In another room, Eva was still on edge.

Benagher had long fallen asleep. Oh, the peacefulness that comes with the simple mind, she languorously thought. She softly kissed him on the forehead. “Thank you,” she muttered followed by: “I’m so sorry.”

She looked at her watch. She didn’t have much time. Ted would be up at 6 am, the place would be buzzing in preparation for his big announcement.

Eva swiftly made her way to the holding wing. There wouldn’t be anyone at this time, just the guards on duty… and she knew them well.

“I need to see Fiori Falx,” she told the guard.

“We are not to let anyone in.”

“I know, but I am not just anyone. Look, Ted plans to kill him. But I want to get to him first. He killed my father, I deserve revenge.”

“Ted’s not going to be happy.”

“The only person you should worry about right now, is me! I had a rough night. I am not going back to my room until I kill someone, so either you move out of the way, or I kill you.” Eva raised her hand.

The guard backed up and let her go through the door.

“Stupide man,” Eva muttered. “As if I would waste my time killing you.” But the door had closed before the guard could hear her.

Fiori was on the floor. At her feet. The room reeked of human waste.

His pitiful state cheered her up.

With a push of her boot, she flipped him onto his back.

That woke him up.

“Do you remember me?” she casually asked.

“Eva Marshall,” Fiori answered with clenched teeth.

“Good, I wasn’t sure how much damage I had done to your brain. Looks like you are doing well.”

“What do you want with me?”

“You killed my father; I will never forgive you!”

“Your father was a vile man.”

“I know!” she screamed. “But he was still my father! You had no right to kill him.”

“He got the death he deserved!”

“But what about me! What about the closure I deserved! He was mine to kill. I wanted to kill him. I was going to kill him! Why did you have to show up and screw it up for me!”

A heavy silence fell on the room.

It was finally broken by Fiori.

“You had your chances, but you chose to wait. You can’t spend your life waiting forever, Eva. There is no virtue in letting life pass you by. You must act while you can. You must seize the opportunity when presented. I am not sorry I killed your father. I am just sorry I didn’t do it before.”

“And I should have killed you when I had a chance. You and all your filthy friends.”

“And yet, you didn’t… and what are you faced with, now, Eva… a life a regret?”

“You have no rights to speak to me like that. Look at you, a dirty rat grovelling at my feet. Where is the proud man gone? Look at me in the eyes, and tell me… who’s standing above you, now, Fiori?”

“I am faced with despair. Not mine, yours. Your face is that of anguish. Your eyes tell me, you are already dead. Yet, look at me, the rat, still living… I do not need to be proud to live. I just need my purpose.”

“You make me sick!”

“Why did you come to me, in the middle of the night?”

“Because I am tired of waiting. It is as you said, I’ve been patient long enough. And since I am already dead, I have nothing left to lose.”

“Not even Benagher Ulrich Christiansen?”

“I will not lose him; it is him that will lose someone.”

“Not even Fenn?”

“Yes. Fenn I will lose, but I’ve never been any good to him. His life can only be better without me.”

“Then this is something that both of us can agree on!”

“I see you still have that sick sense of humor.”

“Always.”

It was a while before they spoke again, both contemplating their own misery. It was Eva who broke the silence.

“I saved you a piece of bread from dinner,” she said to the man at her feet.

“Poisoned?”

“I’ll let you decide.”

Fiori took the bread and very slowly nibbled on it.

The sight amused Eva.

“Tomorrow you will die. Ted will have you killed in a weapon demonstration.”

“Is that so?” Fiori spoke without a care.

Eva scratched her neck, there was a certain hesitation in her voice as she addressed her captive: “Make sure you die quickly. The quicker, the better. You don’t want to sustain any severe injuries.”

The hesitation mixed with the odd recommendation peaked Fiori’s attention.

“And if I die quickly?”

“That’s all you need to know,” the girl briskly replied.

“Right.”

“I need to go. But for the record. I still hate you. This isn’t for you.”

“I know… this is for Fenn, isn’t. Arghhhh, after all these years, you still kill me, Eva Marshall. You are a good person, Eva. You always had it in you, you know,” he said with exaggerated exasperation.

“Go fuck yourself!” was her only answer as she left the room.