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"What if she's already dead?" Brenda inquires.

"She's not dead" I assure her.

"What if we're going to the wrong place?" Brenda asks.

"We aren't going to the wrong place" I sigh. She's been asking questions like this since we left. So much deja vu it's creepy.

I know they say like mother like daughter, but this was just freaky...well I guess in this case like aunt like daughter.

"What if-" I cut Brenda off before she can continue with her thousandth "what if" question.

"Look Brenda, you're nervous, I get it. But asking a thousand what if's isn't going to help Kamaria, all it's doing is annoying the fu-" she interrupts before I can spit out the last part of my sentence.

"Okay okay I get it, no need to get grouchy" Brenda huffs, folding her arms.

I swear, the resemblance between her and Kamaria is uncanny.

As I continue driving, I go over the plan again in my head. The plan is simple, Brenda stays outside of the building in case Slyder comes out, and I go inside. I find Kamaria and bring her to Brenda, they both drive away, and I stay there and get my revenge on Slyder.

I can't wait to finally give Slyder the pain and torture that he deserves. I don't really expect to kill him, I'm not quite powerful enough for that, but I definitely plan to beat him until he can hardly move.

I've seen victim after victim of his, it's revolting. Never once has he ever shown any remorse, so it's time for him to get exactly what he's been giving.

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It takes hours to get there and I had almost fallen asleep more times than I'd like to admit, but finally, finally, we make it. As soon as the car is parked, Brenda whips her head over to me and locks eyes with mine.

"Adelram, promise me my baby will come out alive, and that Slyder won't. Get my baby girl out of there safe. Please." Brenda pleaded, her eyes desperate with worry. I gulp audibly and nod my head that has already begun to sweat. "I will" I promised, though I have a feeling it's a promise I won't be able to keep.

Brenda doesn't look reassured, but she nods her head anyways "thank you" she whispers, her head dropping slightly in disappointed fear.

With that, I take a deep breath, attempting to calm my shaky nerves. Wiping my clammy hands on my jeans, I grip the car door handle, taking in one more deep breath before swinging open the door and stepping out, shutting it as quietly as I can behind me.

I turn around and look to the building, it's a plain looking place, medium in size, dark, and well hidden in the depths of the woods. It was strange, but it was as if the woods were alive, they had a deep green kind of glow to them, and definitely gave this place a more haunted, creepy feel to it.

Alright, you can do this. You're going to go inside, find Kamaria, help her escape, bring her to Brenda, then give Slyder what he deserves and more.

As I'm giving myself this pep talk, Suddenly a quote I had heard many times before pops into my mind.

"Never seek revenge, for revenge is for the weak. Simply sit back, and allow Karma to take over. Too many take revenge into their own hands, when in the end, Karma always does it best."

That quote was right, Karma does revenge better than anyone else... you can just call me Karma then.

I smirk at the thought, gaining the confidence I desperately needed. I should write that down.

I take another deep breathe and began walking away from the car. As I'm walking towards the dark building, I focus my mind on listening in on Kamaria's thoughts so that I can get an idea of where she is, and what is happening, but I can't find her mind anywhere.

At first I begin freaking out, like hyperventilating almost, but then I remember that she's able to block me out, I silently curse my mom once again for teaching Kamaria this.

When I reach the cool steel door, I take a glance back at Brenda, giving her a slight nod before grabbing the handle and pulling the heavy door open, stepping into the almost entirely dark hallway.

There's a bright white illumination shining near the end of the hall. I can't explain it but there was a pull, a pull that told me that this was the way so i followed the unknown instinct, each step making the feeling just that much stronger.

I quickly make my way down, eager to find Kamaria, not wanting to waste another second, not wanting to allow her to get more tortured than she already is.

I'm almost running when I reach the end, I take a right, following the intense white light hoping this is the right way to go.

Taking turns here and there when it was needed, it doesn't take long to find the room that light is spilling out of. I'm not sure if this is the room that Kamaria is in, but I'm hoping it is.

