I sat down beside Skye, he was still on his knees, face contorted in pain.

"Lie down Skye," Marina rushed towards us and we supported Skye till he was lying on his back.

Marina took out a small pocket knife and tore Skye's shirt from the collar to the centre. She pulled the cloth and gently removed the soaked cloth covering the wound.

I held back a sob at the sight of the wound. The bullet has pierced the skin, turning up the flesh. The wound was three inches from the shoulder and 1 inch from the armpit. My hands shook and tears blurred my vision, threatening to fall.

Marina inspected the wound, flashing a small torch to get a better look, the crimson flesh glowed neon under the light, I sucked in a breath as something caught my eyes. Marina moved the flashlight and it shone again, a faint glint. I placed my hand over her's and guided the torch.

Marina found the same thing and looked deeply. I sucked a shaky breath while I waited for her to finish her inspection. Marina is a nurse at the hospital under her father's tutelage, she doesn't have a college degree but still she works in the hospital.

She sighed, moving the torch away and I straightened up, seeking the answer in her eyes. Desperate tears were rolling down my cheeks, I don't want anything to happen to Skye. Not today, not tomorrow, not ever.

"The wound is shallow, the shi- shield created some sort of barrier that decreased its velocity. It is barely an inch deep," she said, "but I can't remove the bullet here, I will need to take him to the hospital."

My mouth open and closed like a fish, I was barely able to process anything.

"Wha-, what does that mean?" I mumbled, my voice sounding small, like a mouse.

"It means that nothing major is injured, the bullet it at the surface and he is not in danger," she ended and pushed herself off the floor and walked to others.

I took in a deep breath, but the tears still escaped my eyes like an unclosed tap. I stared ahead, at nothing in particular with my blurred vision.

Skye almost died today, because I couldn't bear the mistreatment, because I acted recklessly and provoked the officers.

'They have a gun against their head Ariel.'

'They have a gun against their head Ariel.'

Kai's voice rang in my ear as if he was standing just behind me, whispering this into my ear. A hand encased mine lying on my lap. I looked down and Skye's hand was wrapped around mine, he squeezed my hand and I moved my gaze to his.

I don't say anything, he can understand. He doesn't say anything, because he knows I can understand. We sat in a minute of silence, my weeping eyes and a sad smile curving his lips.

"I-, I thought that I-," I spoke, my voice thick and low with overwhelming emotions. He gave my hand another squeeze, warming up my cold hands that slowly lost its tremors.

"I was shot in the right shoulder, you should have used a little brain before crying so much," he said with a forced chuckle, his smile isn't fooling me. I can see the tension behind his eyes.

I dropped my gaze, lowering my eyes to avoid seeing the disappointment in his. "They- they know, everyone saw," I whispered, pulling my hand back from his.

Skye didn't say anything, because this time he had no words. The silence stretched on as I waited for his reproach, for him to yell at my foolishness but he said nothing. I moved my eyes to search his face and found an unreadable expression that I couldn't make out.

"You fought back, I am proud that you did," his reply made me snap my eyes to his, this was not what I was expecting. But I couldn't read the lie in his eyes either. When he gave me a small smile the weight from my shoulders evaporated, I know that whatever happens, he will always be by my side.

I reached my hand forward and gave him a light squeeze, expressing my gratitude. The calm bubble around us was broken and I was suddenly thrust into reality. My eyes widened and I frantically searched the scene around me. The officers were all down, lying on the floors with their eyes closed. I did a quick swipe and concluded that they were all thirty, but they were slumped at odd angles. Are they-

A shadow flickered beside me and I jumped in my spot, quickly turning around with a wine red knife. Zane sat down on the other side of Skye, his eyes inspecting Skye's wounds silently. I receded my weapon, my eyes wide at the fear that had gripped my throat a second ago. I thought-

My eyes again snapped to the officers, inspecting the bodies in an emergency. He was there, at the far side of the hall with two officers slumped around him. My hands shook slightly and I clutched them tight trying to put it all at the back of my mind, in the dark depth. But one glance at his face and it tried to return.

His eyes are closed.

I repeated the sentence in my head but it drew my gaze to my hands, they were covered in crimson and I knew that it wasn't my colour. I glanced back at the officers. Their eyes are closed.

"Are they-," I hesitated, my timid voice breaking before I could complete the sentence.

"No, just unconscious," Zane replied solemnly, his voice plain and devoid of emotions. I took in a sharp breath, for some reason the answer unsettled me, the prospect that they can wake up anytime sent a shiver up my spine. I mentally shook my head and diverted my focus to Zane.

