Felix had no recollection of how long he lay motionless, enveloped in the heavy, comforting weight of sleep. He drifted aimlessly in his dreams, though he couldn't quite shake the nagging worry that something was wrong.

A sliver of ice cut through his dream, pressing down on his throat until his breaths came in strangled gasps. His eyes shot open and met with the sight of a figure looming over him, the blade of a knife pressed firmly against his throat. His hand moved before he could make out the face in front of him. The action was automatic: he grabbed the figure by the shoulder and shoved them off. The blade scraped his neck as it fell away. A sting pulsed in his neck, lacing across the path of the cut. With a hiss, he sat upright, gingerly touching the wound. It was superficial—barely any blood—but it still burned beneath the surface. Hurt, like his pride.

His attacker groaned, shuffling as they rose to their feet again. In the dark, he couldn't make out the face, but the sound of their footsteps was the same as that of the shorter guard—a heavier set, lulled by a slight limp.

A curse slipped through Felix's lips. Unsurprising, he thought bitterly. As the knife came swinging toward him again, he rolled out of the way. His wounded shoulder slammed into the hardwood floor beneath his pallet and he bit down on the cry that rose to the tip of his tongue. With a swift kick, he swiped the guard's legs out from under him. The guard collapsed heavily, gasping as the breath was knocked from his lungs. Felix scrambled to his feet and bolted for the entrance to Aiko's room.

Weak, amber light greeted him as he stumbled through the doorway. Aiko stood by the edge of her cot, holding a lantern in one hand. Her feet were already tucked away inside her boots, and her wild curls were wrangled into a long braid down her back. She lifted her head as soon as he entered and her eyes widened as they traveled down to his neck. "Fe—"

"We need to go," he gasped, brushing his hand against the cut again. There wasn't time for the striking look of pity in her eyes. "Now."

It took her a few seconds before she nodded firmly and raced to his side, carrying the lantern light with her. Inside, holed up behind walls of glass, the lantern's flame was oddly still. Its dance was slow and erratic. When he met her eye again, he found the same flame buried in the depths of her gaze. Determined, though it edged into an unfamiliar look. He shook the thought away, raking his fingers through his hair. There wasn't time to puzzle over it.

Felix glanced back to find the guard slowly rising to his feet. Gritting his teeth, he took Aiko's hand and raced for the stairs. His shoulder burned from the movement, screaming with each movement. He wasn't sure how long he had been asleep, but the numbing effect of the medicine seemed to have worn off completely.

Aiko squeezed his hand, pulling him to a stop in the middle of the staircase. As she spun around, he caught a glimpse of the guard at the foot of the stairs, glaring up at them with his knife in hand. Unfazed, Aiko squared her shoulders. "The Core is displeased with your actions," she muttered. Though the words were softly spoken, they carried an edge that was sharper than any blade.

From the way the guard stepped back, fear loosening the malice in his face, he had been sliced through. There was no blood, no weapon, and yet his face paled with the mask of death.

Raising the lantern high, Aiko threw it at the guard. It smashed right into his forehead, knocking him back several paces. The glass shattered as the lantern hit the floor, and the flame, now free of its prison, licked hungrily at the feet of the guard. Light flooded the whole area as the flames climbed higher, racing across the wooden floors with an eagerness that was almost alive.

"Go." Aiko shoved Felix's back, pushing him away from the flames that roared below.

He nodded. The last thing he saw before he fled to the floor above was the terror that masked the guard's face, his body rapidly being engulfed in the unruly, unforgiving wrath of the fire. All that came from his lips, however, was a string of curses.

As Felix lunged over the landing at the top of the stairs, the chaos faded behind him. Heat clung to his skin, and smoke clogged his throat, but the fire had yet to reach them. Rubbing at the wound in his neck again, he swept his gaze over the open space before them. The second guard was nowhere to be found, but the sight of the emptiness only made Felix's gut twist.

The hatch slammed shut over the stairwell with a bang. Aiko fumbled with the lock, her face screwed up in concentration. Pale, orange light flickered in her hazel eyes, stirred along with her flame. She pressed a hand to her temples as a slight hiss slipped through her lips. "I shouldn't have done that," she said, her voice wavering. "I should not have done that."

He swallowed against the cold indifference that clawed at his throat. Ice raked its merciless fingers across the cut in his neck, curling around him like a snake. Dutifully, he thrust that instinct aside. "You didn't have a choice," he said instead when he found his voice again. The phrase pricked his heart as bile rose in his throat. Even he knew it was a lie—one which only cowards believed.

The glare she thrust his way drove another sharp dagger through his heart. Still, she let it slide for the moment, dropping her gaze to the floor.

