Cinder's footsteps echoed faintly through the dim corridors of Salem's castle as she made her way to the throne room, Emerald, Gillian, Mercury, and Hazel trailing behind her. The air was thick with tension, the failure at Haven weighing heavily on them. Cinder's mind churned, replaying the events.

When they entered, Salem's gaze swept over them, cold and calculating. "Tell me," she began, her voice low and dangerous, "why don't you have the relic of knowledge?"

Gillian stepped forward, her icy glare fixed on Cinder. "Because she failed to show up when she was supposed to," Gillian said sharply, her voice dripping with contempt. "Cinder was too busy running off to play hero for Emerald. Because of that, her impostor infiltrated our ranks and we failed to get the relic before those teens got it. "

Cinder's jaw tightened as her eyes flicked to Gillian. She knew Gillian had no love for her, but this overt hostility was new.Is it because I'm in a relationship with her brother? Or is it something else? Cinder's thoughts raced, but she kept her expression impassive.

Salem's crimson eyes turned to the others. "Leave us," she commanded.

Without hesitation, Emerald, Mercury, Hazel, and Gillian exited the throne room, the door slamming shut behind them. Cinder stood alone before Salem, the weight of her failure pressing down on her.

"I'm sorry," Cinder began, her voice steady despite the fear bubbling inside her. "I had to save Emerald. She was kidnapped and—"

Salem raised her hand, and a sudden, searing pain shot through Cinder's grimm arm. She screamed, collapsing to her knees, clutching at her arm as a flood of memories assaulted her—a shock collar, and the cruel face of her stepmother.

Tears welled in her eyes as she looked up at Salem, desperate to reconcile this moment with the woman who had once protected her.

"You failed to bring me the relic," Salem said coldly, her tone like a blade. "And you failed to kill Ruby Rose."

Cinder's breath hitched. She felt fear not just for herself but for Ruby. "I—I thought Ruby was dead," Cinder sobbed. "I saw her attacked by a grimm at the palace…"

Salem's expression softened marginally as she placed a hand on Cinder's cheek, her touch as cold as her tone. "I know you care for Emerald," she said. "But the relics come first. If something like this happens again, Emerald will suffer the consequences of your actions. Do you understand me?"

Cinder nodded, her voice barely above a whisper. "Yes, my queen."

"Good," Salem said, dismissing her with a wave of her hand.

Before Cinder could leave, Hazel entered, his massive frame towering over her. "Ozpin has taken on a new form," he reported. "He's leading those teenagers to Atlas with the lamp."

Salem's eyes glowed a furious red. "Leave me," she growled.

Cinder hurried out of the room, the sound of Salem's enraged scream and the trembling of the castle behind her. She remembered a time when Salem had protected her from this fury, sending Hazel or Tyrian to remove her from harm's way.

As she walked down the hall, Cinder clutched her grimm arm, the pain still fresh.She hurt me,Cinder thought, the realization cutting deeper than the pain itself.She's never hurt me before.

Her mind flashed back to a warning Salem had given her when she was fifteen. "My anger is dangerous," Salem had once said. "I would never want anything to happen to you because of it, so it's important that you run if I tell you to run."

But tonight, Salem hadn't told her to run. Instead, she had been the one to inflict the pain.

Cinder tried to convince herself that it didn't mean anything, that it was a one-time thing, that Salem wasn't like her stepmother. But the lingering fear in her chest refused to be silenced.

As she rounded the corner, she saw Emerald standing there, her garnet-colored eyes wide and horrified. One look at Emerald's expression confirmed what Cinder feared: Emerald had seen and heard everything.

Emerald stepped closer, her voice trembling. "Cinder… are you okay?"

Cinder forced a smile, though it didn't reach her eyes. "I'm fine," she said, though her voice wavered. "Let's just… get some rest."

But as they walked away together, the weight of what had happened—and what it meant—hung heavily between them.

...

Ruby, her Uncle Qrow, and her friends were at a train station, and a news report was blaring on one of the televisions. It mentioned how faunus had helped thwart the attack on Haven Academy thanks to Fox Alistair working as a double agent for Ghira Belladonna in the White Fang. The next report was about a woman murdered by 'Cinder' for her clothing.

"Viewer discretion is advised. What you're about to see may be shocking and unsuitable for some viewers," the news reporter said.

Ruby had forgotten that Mistral's law about this sort of thing was different from what it was on Patch. In Mistral, deaths could be shown on the news with the victim's family's permission.

