

"Monster," she whispered quietly.

Every so often, Mree would challenge me to a game of chess. She told me I could pick either side, as long as I didn't drop the game half-heartedly, as Jaden had done many times over. I had some vague idea of how to play it, but regardless, Mree always destroyed me. Whenever I figured out just one of her tactics, she'd come up with another, overly complicated one. It was hard just to keep up with her, trying to predict where she was going to go, what trap she was going to lay for me. Fortunately for me, the humiliating matches wouldn't last long; there was always something that needed to be done, whether or not Mree acknowledged it.

I honestly don't know why I play against her. Perhaps it was because I heard Belletrix always kept losing to her too, and I decided that if I could beat Mree at her own game, maybe then she wouldn't be as protective of me. Maybe I just found it amusing, the fact that Jaden, the head of our research department, couldn't even win in a simple game of chess. Then of course, there was also the chance I did it for my own amusement, figuring that if I could master the game, I could manipulate the political battlefield more efficiently. That's what I wanted to believe, anyways.

The last time I played with her, was the night before she was sentenced to the asylum. She kept talking about how happy she was for me, how happy she was for Belletrix and Jaden, that they were moving up in the world, however cruel it was. She had a painted smile on her face, and when she looked down at the board, to my relief, that smile faded. Whatever incoherent emotions poured out from her lips fell silent, as she concentrated on her moves, analyzing every little pitfall my pieces could fall to, every little technique that she secure her checkmate. After she moved, she'd look up, and talk a bit more, switching erratically from one subject to the next, without even bothering to pay attention to how childish her words sounded.

But it was more than that. As she rambled, I noticed how she kept looking around her shoulder, endeavoring to combat the growing darkness with her own, silly dreams. She kept talking about the experiments Jaden's received today, as well as the failed demons who resided in forgotten graves. She played with her hands as she did, all the while feeding her paranoia, her pupils darting here and there, without any reason why. After her gibberish, she fell silent, and play her pieces. During that time, she'd gather her thoughts, then fix her gaze on me, and begin again.

it was at the end of the conversation did I realize how bad things were. She told me she kept having nightmares, about those children. They were coming after her, with those cool, dead eyes, shouting out their vengeance, their judgmental gazes dragging her down It didn't matter who they were; rich, poor, a success, a failure; to her, they were all the same, their feral sense of morality embedded deep within their malnourished brains. They craved for suffering; they needed it.

After Mree went insane, Belletrix became Fallen's leader. She started imposing stricter sanctions on everyone, but especially on Jaden and I. We weren't allowed to go anywhere, at least, without telling her where we'd be. We were supposed to report back to her every three days, or when a new development had occurred, or if some trivial problem had come across our way. We were to stay away from the Black Rose at all costs; should we ever come into contact with her, we were to come straight to Belletrix, no matter how implausible it seemed.

Of course, we never really obeyed her orders. Personally, I thought they were unnecessary, only a mere testament as to how scared she was for our safety. But since I accompanied her everywhere, from conferences, to meetings, to even hunts, I guess I was always under her watchful eye.

Jaden, however, had a bit more flexibility. He was always in Krakow, concentrating on his research, while Belletrix was either in Bucharest, or Paris, sometimes Cairo. And because of the unpredictable nature of his experiments, she had no way of checking up on him, though she somehow managed to convince herself that whatever he was doing, her subordinates would guard him. Besides which, he was never a sociable person. He wasn't going to be near people all the time, as she so brashly reasoned out, so she wouldn't have to worry about him all the time. I have to admit; I envied his subtle freedom.

Some time later, Jaden came up with a new lab rat, a successful one that imitated the Black Rose perfectly. Everyone was ecstatic, and on orders, I met him in Krakow. In all honestly, he wasn't as enthusiastic as I thought he'd be, that solemn, melancholic frown embedded on his face.

Still, I didn't let that deter me. I asked him how he managed to create another success. He simply shook his head, and, after a little while longer, told me he used the blueprints the old farts created for Amaryllis. He thought it was too risky to delve into our own designs, since we weren't nearly as perfect as she, nor as stable, for that matter.