"I should have seen this coming," she went on as she pushed herself away from the hatch, swaying on her feet. Below, the guard's fists banged against it, and she winced each time the sound reverberated through the air. Her lips pursed as she stumbled back to Felix's side. Shaking her head, the uncertainty vanished, replaced by a hardened look. "No. Later."

"Later," he agreed and tucked his arm around her shoulders to steer her away from the hatch. The scent of smoke tainted the air, burning the back of his throat as the flames roared higher.

Although the idea of leaving the man to die in the fire wasn't that striking to Felix, it soured his tongue to think that Aiko had thought of it. Her desperation shattered her, driving her against a wall until she had no choice but to lash out violently. She had done it once before in his presence, only to sob bitterly about it later. Having witnessed it a second time, he couldn't help but wonder if this was not a new development.

The ashes of the forest beyond the broken wall resurfaced in his memories, and a shiver traced down his spine. The Core is displeased with your actions.

Maybe Dinah was right all along.

Wooden floors creaked beneath them as they dashed across the room. A small alcove opened up before them, revealing the ladder to the outside tucked against the back wall. Above them, the trapdoor was shut, but an inkling of light slithered through the cracks at its edges. Aiko pulled herself up the ladder first, shoving open the trapdoor when she reached the top of the steps. It slammed against the stone above with a heavy clank. Faint sunlight flooded the room, revealing a sky streaked with the pinks and orange of dawn. The rain had stopped, and the long night had finally come to a decisive end.

Light eased the tightness in Felix's chest, his fingers finally uncurling at his sides. Freedom lay just beyond the walls of the tower. Once they left the city behind, he could put it all behind him.

The moment was short-lived. As soon as Aiko climbed free, a hand reached out and snatched her away. Her yelp was cut off abruptly when she disappeared from sight.

A heavy stone dropped to the pit of Felix's stomach, shattering the brief dream that brushed past him. A cry froze on the tip of his tongue and he quickly swallowed it. No, he had to remain calm. Getting too worked up is how Nova got the best of you. Breathe. Keep your wits about you.

He spared his shoulder a glance before grabbing hold of the ladder. It was easier this time, now that he knew how to balance himself, but climbing seemed to take him hours. By the time he reached the top, his muscles ached from the effort and his shoulder—though he had done his best to avoid using it—burned at the edges of his wound. Yet, he couldn't stop.

There, standing across from the opening with both of Aiko's wrists clamped firmly in his hand, was the second guard. Morning light glinted across his golden sash; his head was held high and his face etched with pride. Aiko struggled against him, but he might as well have been a stone wall for how little he budged.

"Don't move," the guard growled. "Samuel will be here shortly to deal with you. I've already sent a signal back to the palace; there's nowhere for you to run, assassin."

Breathe. Think things through. Stiffening, Felix slowly eased himself out from the trapdoor, his gaze locked on the guard's. He shuffled back, tugging Aiko with him, but he made no move to reach for his sword. A smirk tugged at the corner of Felix's lip, though he quickly flattened it beneath his blank. There was a hint of nervousness and uncertainty beneath the guard's words. If he chose his words carefully, he could twist this situation around in his favor easily.

"Samuel?" Felix began, wetting his lips as he stopped to ponder the name. "Oh, you must mean the other soldier. Unfortunately, he's a little preoccupied at the moment."

The guard's eyes narrowed. Drawing his sword from its sheath, he pressed the blade to Aiko's neck. She flinched. "Then we'll do it this way. Stay put or I slit this girl's throat."

A sense of deja vu coiled thickly around Felix's mind, binding his frantic thoughts in its bitter taste. Cold settled over him; as empty as his blank, just like he was supposed to be. Beneath it all, something squirmed with wrongness. Even if the golden guards were under Ameris's command, why would they threaten Aiko? It was a sharp turn from the respect they had showered her with the night before.

Breathe. Think things through. Felix felt for one of the knives tucked away in the folds of his cloak. "What a strange way to threaten me. Aren't I the assassin that came here to kill her? Aren't you her loyal subordinate? It seems to me that you've got yourself turned around, friend."

Nervousness flitted clearly across the guard's face for the first time as his eyes darted away. The final shreds of his confidence broke down, exposing the conflict beneath the surface. His jaw clenched and he lifted the sword to press the edge against Aiko's skin. "Don't move," he chirped, weaker this time. "I'm under strict orders from Regent Ameris: you are not permitted to leave this place."

"I'm not sure any of us are going to want to stay here much longer." Felix gestured to the trapdoor. Thin tendrils of smoke drifted through the opening, a warning of how rapidly Aiko's flame had grown. "This place is subject to the punishment of your Ember Core. I suggest you wrap this up before the fire spreads."

At the mention of the Core, the guard's gaze snapped to Aiko. The sword drifted away from her, though he still clung tightly to her wrists. Hesitation quickly fell away in the face of anger. He twisted Aiko's arms until she cried out. "You wench! What have you done?"

