“Nothing ever goes the way I think it should. Yet I still win in the end. Why do you think that is?”

(«^») Iris Exurrana

8E/438Y/12M/39D 10:00 AM

I held onto Aurora's hand tightly as we rushed over to the train to Faer. The trains in Saela left every hour, so we had to be quick.

And we had to avoid the darkness gang. Going out in Saela was dangerous because of what I did earlier that day. I knew the consequences. But anything to help cripple the Fox People was worth it.

We rushed past the condensed district eventually making our way to the part of the city that had actual buildings. Everything was a blur of forgotten faces, and dark woods. The city was quiet, calm, collected, and peaceful.

People stared as ran from roof to roof, carrying Aurora, but none of them complained. Instead they chose to leave me be and carry on with their slow, careful lives.

“Jump!” I set Aurora down as I kept running, and then leapt onto the boarding station, and rolling back into a standing position.

Aurora wasn't far behind. I caught her and spun her around instinctively to make sure she didn't her herself from landing too hard. I took her hand and led her inside the train.

I sat down with her and took a few deep breaths to calm my racing heart.

“So… what's the plan..?” Aurora whispered to me. I shook my head at her and nodded to one of the cameras. She just nodded, and rested her head on my chest.

I leaned back and closed my eyes. “Aurora.”

“Yeah?”

“What do you think it means to live?”

“I'm… unsure. Freedom, maybe?”

“Freedom, huh…”

“I don't think being locked away, or having your choice stripped from you is living… to live is to live your own life, not a life someone forces on you.” Aurora spoke calmly.

“Do you feel free right now?”

“As free as I'll ever be in this world. Living a life like this seems to be as free as it gets. What about you? What do you think living means?”

“I think it's happiness. To live is to be happy.”

“Are you happy?”

I looked up at the prismatic sky through the glass ceiling, mixed in with pinks, oranges, reds, and yellows, “In this very moment? Sitting here with nothing but you and myself, yes.”

Aurora smiled at me, “Good.”

(«^») ???E/???Y/???M/???D ??? ???

I woke to the feeling of cinders and ash filling my lungs. I was in my bed, and all around me were red flames that seemed to run on pure hatred, rapidly spreading like a plague, seeking to burn my very existence.

It wasn't in my nature to panic. In fact I expected this.

I prepared for it.

For the first time in my life I felt adrenaline pumping through my body. For the first time in my life I didn't feel slow and sluggish. My mind was as sharp as the blade I trained to use every single day of my life. My brothers might've been “heroes" but none of them were trained killers.

I pulled the blade from under my bed and burst through the door, flames licking my body dangerously. “Chance!” I yelled out into the chaos.

The air was filled with the bitter song of steel against steel, cries of pain, and a lingering sense of death. The entire fort was lit aflame.

“Chance, please!” She had to be alive. I wouldn't accept it if she died.

“Iris!” To my left I heard her call my name. I ran in that direction. The air was filled with thick smoke, and for a moment I was basically blind. I ran until the smoke cleared and Chance was in view. Sanguina was on the ground, bleeding. Chance herself had multiple wounds, two of my brothers were circling her, their names long forgotten. I ran on the wall towards them and jumped. I spun in the air and kicked the one closest to me into the wall, and threw my sword, pinning him to the wall through his neck. I rolled right next to him, and pulled the sword out and straight down cutting into the side of the other one as he turned to look at me. He recoiled a little, and he tried piercing my heart. I swung my sword in a circle, throwing his spear to the side, and in the same motion I cut his leg in half. He collapsed and I stabbed him through the heart to kill him.

“Chance, Sanguina, we need to run! There's no point in us fighting them, let them kill themselves off!”

“Iris… you're gonna have to carry Sanguina…” Chance’s breathing was slow and heavy.

Without question, I picked her up in both arms, trying my best to be gentle. “Chance can you keep up..?”

“Yes… go, now!” I gave her a nod and started running.

We didn't get far before worst came to worst…

Through the smoke I couldn't see anything, and I was surprised by three spear like arrows bursting through the smoke. Two through Chance and one through me and Sanguina. The force of it knocked me onto the floor before I even realized what had happened.

I yelped in pain as the arrow pinned me to the floor and blood spewed from my mouth. For a moment I felt lightheaded and dizzy. The world slowly faded from view and was replaced by the darkest night I would ever know. My senses were still there but they distant. Something to be slowly forgotten as I drifted in nil and shadow. I could hear the rush of wind, screams, pleas for forgiveness, others begging for their life. I could feel the energy pumping through my body, splashes of blood soak into my skin, my sword in my hand, and every wound I would suffer. I paid them no heed. I just let myself go, I let myself plunge into the darkness to forget everything.

I didn't want to be a part of it. I wanted out. But they never gave me that option. So I made sure they would never have the ability to choose again.

When I woke I reeked of blood and ash. Before me stood mother, her face unreadable as always. She simply asked, “Why?”

There was a long silence before I answered, “Their greed extended to my life, to yours, to my sisters’... If I let them have it I wouldn't be able to live with myself in my next lives. I did it because they brought ruin upon us, and would only bring ruin to the world. The world I love so much.”

That was the only time I saw my mother smile. It was a sad sm ile. But a smile nonetheless.

“Reasons of a good Matron. Congratulations, Iris.”