-we will have to sneak you in through the back door," I caught the end of their conversation, Skye and Zane were whispering to each other. I swallowed and voiced the question," Why through the back?"

"There will be officers roaming the hospital, and by now they must know about us, and even if they don't we can't take the risk," he said, barely meeting my eyes. Something dropped to my stomach at his tone and I lowered my eyes further.

"Is Oreana okay?" Skye asked and I alerted him to his question. Oreana, she was hurt. My eyes scanned the area for a familiar blue-green hair. She sat on a chair, Marina kneeling before her to wrap a bandage around her leg. But a simple bandage won't do, her cut was deep, she will need stitches.

A sudden urge to approach her and help bandaging the others overtook me. Many, mostly everyone was injured in one way or another. I moved to stand but then I remembered something, all of this is because of me because I couldn't control my colours.

I sat frozen in my spot, my ears trying to discreetly pick up their whispers.

'What now? How will we ever escape?'

'It was our only chance and-'

'Now that they know about us they will become more strict, they will start punishing us again for unnecessary things.'

I moved my head away but then my eyes found the broken tablet, crushed under the officer's foot, just like our only attempt for freedom. I bring my attention back to Skye and clash eyes with Zane, he immediately drops his gaze and his eyes harden, I know he wants to say something, but the words don't pass his lips and he stands up, walking away.

I looked down at myself, two cuts on my arms and one stinging on my folded legs, but they weren't painful, the hand marks on my pale skin were. He left a stain on me.

"We need to get them to the hospital" Zane announces and all the eyes are drawn to him, "who wants-"

"No," Oreana speaks over him, her voice bolder than his, she starts to stand and Marina jumps up, trying to push her down but Oreana just shifts away from her, leaning on the chair and standing on her good leg.

"We are not done yet," Oreana yells loudly, her voice echoing with the burning determination in her eyes, "all is not lost. It was just the first attempt at freedom, and we will have countless more to make before we can reach there." I straightened up, fists curling tight.

"We all have made sacrifices, we all have undergone unauthorised oppression," the crowd roared in reply, she stepped forward leaving the chair.

"And we know that now. We know who the enemy is and we know that WE WILL DEFEAT HIM." My nose flared as fire coursed through my veins, igniting my colours as the energy saturated the air.

"Injustice never lasts long but determination does. And I know that everyone here has enough determination to escape from Urydale."

The fog was clearing from my head, the depressing thoughts thinning as the resolution became stronger with every yes that was whispered.

"But Sorin is leaving for Athesy, he will bring back more officers with him. The security will be tighter." Beckett questioned out.

"They haven't left yet?" Ian shifted forward, brows furrowed in confusion, it has been almost an hour they should have already been on the train.

"No we were keeping an eye here just like Oreana had said but Zuko called to tell us that they were preparing to leave,"

"I think they are going by the speed train, we know that Sorin won't travel in anything less," Zuko, a guy with short blond hair stepped forward.

"We might have a chance if they haven't left yet," Yasmin said. I wanted to contribute my thoughts too but I receded, biting my tongue to hold them back. The last thing they need is for me to contribute anything after what I have just caused.

"We can't take them all Yasmin, there will be more of them, we barely managed to fend off 30 of these officers," Oreana replied in a tight voice, reality touching her. She wanted to march against the government of Azure but she must be realising that they are not prepared yet.

"And what will be the benefit of stopping him from going to Athesy?" Zane questioned stepping forward.

"He is not just going to Athesy, he is going to Clauferry for an AceCrest game," I interjected, jumping to stand as my eyes brightened at the recollection.

'He is a chief guest at the game, there will be other board members too,"

"Ariel, what does that have to do anything with this,"

"The game at Clauferry is going to be the biggest AceCrest in Athesy at academy level. There are going to be thousands of people in the audience, about 50,000 people along with the media and the important guests," I explained, eyes wide and hands moving around to gesture.

"And?" Oreana promoted me to continue but the glint in her eyes said that the plan was already forming in her head.

"And we can expose Sorin there, we don't need any evidence, all we need is to show them that you all are colourless," I concluded with a breath.

"And the media will handle the rest," Beckett said, his lips curving into a smirk and I smiled back, a new burst of energy sizzling in the air.

"But how are we going to get there? He will leave in a speed train but we don't have any transport that is as fast as that," Ian asked the obvious question.

"Yes, a bike or a car won't get us across 300 kilometres," Zane spoke.

"Speed train, we can go on the speed train with him."