"Do you have any allergies?" Oliver asked. Walking down the corridor, cloudy skies shone through the tinted glass. He tapped the pen on his clipboard, deep bags under his eyes. What really happened last night? I frowned at the pixelated carpet. Blues, purples, brown; a mess of little squares. I don't know what to make of any of this.

Oliver raised his eyebrows. "Phyn? Are you going to answer the question?"

"Allergies?" -I rubbed the back of my neck- "I don't think so." Oliver checked something off his list, the blue light over his serious expression. I took a breath. "Are we really just going to ignore what happened at the party?" I dragged my feet to a stop.

Oliver marked his place on the clipboard, raising his head. "Are you taking any medications?"

I rolled my eyes."Apparently, you're just going to ignore me," I huffed.

Oliver avoided my glare, a death grip on his list. "We have to get through this," he said. Something's really wrong.

I pushed the clipboard out of his face. "Oliver? What...happened when I left?"

"Why would you think something happened?" His lips in a fine line, he looked right through me.

"Cause you're acting strange and the whole party was strange. I need to know what's going on."

"Nothing's going on," he sighed, skimming the list again. "Medications?"

"No." I scowled at him. He needs to stop. "Oliver, you don't have to tell me but….I'm worried."

Oliver chuckled, "That's sweet, Okie. I'm fine though really, nothing's wrong."

"You're not acting like nothing's wrong," I hissed.

Oliver rolled his eyes. "I'm just tired, okay? It was a lot more excitement than I'm used to."

"Okay, fine, " I muttered. But I don't believe you.

He clicked his pen, tracing over the list. "I think all we have left is a blood sample," Oliver said, meandering towards a door.

A blood sample? I stopped in my tracks. Why do they need my blood? Oliver looked back, raising an eyebrow at me. "You coming, Okie?"

"You're not getting my blood." I shook my head, backing up. There's no way I'm giving them my blood.

Oliver gave a wary laugh. "Why, what's wrong?"

"You're not getting a drop out of me!" -I shook my head- "I know about blood-magic. I know how powerful my blood is. I won't risk it falling into the wrong hands."

Oliver blinked. "Phyn…what are you talking about? Blood-magic? I don't even want to ask." He twisted his mouth in a frown, stepping from the door. "We need a blood sample for medical reasons, it's important."

I shook my head. "No they are just saying that! I know Oliver, I know."

He furrowed his brow. "You're really serious about this…"

He thinks I'm crazy. He actually thinks I'm crazy. I darted my eyes away, pulling at my sleeves. "I just can't...you don't know what I've seen. Just trust me...please."

Oliver kept his hand on the door. "You said your blood is powerful...does that have to do with your ability?"

I nodded. "It's connected."

Oliver pursed his lips. "You're right, we can't let them then." He disappeared into the room. Wait, what?

I chased after him. "You're agreeing with me? What are you doing?" I asked, stopping in the tiny room. A little hospital bed, a chest of drawers; a little sink in the corner.

Oliver shuffled through the desk, his eyes lighting back up. "We let them think they have your blood."

I leaned on the counter. "And that means?"

He pulled out a box, breaking it open. "I'll give them my blood instead of yours." He gave a nervous laugh. "Just don't go needing a blood transfusion, it might kill you."

"Is that all?" I muttered.

"You're allowed to change your mind."

I glared back. "I'm not going to do that."

"Good." He grabbed my arm, sticking a circular bandage on the vein.

"What's-"

He pointed at me. "We're making this convincing. It’s my neck we're sticking out here," he said, that tremor of fear creeping back in.

"Okay..." I nodded, tracing my fingers over the little bandage. That's the last thing I want.

"Knock-knock."

I jumped back. Brian in the entrance, a bored look in his eyes. He pointed towards the hall. The council is ready for you now."

Oliver slammed the drawer shut. "I'll finish up here, you're good."

"Oh...alright," I mumbled. Did Brian hear any of that? I gave a wary glance, following him out of the room. Back down the pixelated carpet, he led me down the hall. I don't know who to trust.

Headset on, Brian tapped his pen along the wall. "You're the talk of the town," he said, his smile stiff. "Something none of us expected."

"I didn't expect this either," I sighed. If I'd just minded my own business.