I can already feel the worry boiling inside of me, I'm terrified to look inside, fearing how unrecognizable she may be. I have seen victim after victim of his but never have I worried so much of what I might see. I knew what I would see and it has never bothered me more than it does now, when Kamaria is involved.

I ignore these worried thoughts and fears of mine and slowly open the door, repeating over and over in my head that everything will be okay, even if I don't entirely believe it.

As soon as I look inside the bright room, my heart drops, my breathing comes to a complete halt, and I swear every single ounce of confidence, optimism, and sureness comes pouring out with just that one simple glance

I can't think clearly, My thoughts are all jumbled and unclear. I feel like I can't breath, My lungs won't fill with air no matter how much or hard I try. I feel like everything I ever lived for is utterly destroyed. Like my entire point of existence just came crumbling down in a matter of seconds.

Inside the room I find a body in the shape of Kamaria, every inch covered in cuts, her skin such an intense red it looks like she stood directly in front of the sun, chunks of her body was missing, littering her skin was boiled lumps. The only clear sign that it is her is the shape of her frail frame and the long tangled black hair that tumbles down her head so unusually; one of the many things I have come to love about her. If I hadn't studied her body so shamelessly everyday, I wouldn't be able to recognize her..

I'm not sure which is worse, her clearly tortured body, or the knife sticking out from her heart.

My heart aches with such an immense pain that I've never felt before in my life. An indescribable torture that leaves me with a hopeless emptiness inside; a pain like being shredded from the inside out. No one has ever left me feeling such dread, such guilt, such pain.

My legs become numb, who am I kidding, my whole body becomes numb, I can't think, can't breathe, can't speak. The only thing I could do is stumble towards her tortured body. I quickly shoot my illumination at the bars that covers her left wrist and the chains that wrap around her legs. Breaking her from her restraints I gently pull her lifeless body over to me.

It's so strange, seeing her so dead and still, so motionless. Normally she's so full on life, her skin a perfect golden brown, her eyes lit into small balls of heaven.

I don't realize I'm crying until I see my tears fall onto her abused body.

My lip is quivering as I pull her indescribably battered body closer to me, so close that she's pressed up against me.

"Oh God, Kamaria" I cry, slowly rocking her body back and forth.

Guilt comes pouring onto me so unforgiving and forceful. If only I had come sooner... I should have abandoned the stupid ESPP. I never should have obeyed their stupid demand. I should have focused only on saving her.

"I'm so sorry Princess. I'm so sorry" I cry, my voice cracking noticeably, I continue to rock her back and forth, tears now blurring my vision, my mind going over everything Kamaria and I have been through together.

Well I try to, but my mind seems to skip over everything we did together and instead goes straight to Kamaria and only Kamaria. The way that her laugh instantly brought a smile to my lips, her sassy retorts that only made me want her more, the way her sexy smile immediately made me think of kissing her plump lips, the way she made me feel like anything was possible, even killing Slyder. Her passion and optimism shining through even the worst moments, bringing up the spirits of those around her, making every bad day a good one.

A million Kamaria thoughts run through my head in just the few minutes that I'm holding her in my arms. Her usual liveley demenier now lost to her lifeless tortured body. "I'm so sorry" I repeat, slowly and carefully turning her over so that her back is pressed against my folded legs, her obviously tortured face facing me.

I press my hand against the side of her cold, pasty face. Reaching my lips down and just barely touching them against hers.

Suddenly her eyes pop open and look over to me, I let out a rather embarrassing unmanly shriek and fling her off of me, taken by complete surprise by her sudden life.

Before relief even has a chance of setting in, Kamaria morphs into a buff bald man that cackles evilly.

Slyder.

It doesn't take long for realization to settle in, this was Slyder the whole time, he had tricked me, Kamaria isn't dead, Slyder was just pretending to be her to mess with me.

An anger more powerful, more intense, and more extreme than I've ever had before boils over me. My hands clinch into fist so tightly it would probably hurt if my focus wasn't so concentrated on Slyder. My heart thumps erratically against me but for a completely different reason than why it had been moments earlier. The heartache from minutes before now morphed into anger that burned deep inside.