He introduced me to the experiment, a little girl we now call Alexis. She was a pretty thing, with long, blond hair, and dead brown eyes, eyes that weren't common in Fallen's ranks. She was so quiet, always alone, always observing her surroundings silently, with absolutely no light shown within her pupils. But whenever Jaden released something for her to hunt, that girl would suddenly come alive. She would hunt that poor creature down, and, after a while, bring back organ parts, sometimes in her hands, other times wrapped around her wrists. She would always smile when she did so, and when Jaden drew near, she crept toward him shyly, while simultaneously showing off her newest discoveries.

He didn't treat her like the rest of his experiments. If anything, he paid more attention to her than anyone else. As she grew, he was always trying to communicate with her, trying to bring her behavior toward that of a popular socialite, or at the least, a passable savage. He was the one who brought her books, who gave her lessons, who gave her every possible aspect of knowledge he could think of. Whenever I came to visit, he was always with her, attempting to, at the very least, teach her more of the world, more than what she was already used to.

It was a strange relationship. As she grew, there were times when he'd simply stare at her as he ran his tests, sometimes forgetting to put the data points on his board. Other times, he would chatter on and on with her, never knowing if she understood a single word. And even still, whenever he and I were alone, he kept lamenting on the fact of how she was here, trapped in our world, when he thought she'd be happier on the outside. I however, shrugged, and reminded him of the Black Rose. He shut up then.

I couldn't help but feel sorry for him. What with that dead look in the girl's eyes, I don't think she paid attention nearly half the time. And when she did, she'd only find her beloved, dead animals surrounding her. She probably doesn't even know he watched over her through the years, even though he gave her her childish game, since she was too busy admiring her kills. Aside from the name he'd given her, Arisé, I don't think she knew anything else of him.

Soon after, Alexis escaped. Jaden scoured everywhere for her, doing whatever he could to try and find her. He didn't want such a beautiful thing in callous reality, and as a result, even abused his authority as head of the department. And as he did, I helped shroud his activities from Belletrix, knowing full well what she'd have thought of the unhealthy relationship. Personally, I thought it was necessary, considering how close Jaden was to Mree. Though she might not have known it, Alexis's existence was needed, in this closed off, imaginary world of ours.

Jaden didn't contact me much after that. Though I knew he was still actively searching for her, he still had his responsibilities; too busy, I figured. I remembered how Mree had been though, just when she was admitted into the asylum. When Belletrix began distancing herself from the situation, I decided to stay behind, and try to watch over him. He was yet another sibling I didn't want to lose.

I couldn't even begin to comprehend the shock I felt then, when Belletrix told me he was dead.

He was fanciful, with his affections towards Alexis.

And it was through his erratic behavior did I recognize in my own sister.

News about Jaden's death spread through the organization like wildfire. As expected, Belletrix's restrictions became even more severe. Suddenly, I was surrounded by guards, all of whom watched me with the full intent on exposing whatever secrets I'd hidden before. I couldn't go out whenever I wanted to, and if a criminal was brought into the tribunals, I couldn't go anywhere near them. My subordinates started getting more and more of my assignments, and though I still maintained my position as general, it was becoming more apparent that I was little more than figurehead. Everyone knew about it; whenever I passed through the corridors, they'd all simply turn away, and mutter their respects, their sarcastic tones hidden beneath their breath. It didn't matter whether or not I was their "superior"; the one they were afraid of was Belletrix.

It was suffocating. It'd gotten to the point I did whatever I could to sneak away, letting her panic over my disappearances. If I disappeared for months on end, she'd send whomever was available to come drag me back, and if they failed, as they usually did, she'd put everything on halt, and come after me herself. Just like with Mree, I always lost.

I was still cursing myself, for what'd happened, why I wasn't watching him as should've. I took an active interest in hunting the Black Rose then. Even with Belletrix's stupid rules, I managed to find a way around them; I had my own influences, my own alliances, none of which were tied to Fallen. I covered my tracks the best I could, and nurtured my hatred. I've heard enough from Belletrix about the witch, about the rampant killings that've damaged Fallen so badly, and that was reason enough to stop the damn psychopath. I've searched all over for her, unwilling and unable to let the fond memories of my little brother go.

