I was quickly sent to my room by Canis. I didn’t know what was going on, and for now, not understanding would protect me.

The ocean splashed against the hull as I peeked out the window. When I first entered the small room, I was impressed by the amount of wealth the Rixian Pirates had in their pockets. It seemed that they were able to get a sorcerer to create some sort of magical glass that was able to withstand the crashing waves. Even so, the smell of salt still penetrated the wood.

I flopped back down onto my bed. I didn’t have much to do other than reading. There was a bookcase that was across from the bed and window, next to the door, but it only had seven books and none of them caught my attention. A couple were about the history of the Greenforn Empire and the Demonic Wars, but knowing fantasy novels, it probably had the same formula - Demonic Empire attacks, Humans panic and struggle, Greenforn Empire wins. Boring as ever. One seemed to be a child’s diary, but I wasn't one to poke around. The other two were atlases. Fun.

I laid on my side, covering myself with a blanket. I gazed at the wood like clouds, seeing accidental images that nature had created. Sooner or later, my eyes slowly closed, listening to the lullaby of the water.

I woke up in a strange place. I wasn’t falling, but below me seemed to be an endless abyss. Above me seemed to be an endless nothingness. Everywhere I looked, darkness. I got up stumbling around. I started to breathe faster, unable to catch my breath. Chills ran down my arms. I couldn’t figure out what was happening. Where was I? Did I get kidnapped? Did my luck finally run out and this was the afterlife?

I fell to my knees, curling up onto the ground. My mind was out of control.

I was out of control.

---

Emma was losing. The leader of the planet H-1340, Octavian, was chasing her on his undead wolves.

He was right on her heels.

She charged up her vampire gun. If she aimed perfectly and just at the right moment, Octavian would be dead. No one in Colony 134L would have to die.

Well, she would have to die, but she was used to it, so it wouldn’t be a problem. At least to her, dying wasn’t the end. She couldn’t have a second chance, but death wasn’t forever to Emma.

She rolled back her shoulders and prepared to be blasted against a tree. Emma swung around, lifting her gun-

She tumbled, falling off a cliff.

A metal claw shot out from the top, grabbing Emma. The impact shook her, forcing her to drop her gun into the canyon below. The claw slowly lifted her up. Tears started to pour down her face as she struggled to get away.

Some things were worse than death.

Emma woke up in a dark cell, illuminated only by a single candle. She shivered. She tried to get up and walk to the tiny light, but a chain stuck on her leg stopped her from coming close. The gravel under her hurt. She gathered the strength to get up and curl in the corn, shivering. As long as she had her mind, she would be okay.

Hopefully.

She woke up to the sound of something dragging on the rocks. She looked around blearily to see her captor, Octavian.

"What do you want?" Emma said.

"I want you to suffer."

She coughed out a laugh. "I think you've done that."

"You destroyed my people."

"You were trying to kill my colony!"

"I acted by myself. They didn't deserve to die."

"And how I was supposed to know?"

"..."

"Your rash decisions killed your city."

"..."

"You should've known the consequences."

"I know."He whispered.

"This is your fault."

"I know!" Octavian yelled.

Emma flinched, but stayed in place.

"It doesn't matter if it's unfair, Emma. This is life, and to people like you, who can drive on and on, yeah, life is alright. However, people like me, who can't get up in the morning, who've cracked every mirror in their house out of disgust, life is hell. When I finally had passion for my work, my people, it felt freeing."

Octavian kneeled down to Emma's level.

"And when someone tries to take away what I love, I will destroy everything if it means that they're safe." He cast a sad smile at Emma, one she didn't understand. "You won. I have stepped down from the position of Starix General. Your colony is safe. No one wants toto harm it, and due to my order, no one will ever dare to."

Emma looked up in confusion.

"I don't intend to kill you, Emma. I just want you to feel what you put me through."

He stood up and dragged over the large sack. Octavian opened it and pulled out him.

Emma's fiance, best friend, twin flame, soul mate, Ryder.

His face was bloody. Slight cuts scattered his face. His eyes were glazed over, and Octavian was the only thing holding him up, other than the wall.

Octavian pulled out a knife. He came behind Ryder and lifted his head.

"Any last words, Ryder Kartel?"

Ryder looked up softly at Emma."I love-"

Octavian slit his throat. Blood gushed from Ryder's throat, running down his arms and onto the floor.

Emma screamed. Her heart burned with fury and hatred. She lunged against her chains, pouring out every profanity she could think of. Tears of rage poured down her eyes.

Octavian looked sadly at the sight, then laid Ryder next to the bars.

"Hate me all you want Emma, but I am not evil. I am fair." He left quickly, not looking at the sight behind him.

For hours she shrieked. She didn't care if he killed himself, if anything, she wished he would die painfully several times over. Her skin became red from her constant attempts at throwing herself at the bars.

As day turned to night, her shrieks turned to moans which turned into quiet sobbing. She rested close to Ryder, laying in a mixture of blood and tears.

This repeated for several days. Octavian would take someone she cared about, her best friends, her teacher, even her old roommate, and have her scream at their torturous deaths. She could be shown a video where Octavian tricked them into destroying themselves or she would have to kill them in order to make sure they wouldn't go through the same process as she did.

On the 5th and 6th day, she offered anything Octavian wanted as long as the others went free.

They were publicly hunted like animals.

On the 7th day, she did not remember who died.

She did not remember anything that happened after the hunt.

She experienced it, sure. But even when the victims screamed, she did not move.

She wasn't there. Her body was. But she was lost, somewhere far away from the pain, the misery.

It was so dark inside her mind, just like that cell.

On the 15th day, Emma was sent home to her commander. 3 hours later, she was hospitalized. She had lost the ability to take care of herself. She couldn't eat or speak, or even wash her face.

On the 16th day, Emma was diagnosed with psychosomatic paralyzation.

On the 44th day, a man with long white hair infiltrated the hospital and shot Emma in the head.

On the XXth day, Emma regained her ability to think. It was the second time she had met the gods that had decided to put her through the ordeal, although she did not remember the first. The man with red eyes and short, black hair was sobbing. The man with the long, white hair was leaned over, making it unable for Emma to see his face.

She heard a velvety voice in her head.

"Are you there, Alicia?"

She tried to nod, but she didn't move. "Yes."

The red eyed man perked up. "Alicia?"

"Yes."

The red eyed man stood up. The white haired one looked up in surprise, and then shook his head and turned to smile at Alicia.

"My name is Luminus, and the other one is named Raphael. Is there anything we can do for you?"

She paused. "Is there any way you could kill me?"