I'm ready to kill him. I'm so angry I'm ready to press my foot against his throat as I put him through every amount of torture he had put Kamaria through and more.

"Awe you should have seen your face!" Slyder laughs. "And your voice! Oh that was priceless, priceless I tell you!" Slyder laughs manically, only fueling my anger that much more.

I don't allow myself to hesitate, I instantly shoot my illumination at him, but he must have been expecting it, because he immediately blocks my attack, yet I'm far from done.

I run forward and roundhouse kick him in his rib cage, satisfied to hear something crack. Suddenly his eyes flash with anger, it's no longer a game for him. He shoves my leg away powerfully, I almost fall from the force of his shove, but I catch myself before I do.

Slyder swings his fist directly to my nose, I grab it before he hits me. In one swift motion I twist his arm back unnaturally, and swing to punch his face, but with his free hand he catches it, smashing his large head against mine.

I stumble a few steps backward in pain, it felt like his head was made of pure steel. Black splotches fill my vision as i felt a warm thick liquid trickle down from my forehead . Slyder takes this to his advantage and shoots his orange-red illumination at me.

At first it burns immensely, but I quickly regain my composure and shoot my own illumination to block his.

I soon find this act pointless and close my fist so that the brilliance stops, immediately I drop to the floor and roll forward, before his light can burn me.

Before he has a chance to process my movement, I put all of my weight on my arms and swing my legs as hard as I can to the side, they collided with Slyder's legs, making him crash to the floor with a satisfying thump.

I quickly jump up and smash my foot hard onto Slyder's chest, purposely twisting from side to side as I push down as hard as I can. Smirking when he gasps in pain. Am I a psycho for enjoying his pain? I shrug at the thought, if I am then I am. After everything he has done, I honestly couldn't care less if hurting him satisfied me.

I'm about to shoot my illumination at his ugly face, when suddenly, in one swift motion he flings my leg off of him and jumps up. I crash down, my head banging against the cold, hard floor. Blackness threatening my vision again. He doesn't give me the opportunity to move before he's on top of me, flying one punch after the other onto my bleeding face. I can't give up, I can't let him win.

Each punch sends a new wave of pain through my face, finally after he's already laid at least eight punches on me, I shove my arm up and block his newest attempt at a punch, shoving him off of me as hard as I can, not allowing him a single moment to regain himself before I'm pouring my illumination on him. He jerks around spastically for a minute, but then he's bouncing back up and blocking my illumination with his own.

I attempt to also read his mind, that doesn't work. I try to stop the illumination so that I can do another stop drop and roll, but he sees it coming now and follows my movements with his red orange brilliance.

Try.

That word instantly brings back a memory.

Kamaria and I were training one on one in the field that day that Kamaria was up all night. I was showing her how to intensify her illumination, but she kept getting frustrated. I told her to "try this" and demonstrated a move, she crossed her arms "try not. Do or do not, there is no try" she quoted, referencing one of Yoda's many phrases. "Are you seriously quoting Star Wars?" I had laughed. She smiled and lifted her chin defiantly "yes, yes I am" she stated.

Not a very significant moment to most, but, for some reason I have yet to figure out, that small reference had actually made my night, it had somehow made up for her breaking down my ego by not accepting my hand earlier that night.

This small memory fuels my anger, I think of the way that Kamaria had looked when Slyder was shape shifted into her. The thing is, I'm certain that's the way that Kamaria actually looks, because that's the thing about Slyder's abilities, he has to shift into the way that person actually looks at that exact moment that he's shifting. That's why when he had Abigail captured, he only beat her where her clothes would hide her body until he had "kidnapped" her. Then he had moved on to the rest of her body.

This thought fuels both my anger and worry, but I focus solely on the anger, then turned my worry into power, a force working with anger, guiding it until it became full on fury. As we continuously shoot our illumination at each other, I feel my hands shake and clenched into a fist. I feel my heart pound against my rib cage. This was it, I wasn't going to let him get away with this anymore.