Brian nodded, slowing his rhythm. "So how did you learn about the assassination attempt anyway?"

I froze, tripping over my steps. No one's asked that yet…not a soul. Everyone else only asks teleporting. I caught my balance, catching up to him. I cleared my throat. "Well it was really a coincidence...I happened to overhear a conversation, they were just talking about an assination attempt...and well, I couldn't just do nothing."

Brian widened his eyes, a grin slipping out. "Wow, what a real heroic decision, real gutsy. No doubt they'll soon find these traitors and they'll be brought to justice."

I frowned at the carpet squares. "I'm not sure if anyone knows about them…" I haven't told anyone about this. I scratched my head. "I don't know who they are, or how they're connected. I wasn't even supposed to be there." A conversation means two...there's at least two assassins.

Brian turned his head back, bright-eyed. "Is it okay if I pass this along then? Was there anything else important? Where did this conversation take place?"

I bit my cheek, wavering my head. I don't want this coming back to Drake...but it seems important. "It was near a storage unit, just outside the city gate. They talked pretty quietly, I caught some of the details. I couldn't tell who they were, I only saw the one man's scar," I said.

Brian nodded. "Thank you, that's useful." He clicked his pen, stalling in front of the door. "This is the room. Good luck in there. The Council can be a little intimidating, but you'll do alright." He widened his grin, turning the handle. I gave a weary smile back. Taking a breath as Brian pushed open the doors.

The room was shaped like a semi-circle, huge windows lined the curve. Six people sat silhouetted against the light, their faces shrouded in shadow.

Jude against the far wall, he stood up as I entered. "Phynley, may I introduce the council of Avarice." Ingrid beside him, she typed on a little computer.

Six faces stared back, different sorts of people. On the left side was an older woman, followed by a heavy-set mustached man. In the center a serious man with glasses. To the right of him was a woman with a kind smile, a bald man and a cocky looking soldier.

The man with glasses rose to his feet, taking a breath, his eyes hidden in the glare of his glasses. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Miss Okie. You have our greatest thanks for saving the Commander's life...and for even considering this," his voice stayed on the same note.

I swept my gaze across the table. "Thank you, I'm glad I could be here." The older woman yawned, moving her eyes to the window. The mustache man twiddled his thumbs.

"We owe you a great debt," the younger woman folded her hands, her voice a gentle breeze. "I hope our agreement will offer you some compensation."

I nodded, clearing my throat. "My hope is that our alliance will be beneficial for everyone. I want a better future for Avarice and beyond. That's how you can repay me."

The soldier slouching on the end, shot me a smirk. There's something vaguely familiar about him. Drumming his fingers on the table, he snickered, "So you'll put Vitriol in the ground for free? How convenient."

I crossed my arms. Not quite, I need to get into the archives.

The center man pushed his frames back in place. "Ignore him, your compensation has already been set." He slammed a stack of papers on the table. "The contract details what's expected both from us and you. We ask that you read it over carefully and decide if you can sign."

I gawked at the stack. Read...that's going to be a challenge. "Can I have a couple hours?" I asked, keeping my voice steady. Walking over, I picked up the stapled papers.

He nodded. "That is acceptable. We do need an answer by tonight. If you sign, you'll be leaving early in the morning."

"Leaving? Where am I going?" I looked back, Jude avoiding my eyes.

The bald man raised his head. "You will be going to a training base in another city. For the time being, the location is confidential."

"I see, I guess that makes sense." I nodded, uncomfortable with all the eyes on me. "Was there anything else?" The room was quiet.

"You don't have any questions?" The older woman frowned.

"That was a question wasn't it?" I furrowed my brow. "It all seems straightforward. I'm sure I'll have more questions as this goes but-"

"Straightforward? This whole situation is rather unique," the moustache man stuttered.

A snort from the other side of the room, Victor Kendall. Arms crossed, his chair leaned against the wall. What on earth is he doing here? He sighed, rubbing his temples. "Phynley is right, everything is nicely written out. No need to get distracted by flashy things like teleporting."

I fought a shiver, refusing to look at him. Suddenly he's on my side? Maybe I should be asking more questions. The friendly woman smiled, pushing the contract closer. "Go read the contract and decide."