All the while, I kept visiting Mree in the asylums. Each time, I saw her deteriorate little by little, her mental state fading fast from me. There were times I've had to remind her about who I was, where we both came from. Though she would always smile and nod, I knew she probably had no idea what I was talking about. At night, I could hear her screams, the cause of her pain from desperate scientists who were eager to retrieve their beautiful demon. I could see her struggling against the straps, trying to distance herself away from the pain, purging herself of the memory. From what I could see, it worked half the time, considering how different she was every day.

I was helpless. Here Mree was, suffering on her own, and I had absolutely no idea how to fix it. By now, she's probably heard that Jaden died, and that alone must've caused her so much stress. Then again, I don't even know if she even had that memory anymore; she's been destroying her mind left and right, annihilating all the horrible things from her delusional world.

I wanted to tell her about the Black Rose. I wanted to tell her everything that's happened, every single thing that went on in the organization. I wanted to tell her about Alexis, about how she managed to escape Fallen, and how Jaden had abandoned everything, just to try and reclaim her. I wanted to tell her about Belletrix's paranoia, about how she's taken control of Fallen, even in her state, about her restrictions, about how possessive and unstable she'd become.

But for some, strange reason, I never did.

I only imitated Mree's smiles, and stayed silent.

Some time after, I heard from the asylum that Mree wasn't going to accept anymore visitors. At first, I was upset, and ordered the director to let me through. However, he only shook his head, and gave me the wretched, submissive look I'd gotten used to seeing. When I pried further, he told me that it was Belletrix's orders.

I took the matter up with sister dearest, with questions swirling in my brain. It wasn't like her to isolate Mree. She, like the rest of us, loved her. At the very least, she would've wanted our former leader to fall with dignity, and with every moment of grace she could muster. But when I came to her, she merely shrugged her shoulders, and told me Mree requested it herself. I was about to fight back, when I stopped myself. After a few moments of silence, I spun my heel, and left.

Days on end, I kept worrying about Mree. Jaden's behavior kept coming back to me, and that alone put me on edge. But not only that; I've also heard news about how the Black Rose was dismantling our Krakow branch, with rumors of her having a coven in tow. I didn't know why Belletrix wasn't sending me out there, to deal with the situation. She's got too much at stake, and if we lose those experiments, we'll be at a big disadvantage. Besides which, those rats were Jaden's, weren't they? That alone should be a reason why she should guard them wholeheartedly.

I couldn't stand it. I was impatient. I didn't want centuries upon centuries worths of work disappearing before us. I tried calling out Belletrix on her incompetence, but she only served to reject me further. She'd no use for subordinates who didn't know their place, nor did she have time to entertain her "spoiled brats."

After the encounter, I decided to see Mree again. I hoped that, with the way things were, she'd regained her senses. She'd come out of the asylum, and take over once again. I let that optimism get the best of me, and snuck into the asylum the very same night.

As I came toward her room, I found the door, unlocked, with a tiny crack within the opening. I heard soft laughter, with voices pouring out from the room. Mree, and another woman, from what I could tell. I remembered taking a deep breath, reciting my words in my head, before pushing that door open.

And I remembered seeing the Black Rose there, with a single amaryllis in her hands.

The questions I've asked, the answers I've come up with, all paled in comparison to the image I saw that day.

Mree wanted to die. No matter how many times I've pleaded with her, or the plentiful arguments we'd gotten into, in the end, she still wanted to end her life. Her kind heart couldn't take the cruelty anymore.

It was the reason why I allowed Akiza to kill her.

Akiza's half-dead body leaned against the railing, her bangs messily splayed against her forehead. Shadows were embedded beneath her eyes, her pale skin desperately scouring for what little warmth there was left in the fading, evening light. Her corset was tattered and torn, with ugly scars adorning her arms. Those once feral eyes lost their light, the words spewing from her lips no longer apart of her mind. Bullet holes were entwined in her torso and leg, with a deep cut slashed along her chest. From what I could tell, she was still bleeding.

My gaze slowly comes to the crowds of people, all of whom were now racing inside the building, screaming for their loved ones to answer them. Nearly half of sector security were mourning for their fallen comrades, while the other half screeched angrily against the skies, declaring war against whoever was responsible. The normals who managed to get out alive were bombarded with questions, some pertaining to whether or not they were involved with the coven, others on how they even managed to make it out with only a few scraps and bruises. They would start to answer, only to fall silent, wondering as to how they were actually able to deal with the chaotic procession. Before long, they would recall some other, nonexistent moment in their lives, and use that as an answer.