His illumination was burning my skin, searing it. I could smell my skin being cooked, I could hear it sizzling, but I ignored this, I ignored the excruciating pain. All I could think about was this sick bastard that stood in front of me.

I walk toward him even as he shoots his brilliance at me. I can see him freaking out, the confused and nervous look on his face as I drew closer to him.

That of course influences my anger and need to take him down. I took pleasure in his uncertainty. It was ironic almost, the one who is always so cocky, so sure of himself now didn't know what was going on.

Finally I'm standing right in front of him. I lift my fist up, putting every single ounce of hatred, anger, and disgust into that one fist before slamming it down on his face, putting all of my weight into it.

He immediately stops shooting his illumination and falls to the floor.

I lift my leg up high and swing it down onto his rib cage. Blood is pouring from his nose, he's crumpled up into a ball.

I don't stop.

I continue kicking and punching, hearing bones crack over and over again.

I'm going to win this fight. I think triumphantly.

Just then I hear a voice inside my head, the voice is Kamaria's

Adelram. I heard a noise, if you're in here-which I really hope you are- than come get me. Please! Slyder is in the room with me, he's about to pull off my nails! Please Adelram, I'm in so much pain, I just want to go home. Her voice is panicked, pained, she's clearly terrified and in this moment, I don't care about beating Slyder, killing him, saving the world, the ESPP, all I care about is saving Kamaria. Rescuing her before she goes through any more pain than what she's already had to endure.

I don't know if this is the real Slyder, and the one with Kamaria is a hallucination, or if this one is a hallucination, and the one with Kamaria is the real one. But it doesn't really matter, all I know is I need to go save Kamaria, because she's all that really matters to me...at least in this moment.

I withhold my anger and stop my punches and kicks from flying.

"I'll be back for you later" I spit, and make a run for the door.

Kamaria describes what room she's in inside my head and I follow her descriptions until I stand in front of the door she had told me about.

Relief began to course through me as my hand grabs the cool steel doorknob. This was it.

I don't hesitate, even as a strange feeling begins to bubble in the pit of my stomach. I swing open the door, only to find an almost empty room with a hospital like chair underneath a bright yellow light and Kamaria curled up in a ball in the corner.

"Princess?" I call out softly, stepping into the icy room. Suddenly Kamaria turns around, her eyes were pure black, her lips formed a large clownish smile, blood dripping out, pure white fangs poking from her gums. "There you are" her scratchy, high pitched voice calls out.

I'm about to spin around and run out of the room when it becomes embarrassingly obvious that the voice inside my head masked as Kamaria's was actually just Slyder, but before I'm able to, two strong hands shove me forcefully inside the room.

Slyder's voice cackles behind me, the "Kamaria" in the corner slowly disintegrates from the top down.

"I love how easy it is to manipulate you. But even as easy as it is to manipulate you, it's twice as easy with Kamaria." Slyder cackles.

I turn around to see Slyder still bloody and beaten. I should have finished him when he was down on the ground. I cursed myself for being so oblivious.

I can't even swing a single punch at him before he's got me pinned down on the chair in the middle of the room.

Despite my struggle, he somehow locks a thick metal bar around my neck enough where it's not choking me, but it's sure to keep me down. He then ties a rope around each leg and arm on my body. I struggle to no avail, he's too strong. He ties every rope onto something I can't see due to the bar pressing my neck down.

I let out a growl as I jerk around as hard as I can, trying to break myself free, but it's really no use, the only thing this is doing is draining my energy.

Once he's done. Slyder clasps his hands together behind his back and walks around in a circle around the chair I'm laying on.

A wide smile spreads on his face "oh this is just absolutely perfect, I have the Adelram Elindor Zayas. The man who thinks he can trick me." Slyder enthuses.

"What do you mean think?" I growl. He wasn't talking about how all of his victims suddenly "dying" before he's had the chance to torture them, was he?

"Of course that's what I'm talking about! Don't tell me you actually believed that you had saved all of those pitiful people." He says.