"You really are stupid." She snorted. "The poison really messed with your head." She pressed the knife harder to my throat.

"Maybe. Or maybe not."

"Then you're just stupid."

"Check my pocket. On the right side."

"If this is any..."

"Just check it." I interrupted her.

She did as I told her and took out the vial with the antidote from there.

"What is this?" She frowned.

"Antidote to that poison from the chip. Take it."

"You think I'll take something from you?" She scoffed. "Do you think I'm that naïve?"

"I have no reason to lie to you."

"What about this knife?"

"I gave it to you. I untied you. Why do you think I did that?"

"I don't know and I don't care."

"Then kill me."

"Lyssa!" I heard Killian again.

"Honey, this is between the girls." Nyx said without looking at him. "You should leave if you don't want to see your girlfriend bleed to death."

"Killian, shut up." I can say for sure that he does not like my behavior.

"You heard her. Now Eris, any last words?" She raised an eyebrow.

"You're wrong. I didn't get anything handed to me. I had to earn everything like everyone else. I didn't have any advantages."

"Bullshit."

"You think I'm perfect and flawless? Look at me. The moment I left the white snakes I was a wreck. I couldn't sleep because of nightmares where I saw people I was killing. I couldn't even move when I had panic attacks."

"Poor Eris. Do you want me to feel sorry for you?"

"I want you to realize that everything that organization represents is bad."

"And what do you expect me to do? I'll hug you and we'll be best friends? Of course Eris, let's go get a manicure together."

"What do you think will happen when you come back? Do you think they'll respect you? You're just another pawn in someone's game. They don't care about you. They don't care about anyone."

"It's getting boring." She yawned.

"What's going on here!" I heard Luna walk into the room and look at Nyx in horror. "Let her go."

"Luna, stop it. Nyx, you know I'm right. You feel it deep down somewhere. There's nothing right about training little girls who don't have a home. They've brainwashed us and turned us into weapons. We're nothing to them. You say I'm a traitor and a coward, but you take orders from someone who doesn't even know your name, and you don't even question them."

"We were trained that way."

"Exactly! But we were only kids! They put their rules and orders into our heads. They experimented on us like animals and tortured us. They took away our freedom. Do you think that's right? Tell me that what they did to us is right, and I'll cut myself with that knife."

She knows I'm right. I can see it in her. Even if she doesn't want to admit it. She knows that what they did to us was not right. No child should have to go through that. No human being.

"So cut my throat and go back to them. But I can tell you right now it won't change a thing. Yes, they see me as a threat. You know why? Because they know I'm going to come after them. That I'm going to kill every single one of them, so another child didn't have to suffer the way we did. And they're afraid. They're afraid because they know what I'm capable of. I've blown up buildings with hundreds of people inside and not even blinked. I've burned dozens of people alive and not broken a sweat. I won't stop until I get every head that ruined the life of me and hundreds of thousands of girls. I may die today by your hand or tomorrow by some other way. But at least I'll die with the fact that I tried to make a difference. If you can't find good in the world, try to find it in yourself."

"I'm no hero."

"And I am? I'm just a person. I'm just trying to make a difference. So that I can sleep peacefully at night." Tears welled up in my eyes, and for the first time I didn't feel like they represented weakness.

"This doesn't mean anything." She pulled the knife away from my neck and stepped back. She looked at the bottle in her hand and hid it in her pocket. "I still hate you." She said before walking past Killian and Luna.

"No!" I stopped them when they wanted to stop her. "Let her go."

"Eris." Luna gave me a warning look.

"Let her go." I looked at Killian. "Trust me." I whispered.

"Go before I change my mind." He ducked out of her way and so did the security guard at the door.

She took one last look at me and thought before running out of the cell.

"Do you realize what you have done?" Luna scolded me.

"We two have changed, why can't she?"

"Because it's Nyx!" She raised her voice at me. "You just killed us all. Congrats." She turned and left.

"And you?" I turned to Killian. "What are you going to tell me?"

"That you did what you thought was best."

"And was is?"

"If we're not dead by tomorrow, then yes. But just so you know," he walked closer to me.

"Let me guess. Something happens to your family and I'm dead. I get it."

"No." He stopped right next to me, his expression still unreadable. "You're going to put yourself in a near-death situation like that again, and I'm going to tie you to something."

For a moment, I stopped at his words.

"Is that a threat or a promise?"

He reached for my neck and ran over the place where the knife had been a few minutes ago.

He looked up from my neck and looked straight into my eyes. "Both."



"Don't forget your food, Finn." I yelled at him as he left the kitchen without his snack.

"Oh thank you." He returned to the kitchen and took a snack from the kitchen unit, which he put in his school bag.

"And come straight home after school." I reminded him.

"Yes. Yes. I heard you the first time. Have a good time!" He yelled before slamming the front door.

"Do you think he'll come right after school?" I asked Val who was sitting on the floor in front of me while I braided her hair into two braids.

"Nope." She laughed. "He's going somewhere with his friends."

"I thought so." I laughed. "You're done." I pulled away from her.

"Thank you." She turned to me and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Of course." I smiled. "Val, why are you wearing a sweatshirt?" I frowned. "It's hot in here. Take it off."

"No, it's fine." She was shaking her head too quickly.