I cock my head, before turning away. "As punishment," I say emptily, "for disobeying me."

I didn't like that candidate. He was more than willing to accept any other reality than this one. It seemed that, from the moment he came into the ballroom, he'd use any means necessary as to secure his victory. Even with the conditions I've laid out, he refused to accept them. I wasn't going to allow a person like that take the title; whatever reward he was expecting will elude him.

As for that other one, I wasn't aware of her until Jaden told me, just an hour before the festival started. I didn't think he was serious, considering how crowded it was, and how hard it'd be, just to make a move on her own. Still, to think she had the stupidity to pull a reckless stunt as this; apparently, she didn't understand the disadvantages in these situations. Rarely anyone ever succeeds. Then again, judging from the hysterical way she confessed to me, it seems rational thought never even occurred to her. To say that you love someone, especially on the battlefield, was practically suicide. Ah, that scene from Hamlet was almost a bit too literal for her.

From the corner of my eyes, I saw the reporters finally halting their disruptive behaviors. A solemn silence fell over them, as, through some human compulsion, they started grieving for the lives lost today, lives that couldn't have affected them either way. I stared at them for the longest time, before turning my attention toward Akiza.

Monster.

She said it.

She actually said it.

Carefully, I stroke her cheek. "Aren't you being a bit hypocritical?" I ask darkly.

I replayed those memories from before, memories of how she slaughtered the candidate. I could still see her back there, laughing along a symphony of bullets, with wide, vicious eyes that caressed the entire scene. No matter what anyone did, or how much they made her bleed, no one could force her down. The other members were so frightened, in fact, they decided to aim their guns for her, instead of the pieces.

I close my eyes. Salem was probably with the rest of the nobles, telling them all about the incident, failing to anticipate the fear I've already instilled in them. Jaden and Alexis were down there, with the rest of the reporters, blending into the crowd without the slightest difficulty. After this, Alexis was going to go back to Sayer, if only to torture him for a little longer. Jaden had already hacked into Fallen's mainframe, and as soon as we know exactly what we're dealing with, I'll issue the attack. I could already see the board in front of me, playing out each strategy with cautiousness.

But I smirked. Though I knew how a majority of the strategies worked, they weren't mine. They were just imitations of Akiza's, her complexity mirrored by how difficult it was to execute them. There were times when even I had no idea what was going on, or what would happen; gambits, that she never told me about, along with discordance she had me sow into the factions. So much had gone into her planning, and here I was, trying to recreate every meticulous detail. Her strategies were so hard to comprehend, that it put Mree's in shame.

And yet, for some reason, my mind kept returning to that same, simple word.

I clutched my hands tightly, as I scrutinized Akiza's sleeping face.

Why? It's not like I cared about her. And even if I did, that…witch has absolutely no idea what she was talking about. Where did she get off saying things like that? This little experiment had proven to me what she was, so she had no right to say something so harsh. Besides which, she was in my care, wasn't she? I could kill her now, if I wanted to.

I shut my eyes, and laugh pathetically.

Empty threats.

That's all they were.

Just then, I heard a phone vibrate.

I jolted up. I looked around for a while, still dazed by everything that'd happened, when I reached over, and fumbled for Akiza's phone. I take it out from her pocket, and check the caller id.

Angela Raines, it said.

I bite the inside of my cheek. Did Akiza tell her she was going to be here? Was she just looking for another juicy scoop about the hijackers? Did she think Akiza had something to do with this? Interrogations kept piling on my brain, endless suspicions nagging at me with each second past. The vibrating stopped, and what replaced it, a text message.

I can see you.

At that moment, I looked over my shoulder, and down at the crowds of people standing there. I searched and searched and searched, until finally, I come across a familiar woman looking up at me.

Her long, blond hair cascaded down her body. A red jacket covered her white undershirt, with a dark, navy skirt beneath it. A brown belt wrapped around her waist, and from her hands, she had a microphone. A dark, sly smile grazed her lips, which contrasted sharply to her piercing, gleaming eyes. She was separated from the rest of the crowds, brushing aside the noiseless sounds bombarding her ears.

My eyes narrow.

Belletrix.