The footage showed 'Cinder' in a torn white, pink, and brown outfit smirking directly into the camera before approaching the woman.

"That's not the outfit the Cinder impostor had on at Haven. Which means either she changed into a torn outfit right after leaving Haven, or this person was in a weakened state and could only use their semblance to disguise their physical features and not their clothing at this time," Ruby told Yang. "If I'm right about this person using a semblance to pretend to be Cinder, this could mean that the impostor recently had their aura broken."

"It's possible," Yang replied. "When I found my mom down in the vault, the fake Cinder was gone. Mom didn't tell me anything about her or what happened to her though."

On the screen, 'Cinder' was shown strangling the woman. She then drags her off and walks off wearing the dead woman's clothing. Ruby and Yang were horrified.

"In related news, voting in The Hunt remains open for what to do to Cinder Fall's body after she's killed. The top three options include burning her remains, feeding her remains to a grimm, and cutting her body into four pieces to be buried in all four kingdoms."

"Ruby, are you ok?" Yang asked.

Ruby quickly leaned over a nearby garbage can and puked.

"This person is a monster," Ruby said afterward. "Because of the atrocities she's committing, and the fact that she's gleefully using someone else's identity to do it. It feels like she wants people to want to hurt Cinder. She has to be stopped."

But if a fake Cinder was running around, where was the real Cinder?

...

Ruby sat cross-legged on her bed in the train car, her scroll in hand. Weiss leaned against the wall, arms crossed, while Blake and Yang sat on the opposite bed, watching quietly. The tension in the room was palpable as Ruby prepared to make the call.

"She might not even answer," Ruby said softly, looking at the screen.

"She'll answer," Blake said, her tone steady. "She trusts you more than anyone else right now."

Ruby nodded and pressed the call button. After a few rings, the screen flickered, and Cinder's face appeared, with Emerald sitting beside her.

"Ruby," Cinder said, her voice soft but guarded.

Ruby managed a small smile. "I just wanted to check on you. How are you doing?"

Cinder hesitated, glancing at Emerald before replying. "I've been better. The false reports about me… they're everywhere. People are saying horrible things. That I killed a woman for her clothing. That I was at Haven Academy. None of it's true."

Ruby's expression softened. "I believe you. But I'm still worried about you, Cinder. The things people want to do to you… it's awful."

Cinder leaned back in her chair, her eyes darkening. "It doesn't matter. Salem will protect me."

Ruby hesitated, then asked, "If Salem really loves you, why is she making you put yourself at risk like this?"

Cinder seemed to stiffen. "She saved my life, Ruby. The least I can do is help her in return."

Before Ruby could respond, Emerald spoke up, her voice trembling. "Tell her the truth, Cinder. Tell her what Salem did to you."

Cinder shot Emerald a sharp look but sighed in defeat. "Fine. Salem… she used my grimm arm to punish me. She caused me pain because I failed her."

Ruby was shocked and disturbed by this. "Cinder, that's not love. That's abuse."

"It only happened once," Cinder said defensively, her voice wavering.

Ruby leaned forward, her voice firm. "It shouldn't have happened at all. The fact that she used your body to hurt you is terrifying. And this may not be the last time she hurts you. I'm scared for you. You're not safe with the public, and you're not safe at home with Salem."

Cinder's lips tightened, her voice growing colder. "I'll be safe as long as Salem protects me. That's why I need you to give me the relic."

Ruby's brow furrowed. "Why does Salem need it?"

Cinder hesitated before answering. "There are questions Salem needs to ask. One of them is… personal. Emotional for her."

"And after that?" Ruby pressed.

Cinder's gaze grew distant. "She'll use the relics to make the world a better place. A world where I rule. A world without the need for huntsmen."

Ruby shook her head, her voice heavy with emotion. "You only believe that because huntsmen and other people hurt you, Cinder. But Salem doesn't want to make a better world. She's manipulating you."

Cinder's expression faltered for a moment, but her defenses quickly seemed to snap back into place. "You don't understand. You'll never understand."

"I understand more than you think," Ruby said softly. "I care about you, Cinder. I really do. But I can't just give you the relic."

The two stared at each other through the screen, the silence thick with unspoken words. Finally, Cinder's voice broke through, quiet and filled with regret.

"Then I'll have to come and take it," she said. "I'm sorry, Ruby."

The call ended abruptly, leaving Ruby staring at the blank screen.

Yang spoke first, her voice low. "That didn't go how you wanted, did it?"

"No," Ruby whispered, tears welling in her eyes. "I just hope I can save her before it's too late."