// Chapter 44 \\

"You've always been a traitor!" Seonghwa roared from where he stood.

His golden armor glowed in the hall, despite the blood that covered him. His black hair was a mess, haphazard about his face. But his dark golden eyes peaked through. They were slits of the beast that lay dormant within him. If Gardenia still wasn't pinned under me, he would've surely used his second form to tear me to pieces.

I didn't speak, my mouth agape only for a moment before I closed it. He was right. I'd always been a traitor. But so was she.

I looked down at Gardenia. Some time, in the midst, she'd changed the silver armor attire into an innocent baby blue dress. Not a speck of blood was on her, save for the drops that fell from me. She was gazing at me while she sobbed. Among eye contact, her eyes widened before she cried harder than she had been before.

Then live a life of Hell.

"Save me." She sobbed weakly but loud enough for Seonghwa to hear.

That seemed to be Seonghwa's motivation to make the first move. The golden wings of a dragon formed from his back before he was soaring towards me, golden light burning in his hands.

I clenched onto the spear and turned to run, but I then felt all the pain I'd managed to block before and the weight of my wings returned.

I winced and stumbled. It was too much. I'd let go of the spear and it clattered to the floor before I fell also. I breathed heavily, eyeing the spear and how far away it was before I turned to see Seonghwa swooping down towards me and he thrusted his magic my way.

But the white that took up my vision didn't hurt and when I could see once more. I wasn't in the same room I'd been in before.

I spared myself a couple of breaths as my heart erratically beated in my chest. I let my panic dwindle into a small sliver of calmness before I sat up with a wince to take in the room.

I was in some kind of singular sparring room. The stone beneath me was black, a circular padding for the rotunda. The walls were a dark purple, glowing slightly magenta from the drop off that surrounded the circular pad. The faint sound of fire could be heard in the dark and quiet room. I looked up to an arch entryway, a black stone sculpted depiction of the harpy eagle flew over it and gazed at the entryway.

I was still in Dusk Court, but the powers of the Jumper had saved me once more. The powers I'd taken from Mingi.

I couldn't stop the tears when they stung my eyes. I couldn't stop as they slipped down my cheeks and my sobs escaped me. I pulled my knees to my chest and buried my head within my arms as my sobs grew.

Everything hit me at once. All the events, what I'd done, what I was supposed to do, remembering— Mother, Aurora, San, Wooyoung. The Crescent— Night, I would have to destroy everything that I knew. I would have to destroy everything I loved. But it's too late now, isn't it? I'd already murdered many. I'd already begun to destroy it. It was too much.

I was alive. I didn't want to be alive.

Now, I remembered everything and I didn't want to remember everything. I didn't want the Crescent. I didn't want to be the savior. I didn't want to be enemies with the broken world I'd come to know and love. But everything I ever wanted was always twisted and taken away from me.

I wanted to prove myself to our parents: I had to compete with Aurora.

I wanted to be better than my sister; I became the chosen one.

I wanted motherly love; my Mother never let me have it.

I wanted to see my Father; he was already never around.

I wanted San; Wooyoung punished us both for that.

I wanted to believe I was a part of the broken world; the glass had been removed and I remembered.

I wanted the glass back so I could forget; the glass was already gone.

I wanted to be rid of the Crescent; that fate was already set in stone.

"Star?" A familiar voice came.

I inhaled a breath at the use of my Monarch name and sobbed. I finally knew what my actual name was. I wished I didn't know.

"Star, what's wrong?" I could hear the dashing steps of Elara as she came running towards me.

I didn't look up but I quieted my sobs. It was a long moment before I felt warm tender hands take my shoulders and helped to lift me off the ground and stand. I sniffed as I gazed down at the foggy pearls of Elara's eyes. She was covered in blood, but the look on her face was solemn. I could tell she was trying to remain calm.

She was hesitating as she spoke, "They say you struck Igneous from the air... that he's dead." She paused for a while and the pain in her face finally showed. "What happened?"

I couldn't even manage words as hiccups made their way through me with another sob. 'Too much' I wanted to say, but I didn't.

"Star, please," Elara's voice was desperate as she gently shook my shoulders, asking quietly, "Why are you crying?"

"Many things." I barely managed after a few sobs. I sniffed once more.

Elara stared at me with a sad look for a long moment before she shook it off. "You can tell me later. Right now, we have to get out of here."

She was right. Somewhere in this Court, Gardenia still lingered and the dragon pawn that wouldn't want anything more than to exact his wrath upon me. We needed to leave and I had the ability of the Jumper. I could teleport anywhere, but why would I? The burden of memories and expectations was pure suffering that was more than the physical pain I endured. Why would I leave when I could just end it here?

"No." I gently took Elara's hands from my shoulders and placed them together in front of her. "You go."

"What?" She furrowed her brows. She was confused. The Menkalinan, one of the greatest Knights of Night Court now Captain of the Guard. I wish I'd gotten to be better friends with her before everything became Hell.

I squeezed her hands, "You'll grow in amazing feets. Maybe even become the High Monarch of Night Court."

I let go of her hands and quickly danced out of her reach when she threw a hand out to grab me. Elara shouted something in warning but I didn't hear it.

I turned and ran out of her reach towards the side of the sparring dish. I ran towards the gap from between black stone and purple wall, where a pit of fire lay beneath. I braced myself, ready to leap off the edge and let the flames claim me. I would let all the life of my monstrosity vanish. It would be for the better.

My feet were ready to jump off of the ground—

Live.

Suddenly, my feet found their placement and would not move an inch forward or off of the ground. I stabilized myself just in time but some of my momentum had my upper body lunging forward to peer at the orange wicked flames down below. I could feel the heat touching my skin, beckoning me, but something in me wouldn't do it.

"Star!" Elara took my arm and yanked me from the edge and whirling me around. Her face showed a bit of anger, but it was mostly concern, "What were you thinking?"

I shook my head, "You don't even know, Elara."

"Then let me know." Elara's hand cupped the side of my face as an emotion clearly shone in her eyes.

I tried to smile, but it faltered, "Take care of Night Court, Elara."

"No!" Her voice was a firm command. Her face was in pain and a tear slid from her eye, "Please, tell me."

"Telling you will only destroy what you feel about me."

"It won't, Star!" Elara shook her head, removing her hand from my face. She shook her head before she said. "I love you. Nothing can stop that."

"There is one thing that can stop that."

"No there isn't—"

"Can't you see it?" My voice turned cold. "I'm one of them."

Elara's eyes widened. If she hadn't seen it before, she was seeing it now: I was a Taker. I took her shock as my chance. I bored into those foggy eyes of reflections with my gifts and made myself step backwards.

Live.

The brutal force of the command within me returned. But, somehow, I still sent the command into Elara's eyes and it still reflected into mine. I walked backwards until there was nothing beneath me.

"Star— STAR!" But Elara's scream quickly echoed into the distance.

Live. Live! LIVE!

I fell into the pit, flames licking at my vision.

LIVE! LIVE! LIVE!

I closed my eyes as they did and focused on the sounds of their flickers that would burn me.

LIVE! LIVE.

My skin bursted in searing pain.

LIVE...

Everything went dark.

// THE END \\

Credits Song // Free Fall by Ok Goodnight

|| TO BE CONTINUED IN BOOK THREE ||

\\ DAY \\