"Ya, sure." I walked over, picking up the stack. Chock full of big words, technical terms...no way I can do this alone.

I stepped towards the door, pausing in the entryway. "Where do I bring this when I'm done?"

"I can send an envoy for it," Ingrid said, writing a note. Jude met my eyes again, wavering, he averted his gaze to the window.

What's that about? I nodded, pushing open the door. "Sounds good."

I slipped back into the hall, wandering back where I came. I'm not any less confused. This council, they talk but say nothing. This feels more like a formality. Contract in hand, the words on the page looked like jumbled messes of letters. I need someone who I trust to read this...but who? Murray's too ambivalent, Scout or Lewis are Murray by extension, I guess Oliver is my only real option. I trust him enough to fake a blood sample. I sighed, backtracking, searching for the path back to the clinic. As much as I don't want to ask more of him…

The clinic door, down the hall, just a crack open. "Oliver, you're just being paranoid," a voice echoed from it. I froze, slowly creeping closer. Hiding behind the door, I stared through the sliver of an opening.

Oliver shook his head, pacing. "I know what I saw, there's no other way of explaining it." So something did happen.

Murray sighed, leaning back on the desk. "You've been working too hard-

"I didn't imagine it," Oliver hissed. "You know what this is, what's happening."

Murray hung his head, a shadow over his eyes.

Oliver pointed at him, tightening his loose fist. "Don't you dare bury this...not like everything else."

Murray clenched his jaw. "I do what I have to, for everyone's sake." What did that mean?

Oliver turned away. "You can't expect any of us to follow you blind."

"You knew from the start what you were getting into, we all knew." Murray paused, wringing his hands. "We shouldn't talk about this here."

"You won't talk about this anywhere," Oliver growled.

"That's because-" Muarry's eyes staring at me through the crack in the door. "Phynley?" I jumped back, stumbling away. I'm caught. He ran around the door, his grey coat swooping. "What are you doing here, Phynley?" he snarled, a fiery rage in his eyes. My tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth, I shook my head. Murray stomped after me, giving a wicked laugh, "Eavesdropping is a dangerous game."

I glared at him. "I didn't mean to listen. I was looking for Oliver."

"Sure." Murray sneered. His tie hung loose around his neck. "That's why you were hiding behind the door."

Oliver chased after him, raising his hands. "Calm down, Okie's not gonna squeal. Sure she's weird, but she's not one of them."

"Weird?" I scrunched up my nose.

Oliver snorted, "You want me to bring up the blood magic conversation?"

"That's not fair." I crossed my arms. Blood magic's real.

Oliver stepped between us. "What I'm trying to say is she isn't a problem."

"You're a fan now?" Murray raised his eyebrows, motioning to me. "You're literally the only who had objections to bringing her onboard."

"That was before the party," Oliver huffed, "Okie's fun, knows how to rattle Kendall, that's always a good thing."

Murray pursed his lips, moving his eyes to mine. "...Forget what you heard," he growled, turning back down the hall. Not a chance. He swiveled back, waving a hand. "We'll talk later, Oliver."

"Sure we will," Oliver muttered, rolling his eyes at the ceiling. Murray disappearing down the corridor, Oliver turned back to the clinic."You needed something?"

"Ya…" I nodded. "I'm not sure how to ask this, it's a bit embarrassing."

Oliver groaned, "It's not a weird medical thing is it? I don't do those for friends, and certainly not in my spare time."

I waved my hands. "No, no, nothing like that…." I shut my eyes, dropping my head. "I can't read." I held up the contract.

Oliver blinked at me, scratching his head. "This is what I mean about the weird thing. Why on earth don't you know how to read? Were you raised by wolves?"

I scowled at him. "I ran away from home young, reading wasn't really a priority." I raised my chin. "And, I can read some, just not big words like these."

Oliver sighed, "And you're coming to me because?"

"You're already sticking your neck out for me, I think that gives me reason to trust you."

He dropped his grin. "You know I have a job right?"

"You just said you had spare time?"

"Fine. Let's make this quick,"Oliver grumbled, waving me back into the clinic. I handed him the contract, leaning back on the counter. Oliver's eyes skimmed the pages, flipping through them. He looked up from reading. "Alright if I summarize?"

I nodded. "Yes, just don't miss anything important."

