It took roughly 1 hour for the remaining final 10 students in each arena to emerge.

Many students were walking out of the hall depressed and tired, but there was still a small amount of joy inside them knowing they had at least passed the exam this year.

Those who were severely injured by the explosion were being healed by the magi's outside each ring as they left.

"Congratulation to the final 100 students, who made it this far. Please make your way towards the safe zone and grab some refreshments and make you way back here by 7 pm the latest please for the final part and phase of the exam." The announcement ended as the final 100 students left the hall.

What used to be a bustling hall now became an empty large room as the 100 students queued up for food.

Natasha finally spotted Ellis and slowly made her way towards him. She wanted to know how he came to know about that night and who else knew? Her fate currently laid in those answers.

If anyone ever found out that she had helped the subordinate of the 3rd prince in any way, especially in assisting in carrying out an attack on their rival factions member, then she was as good as dead.

Just as she was 20 meters away from Ellis someone blocked her path.

"What are you doing?" Natasha asked the tall boy blocking her path.

"No, the question is what are you doing?" Lewies asked back.

"Why didn't you come back that day?" Lewies questioned Natasha who looked around to notice her group of tired friends making their way across as well, except for Law who was sat in a corner with his head down.

"Did he not say anything?" Natasha asked as she saw Law looking towards them while avoiding her eyes.

"No, he wouldn't talk to anyone much about what happened that day. What happened after we left Tash?" Ruby asked as she along with others finally caught up with Lewies.

"What was meant to happen happened.

If Ellis did something then there must have been a good reason to do it.

But what does that idiot do? Play the hero and try to save and get in the middle of everything.

He needs to start learning that the world isn't as simple as black and white. He needs to understand we don't live in a nice world where everything moves as he wants. Everything here moves according to those with power." Natasha scoffed while looking towards Law.

Lewies sighed in defeat while Ian rubbed his head seeing this was going nowhere. "Tash we all know that, and he probably understands that as well. But like everyone here he has his own principles and codes to follow." Rondell

"That doesn't mean he can instil his principles on everyone..."

Before Natasha could say anything more Maisy grew tired of this back and forth talk going nowhere. "You know for a bunch of people who always acts mature you two are being extremely childish. Just come back and apologise to each other." Maisy ordered Natasha.

Seeing Maisy get serious after a long while, left Natasha want to follow what she said. But the conviction in her heart grew when she remembered that she couldn't go back, not after Ellis found out about her that night. First, she had to get an answer from him, till then she has to avoid her friends at least until the exams over.

"No. I won't apologise.

I tried stopping him from interfering in their matters many times, and he ignored all my warnings by constantly wanting to meddle in matters that was not his.

He always wanted to know what was the deal with Phil and Ellis even though I made it clear to him not to, and in the end, he tried interfering.

I mean did we proceed to interfere in his life and question him more about that girl who came right before the 2nd stage of the exam?

No! We left him alone seeing that he wanted to avoid that topic.

It is always like this. Him wanting to know everything, while keeping us in the dark.

If anything, he should apologise to me.

I had saved his life by using my authority as an imperial princess and he thinks I betrayed him using my authority.

If he is still not convinced then let this be a lesson. Tell him to fight it out with me. Whoever wins will apologise. After all the world moves according to the will of those with power." Saying that Natasha moved to the right of Lewies as she made her way across, leaving behind her stunned group of friends.

As she approached Ellis, she found he was already preparing to leave after finishing his meal.

"Who else knows?" She asked as she stood blocking his way out.

"I am not obliged to answer to you." Ellis replied as he sidestepped to avoid her.

However, Natasha blocked his path with her right arm outstretched. "You are obliged. You owe me for that information."

Ellis sighed for a minute before looking at her. "Do you really want to do this?"

"Or else what? I will draw blood if I have to. I have nothing left to lose at this moment in time." Natasha lowered her voice noticing that everyone was looking at them.

Seeing that everyone was looking at them, Ellis hesitated for a moment.

"I won't betray my lord. If I am forced to do so then I will draw blood as well, not caring about the exam. After all my purpose for coming to this exam is accomplished." Ellis said as moved aside avoiding Natasha's arms as he walked out.

Ignoring Law staring daggers at him Ellis made his way out.

------------------------------

'I won't betray my lord. That must mean it was him that told Ellis about me. But how did he know it was me?' Natasha who at this moment lost all hope walked out ignoring the worried glance of Law and her friends.

She chose a building and went inside and picked a corner and sat there in defeat.

After all, now her fate lies at the mercy of her half-brother.