"Val." I warned her. "What are you hiding?"

"You promise not to be angry?" She lowered her head.

"Val, don't test me."

Without another word, she took off her blue sweatshirt and I caught sight of a bruise on her arm.

"What happened?" I looked at the bruise in horror. I touched it carefully so I wouldn't hurt her.

"It was an accident."

"Did someone do this to you? Val, did someone hurt you?"

"He didn't mean it that way."

"Was it one of your classmates?" My jaw clenched. When she didn't answer, I guessed her answer. "We're going to school. Now." I stood up from the couch.

"No, please." She tried to stop me.

"School is supposed to be a safe environment, Valentina. This doesn't look like it. We're going to school. Now." I said more sternly and started walking towards the door with her on my heels.

I can't believe I could have missed this. After all, I have to protect my little sister. It's my job.

I opened the door but stopped when I noticed someone standing there, ready to knock.

Val yelped and hid behind me when she noticed him.

"What are you doing here?" I said between my teeth. If Val wasn't here, I'd knock his teeth out.

"I came to....I came to apologize." Our father said.

"Val, go upstairs." I ordered her and she immediately obeyed. She ran up the stairs to her room and locked herself in there. "You have the audacity to come here. You're not welcome here. I hope you know that if Val wasn't in the house, our conversation would be different."

"I just want to apologize. To all of you." He swallowed hard.

"Shove your excuse up your ass. You want money? Get it elsewhere." I tried to close the door but he stopped me by putting his hand there.

"Can I talk to everyone? Please."

"If you were even a little bit of a father, you'd know they're all in school. They're studying so they don't end up like you. Now put that arm down before I break it." Every part of my body told me not to just let him go. He deserves to suffer.

"I know what I did was wrong..."

"Don't come at me with this shit." I interrupted him. "I'm not a kid who's going to believe it."

"I just want to see my kids. I have the right to that. I'll go to court if you don't let me see them."

"And you think they'd give them to you after you almost killed Finn? Go away because if you say anything else I'll bust your mouth."

"We're not seeing each other for the last time." He said before turning and starting to walk away.

I immediately took my cell phone out of my pocket and dialed a number. When he picked it up, I immediately started talking.

"I need full custody of my siblings. Now. I don't care what I have to do."

"I'll meet you at Nancy's bar in an hour."

*

"Where are you going dressed like this?" I stopped by Lyssa who noticed me as I walked out of the study and headed for the front door.

"If you haven't noticed, I have one of the biggest mafias under my thumb. That means I can't sit on my ass for days. I've already missed a lot."

If it wasn't for Kai, everything would probably fall apart. I have to thank him properly when I get back.

"Oh. I almost forgot." She frowned. "Good luck then." She shrugged and turned on the spot. She started walking somewhere in the living room and I couldn't help but follow her. I found her already sitting on the couch. "I thought you had a mob to run."

"Are we okay?" I completely forgot that I was supposed to be somewhere. It seems insignificant.

"I think so." She laughed. "Why?"

"I don't know." I looked at the place where she stood a moment ago and back at her. "That seemed strange to me."

"No?" She narrowed her eyes. "I don't know where you're going with this."

"I just..." I shook my head. "Sorry. It's nothing." I rubbed my eyes.

"Are you feeling okay?" I heard her standing up and her steps heading towards me. She grabbed my hand that was on my face and took it down. "Is something wrong?"

"All this seems a little..."

"Weird?" She cut me off. "Strange?"

"Yes." I exhaled heavily.

"I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels that way." She laughed. "Look, you have work to do now, but we can talk about this later."

I don't know if I will be able to do anything.

"Okay, sure."

"Okay." She nodded and smiled.

"What are you going to do after I leave?" Why can't I just leave it at that and go do my job?

"Well Luna isn't talking to me, Finn is locked in a room, Kai is dealing with some phone calls and I don't want the next one near me."

The next one? I'm guessing it's supposed to be Sebastian.

"So you're going to be okay?"

"You know, I'm an adult. I don't need you holding my hand all day. I'll be fine."

"You have a knack for finding yourself in bad situations, you must understand my concerns."

"I understand that." She smiled. "But I'll just sit on the couch. Nothing can go wrong. That is, unless Nyx comes back with thirty other people and sets this place on fire."

"That really calmed me down. I'm not going anywhere." I started to take off my jacket but she stopped me.

"Killy." She laughed. "I'm kidding." She put my jacket back on properly. "You go wherever you're supposed to go. I'll handle it here."

"Text me every half hour."

"Every hour?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Half hour." I repeated.

"Fine." She rolled her eyes. "Now go." She put her hands onto my chest and pushed me. "Now."

"Okay, okay." I chuckled and started walking away from her. Which I didn't liked very much. It was a strange feeling to leave her here. I spent most of the last few days with her alone. I got used to her.

I sat in the car and as I started it, I got a text.

I took my cell phone out of my jacket and looked at it. A smile immediately appeared on my face when I read it.

Eris: I'm still alive ;)

I quickly clicked on her name and changed it to Lyssa.

Me: I was already scared.

Lyssa: I thought so.

*****

Don't know bout everyone, but I start school tomorrow. So wish me good luck, because I know, I'll need it. ;)

Hope you enjoyed. <3