Aiko lifted her head, brazenly facing the guard's sharpened glare with a cruel smile. "You have disrespected the Core," she stated. "The flames will eat away at this place until there is nothing left. Ameris should learn not to interfere with my game, and he should treat my players more kindly."

For a split second, the guard seemed to recoil in fear of her words. It quickly dissipated as he lifted the sword again—as if he had forgotten its weight in the first place—and his expression hardened with an intent Felix knew all too well. "If you really wish to punish someone, punish the assassin. He came here to stir up trouble in our kingdom. Everything Regent Ameris does is for the good of Niveus and for our people! If spilling your blood and ending the cursed Cennín line is how we benefit, then so be it."

His words struck a cord deep within Felix's core, like a breath of air that stirred his weak flame to life. A ringing flooded his ears, paired with a pressure that settled at the base of his skull. Before he could even process the movement, he had flung the knife at the guard's chest. It plunged straight through the golden sash, settling firmly in his flesh. The guard cried out, fumbling backward at the impact. Felix gave him no time to recover. He lunged toward him, wrenching his hand away from Aiko and slamming him against the parapet that bordered the watchtower's edge.

A storm gathered in the guard's dark eyes, dulled by pain and stained with fear. Blood seeped into the shimmering fabric of his sash; crimson swallowing up the brilliant gold the way the horizon masked the sun when night fell. He said nothing, though he didn't have to. Those without blanks had no need of words to speak—their expressions did it for them.

You know, don't you? he seemed to say. You're being played for a fool.

The look was aggravating, regardless of whether or not Felix read it properly. With a growl, he yanked his knife free of the man's chest, only to slam its back end into the side of his head. Darkness quelled the storm in the guard's eyes before his body fell limp—empty. All it took was a push to send him toppling over the edge.

The body crashed into the ground with a resounding crack. Nausea washed over Felix as he lurched back from the edge. He clamped his jaw shut, swallowing hard against the bile that clung to his throat. His hands trembled as he glanced down at them, afraid to shift his fingers for fear of the familiar, sticky sensation he might find between them. The scarlet stains appeared on his hands for the first time in a while; they flooded his senses with the coppery scent of blood and left a slick feeling that clung to his skin like oil. He couldn't tell this time if it was real or not, but it didn't matter either way.

Thirty-five.

Drawing in a shaky breath, he turned to Aiko, who stared numbly at the place where the guard had been. Whatever madness had come over her—fanning the fire within her until she was forced to smash the lantern and boldly proclaim the righteousness of the Core—had dissipated. Reality dampened her flame. From the way her hazel eyes widened, hands flying to cover her mouth, she felt the same sickness within her that he did.

Again, he glanced down at the knife in his hand. It dragged on his arm with a weight that didn't match its small size. Droplets of blood slid from the tip, pooling at his feet. That number would have belonged to her, a small voice whispered in the back of his mind. Her blood would have paid the price so easily. You wouldn't be here right now had you simply done as you were told.

Frustration welled up inside him until it choked him, as sharp and bitter as the smoke which had slowly begun to dissipate. Desperate to be rid of the heaviness, he threw the knife as hard as he could. It zipped away, dipping in an arc until it vanished somewhere in the forest below them. The moment it left his hand, the voice fell silent and the ringing in his ears dulled to a quiet static.

"We need to go," he whispered, turning away from the view. At his side, his good arm trembled with exhaustion. Though he had slept, he wanted nothing more than to collapse again. Unable to trust his legs to support him, he drifted to the side of the tower beside Aiko, leaning against the parapet.

"The fire has gone out." Aiko dragged a hand over her face with a sharp hiss. Shaking her head, she ducked to avoid his gaze, threading her fingers through the loose curls that frame her face. "They're both dead. It's my fault. I... I let her take over again."

Heavy silence followed. Slowly, the weight of her words settled and his breath caught in his throat. "Who, Aiko? Who... took over?" Despite the sliver of fear that trailed down his spine, he managed to keep his voice level as he spoke.

With a gasp, she snapped her head up, her eyes alight as if she had said something she shouldn't have. She searched his face, pressing her lips into a thin line. Sunlight spilled over the line of trees behind her, illuminating her in its fiery warmth. Even battered and dirty, dressed in the simple garb of a soldier, she still possessed a powerful, regal aura when bathed in the light. It took his breath away as he stood silently, waiting for her to speak.

Her gaze slipped away as she sank back against the parapet beside him. "The Core," she finally said. "The Ember Core has its claws in my soul."

After I finished writing this chapter, I realized Felix probably has matching cuts on both sides of his neck now. I'm sorry, Felix. Everyone is being so mean to you T^T

Mostly me. I'm the mean one.

Anyway, see y'all next week! :D