THE WARD

I can't help myself but relish the small victory against Micah. I've been hunted down, and forced into hiding, and all the while the man I've given myself completely has betrayed me.

That alone leaves a mix of bitterness and pain in its wake.

With one final choked-up garbble Micah gives his final breath, slumping on the floor, bloodied and in my eyes, nothing more than a bug to be squashed beneath the sole of my foot.

Taking my eyes off the vermin on the floor, I look up at the people gathered in the lofty, and yet depressing temple. Its stone dark walls are adorned with macabre carvings that I cannot make sense nor do I want to. Their garb is clean, and almost resembles that of royalty. They look at me with expressions varying from anger, to shock, and disdain and a small fraction look a me with astonishment.

I spot Nadia in the crowd, her attire is the only thing that distinguishes her from the rest of the crowd. Her red garb is the only one of that colour and it stands to reason that she is the next in line. My next hunter, and when she will die I'm sure another one will rise to do just the same.

But for now, I have something else in mind, a bit of cat and mouse game.

" Boo," I taunt, taking a step forward. The crowd gasps and recoils, budding against each other. It reminds me of penguins when they try to keep warm during a particularly bad blizzard. It was just a test to see how they perceived me.

A metallic glint catches my eye and I notice the band that was meant to sit on my head and drive the last nail into the door to my freedom. It fell out of Micah's hand when I stabbed him in the neck. That memory, albeit fresh, just like the stench of his blood puts a smile on my lips.

Mason is silent, observing.

" Vid-"

" Don't you even fucking dare," I cut him off because he has been lying to me this whole time. He has been keeping secrets from me. He brought me here. I take a deep breath because now it's not the time to crash and burn.

" Just so you know I'll burn this place with all of you in it. Cut the evil from its root sort of thing. Run my liitle mice," I taunt before unleashing the worst I have to offer. It has been a long time coming. My faith in humanity is now obliterated. My belief is that in spite of what we say and do, deep down human nature, at its core is selfish and set upon tainting all that is good and pure. Because it doesn't fit their ideals, because otherwise is of no use to them, and sometimes it is only just because.

" See you in hell, Mason," And with that, I finally let go of all the rage festering inside me. Expanding in violent shock waves, unlike anything I've been capable of so far. The earth beneath my feet begins to tremble, cracks appear in the walls of the temple, and panic ensues. They begin to scream and scramble every each way, the only one that stands, unmovable is Mason.

A flash of light catches my eye, and I know that is Shay taking Graham to safety.

Chunks of rocks begin to break away and fall, causing more damage to the temple. There will be nothing left when I'm done even if I'm going to go with it.

A gaping fissure appears in the ground, stretching wide and far, beyond my line of sight. The screaming never ceases. Trapped underground, like rats, they look for a way out. They won't make it out. None will.

Candles fall to the ground, a few sconces break away from the wall, and the fire begins to spread quickly fueled by melted wax. It burns searingly hot, its sweltering heat pelts my skin, and the conviction that I'm doing the right thing by destroying the temple and its followers requires no justification.

In all that chaos, lush vegetation begins to bloom at my feet, it is thick, cooling the air around me and I know that it's Mason, his powers are coming into full effect. I don't know why is it happening at this very moment, but Timeea's confession leads me to believe that he is the cause of the unnatural occurrence. Perhaps is another thing that has kept hidden from me, and I hate not knowing things.

Leaves wilt and die rapidly at my feet and around me, but as soon as they die, new ones replace them, thicker, and more resistant to the heat in the temple, and the flames licking at the crumbling walls and my feet.

The walls begin to cave in on themselves, and I take that as my cue to leave. This is problematic since I have no idea where the exit is, and even if I did there is a good chance it has sealed itself off with debris.

Creating a pocket in reality is a solution. If only the temple would stop shaking and falling apart one boulder at a time. I have no idea how that would affect the pocket.

Mason gives me a long sidelong look, while I make my decision.

" Lily," He shouts over the roaring fire and the sound of crashing boulders.

" Don't, " That is all I have to say before I slip into the pocket and out of the temple, and into an evergreen forest. It looks familiar, and it makes me wonder if these pockets in reality that I've been making aren't in fact pockets at all. I look around myself, the seals are still very much attached to me. Dull pain begins to register over the raging anger inside of me. At that moment, anger is the only thing that fuels me.

The forest is silent, and I find it suffocating all of a sudden. I refuse to let myself think of him and everything else that happened. It has deviated the axis of my world so much so that now I'm drifting into an endless void of desolation.

Right now is imperative that I find a way to manipulate these pockets to create a pathway rather than a haven. It is a learning curve, and a very sharp one since I've harnessed my abilities only to inflict pain and make vicious kittens that absolutely hate Eric.

It has served its purpose so far but it's time to explore some more. Grow out of the box I've put myself in, and become something more than just a girl, that allows herself to be a victim of fate.