He closed the booklet, tilting his head. "Well first it covers your terms. You won't be asked to assassinate anyone, you'll have access to archives A, C, and D. Lastly it spells out your financial compensation, counting the apartment and a continued yearly income."

"Wait, what about B?" I asked, peering over the page.

"What do you mean?" He flipped back.

"You said archives, A, C, and D. What about B?" I pointed at the page.

Oliver shrugged. "It's not included. You may want to bring that up if It's important to you."

"Huh, I wonder why," I muttered. Is there something in there they don't want me to see?

"That's bureaucracy," Oliver snorted, turning back the page. "Anyway, it goes on to lay out your responsibilities. It talks about basic training, working with a task force to create a series of campaigns."

I twisted my face in a frown. "That's a little vague."

"I don't think they know what they're doing," Oliver snickered, tracing his finger along the line of text. "Next they regurgitate the contents of any government service contract. What happens if you're captured or killed, following orders of superiors, national loyalty. What happens if you break the contract." Oliver looked up with a bored look, handing back the papers. "I don't think they're pulling any tricks, but you can always have a lawyer check it."

"What will they do if I break the contract?" I shuffled the pages.

Oliver laughed, "Depending on severity, you'll be tried for treason." He shook his head, giving another snort, "In your case that's a weak threat, not like they can even arrest you."

I nodded, stealing a pen from the table. "That puts things in perspective." I scratched out my signature, folding the page back over. This contract is arbitrary anyway.

"You can't read but you have a signature?"

"Well I don't want people knowing that," I growled, tossing back the pen. "Like I said...it's embarrassing. Just because I lack education, doesn't make me stupid." I pursed my lips, heat on my cheeks.

"Of course, I would never say that." He gave a half grin, turning his head. "Having to navigate this probably gives you skills none of the rest of us have."

I rolled my eyes. "Maybe, it's generally really annoying." I stepped back towards the door, looking back. "Anyway, thanks for the help."

"Just don't ask anything else of me," he chuckled, his voice carrying as I walked into the hall.

I rolled my eyes. "Wouldn't dream of it," I called back into the doorway. That snarky sense of humor is contagious. Oliver's growing on me.

The scratched out signature stood out against the white page. Maybe I should've taken the time, waited to sign it. Still though, I know what I want...purpose. These last few years, I've been living in a blur, just drifting through life. I need something more to hold onto, more than the past. I want a fight.

Sound ahead of me, I lifted my head. Jude stood in my path, alone in the hall. His dark curls hung over his forehead. "It looks like you've already reached your decision," Jude said, giving a weak smile.

"I guess I have." I loosened my shoulders. Maybe he'll tell me what's wrong.

"That's reassuring,"he said, voice sounding hollow. He held out his hand. "I can take it for you then, so Ingrid doesn't have to look for you."

"Ya sure." I walked over, giving him the stack. No chance to change my mind.

The paper shook in his hands, blue-green eyes wavering. "I didn't want you to leave without saying goodbye."

What's upsetting him about this? "Ya it's good you caught me." I fidgeted, scratching my head. "I'm sure I'll be back soon."

"...I know Avarice will be safe in your hands," he murmured, his smile falling.

Blurry raindrops dotted across the window pane. The grey blended with blue. "I will fight with my heart." I gave a weak laugh, smiling. "I have this save-everyone thing that won't let me do otherwise." Wren's words, not mine. I guess that snake was right about something.

"Aren't we all lucky that you do." Jude lifted his head, taking a deep breath. His gaze drifted past me "I'm keeping you though, go ahead...leave."

Huh? I froze, looking over my shoulder. Does he want me to leave or stay? His gloomy expression haunting me, I stepped back. Gosh, I don't know what to do. "...Make sure you take care of yourself," I stuttered.

He nodded, standing stiffly. "You as well."

I inched back, pivoting as I headed down the hall. Maybe I should ask him what's wrong? Something's on his mind. A new wave of guilt washed over me. I glanced back, Jude's head low, wandering in the other direction. I'm not the right person to fix this...this is beyond me.

There is pain underneath all of this. Behind the labyrinth of power games and manipulation, there's darkness. They're all the same as me, reaching for a light that's already lost, drowning in the empty dark.