I had no idea what to call this chapter so I just titled it with 25's name.

Because this chapter is in her point of view.

Yeah.

This is also the last chapter in book 1 soooo.

Let's just jump right into it.

__________

"Hey! Let me go!"

Mitch?

I run out of my room to see Mitch fighting and kicking as 2 and 3 wrestle him out of his room.

"Mitch!"

He follows the sound of my voice and our eyes lock.

"Maud... I am so sorry,"

"What does that mean? Mitch?"

Mitch's eyes filled with tears and looked forward.

No.

No.

Oh please no.

Not Mitch.

Please.

Not Mitch.

He knows what is coming.

He knows they will shatter him.

But it cannot be him.

He cannot be shattered.

He is my best friend.

I run after them. "Stop! Please!" I beg as the tears began to spill over.

They cannot shatter him. They cannot! They just cannot. How can they?

He said he had finally completed his assignment. What has he done to deserve shattering?

Mitch manages to break free and sprints toward me. He cups my face in his hands.

"25 I need you to listen. Get out. Get out of this place. Please. Leave. Okay? You will be okay, I promise. Just get out of he--"

2 and 3 grab him again.

I stood there dazed for a second. Get out? Does he mean go out to earth? But why?

Did he go out into the human world?

I snap myself out of my reverie and chase after them.

They are taking him straight to the Caves.

"Hey! You have not given him a trial! You need to have a trial!"
I yelled.

"This is an order straight from 1. We need to shatter Mitchell." 2 replies coolly.

"But there has to be a trial!"

"We were ordered to shatter Mitchell as soon as possible." 3's voice was annoyed.

"Please stop this!"

More members of the Council of 10 came and and held me back.

Mitch cries out as 2 and 3 chip away at his stalactite.

He grits his teeth, tears of pain rolling down his cheeks.

"Please," He begs. "It hurts."

Veins appeared in his forehead and neck. They were bulging an pulsing. He screams and writhes.

His essence, his entire existence and being chipped away, piece by piece. Slowly, but surely, Mitch's death is descending upon him like a fog.

It is torture to see him in so much pain and agony. This cannot be happening. It cannot be.

Maybe Mitch will wake me up and comfort me with his high, ringing tenor.

I hope he will. If not, I will miss his voice, his presence.

Is this how he felt when he witnessed Travis's shattering? Pain? Desperation? Helplessness? Tantalizing torture?

I beg and fight until my muscles are sore and my throat is burning.

Mitch's eyes are closing slowly, his chest rising and falling rapidly. The pain is so bad he is blacking out. But when 2 manages to knock off a chunk about as big as Mitch's head, he lets out a bloodcurdling scream.

I muster some strength and try and break free of the grasps, but to no avail.

I try harder and harder when Mitch's skin began to crack. He is so close to death. I cannot lose him!

Mitch's eyes flutter open. They are losing their light, and you could see the pain he was experiencing in them.

"25..." I could not hear his voice, but I could see his lips form the shape of my number.

His eyes shut once again as his back arches. My ears rang as he screamed.

"MITCH!" I cry.

The beautiful tinkling sound of shattering glass fills my ears. All I see is light.

As the light fades, I heard a voice. His voice.

Maybe it was the shock. Maybe I just imagined it. But I felt peace as I heard his voice that last time in this life, saying

"You will be okay."

**End of Book 1