She hugged her knees and placed her head between her knees embracing her vision in darkness.

She lost all hope.

Soon everyone will know, then all that remains is execution.

At least she had managed to not involve her friends, her only friends.

She knew she will one day have to cross her half-brothers path. When that day comes she will have to make a choice of working for him or to cross him.

Earlier she had to confidence to cross him, knowing that her family will support her and save her. Now, either way, it is a path of death, now that he knows about me assisting Ellis.

But she still wanted to live.

Once a caged bird in the royal family, then always a caged bird either dead or alive. That was how she was taught when she was young.

That was the life of a royal.

All she wanted was to live freely without following anyone's wish.

She had laid a perfect plan for that since the moment she was thought how to plan.

She declined the power of award in order to be free from the chains of her father and the court.

She chose to accept the power of magi to gather sufficient strength to run away.

But now everything was slowly about to crumble before her.

It won't be long.

She wanted to savour the last few moments of freedom before she lost everything.

She felt at this moment that darkness was her only comfort.

So, she embraced the darkness as a tear rolled from her eyes.

She hugged her knees tighter feeling if she hugged it tighter, then the darkness in front of her could make all her problems disappear.

She lost herself in her despair and sorrow accompanied by the surrounding darkness.

"...p...r" She heard an inaudible whisper from her surroundings.

She ignored them as she laid in the warmth of her darkness.

But the whispers grew clearer and clearer as time passed.

"...po.r."

"...pe.er"

She was taught from a young age the beginning stage and symptoms of corruption in preparation for her award ceremony. So she knew full well the basic symptoms of one going mad.

She wanted to shout at the whispers to go away. But she knew she was slowing enter the path of madness and responding to the whisper was tandem to accepting she was going mad.

"..power"

"..power?"

The more the whispers grew the tighter she hugged her legs, and in that way the tighter she hugged the darkness, no her darkness.

"Do you want power?" Suddenly the whispers sounded right next to her ears.

Something was wrong.

The words and voice felt wrong in a way because they were extremely clear despite being made out of whispers.

This wasn't the whispers showing the signs of going mad!

Startled she looked up to see darkness everywhere.

"Do you want the power to be free?"

"What is happening? Where am I?" Natasha asked in worry as she looked around.

She was worried that she had corrupted herself.

But then she remembered although she was trained to wield award since childhood, she wasn't an award user.

If she isn't corrupted, could it be the award ability of someone?

If so who? And why?

Could it be someone under John?

Did he want to talk to her without getting the attention of anyone?

If so then where is he?

"Come out, whoever you are?" Natasha put up a false bravado amidst the growing repetition of the question from the whispers.

'What is this place?' She was about to go mad with fury from constant echo of questions from the whispers.

Is answering the questions from the whispers the key to escaping here.

So, for a moment she finally tried to properly listen to what the whispers were saying to her

"Do you want the power to live and be free?"

"Power to be free?" What does it gain by asking such a stupid question?

No power gave true freedom. As power always chained a person up one way or another.

True freedom was there only when there was no power.

But avoiding power means walking to the grip of death.

And death will stagger the path to freedom.

So in a twisted sense, one needed power to escape from death so that they can long for the freedom they will never get.

But here the whispers asked her the power to be free? What kind of power was that?

She thought about it. Does she really need that power?

Does she want the power to be free from her family?

Does she want the power to be free from her half-brother?

Yes! She needed power. There was no other way in this world other than power.

Power answered for everything.

But every source of power is a bondage that ties you to the source of that power.

The power of award given by her father will tie her to him.

The power of magi given by the magi association will also tie her to her father and the empire, but not as tightly.

The stronger the power the stronger the bondage to the person that gave it to you.

But the whispers here were offering her the power to be free.

How can there be such power?

No power lets you be free.

She wanted to know what kind of power it was, that made you be free.

"Yes!" She answered back.

But at this moment she realised she had no voice. Yet strangely as if hearing her reply the whispers faded.

After waiting for a while, the whisper came back. This time even more creepily with the voice of children's and old ones amongst them.

"What will you give in return for the power to be free?"

What will I give?

So, it is true, no form of power is free.

Everything has a price.

But at this moment where she is walking on her path to her death, she had nothing to lose, and nothing to give.

But she wanted the power that the whispered offered. The power to be free.

"I will give anything!" Natasha decided to rely on this last glimmer of hope from the darkness.

The whispers became quiet before it said, "Very well, you shall get as much as you give."

And so, the darkness, no her darkness embraced her back.