Corben raced through the edges of the forest, emerging into the fully and shining glory of the sun, it's heat lending to the sweat starting to drip and form on his forehead, the raggedy breath sticking from the thickness of the air.

Maylea clung to his back, small whimpers echoing in his ears each time he turned or jumped, making a part of him shrivel inside with every small noise she uttered.

There was grass, suddenly, leaping up from his calfs to now his chest, shining and whipping against his skin as he ran, voice breaking as he called out again. "Kai? Kai!"

The screaming was still printing through the air, or was it just his mind playing tricks on him? Were these heartbreaking sounds coming from Kai, who Corben had never seen frown, let alone cry, or just a part of this twisted game that had been forced upon them? This had to be the game. This had to be some side quest, something different, something undoubtedly not real, because he couldn't imagine what could possibly be drawing out those shattering sounds from one of these people, these friends.

Could he call them friends? They did not fit the mold of the people he rode with at school, all bad decisions and speaking out, with him as the only voice of reason. But they were also a far cry from his only, his truest friend, the thought catching his breath in his throat, until he was choking on childhood grief and worries, the screaming filtered out into background noise.

Corben was sitting stiffly in a hospital room, the couch too enveloping, too comforting this position. His eyes were trained on a doctor, trying desperately to explain something to his parents.

His mother was wailing, screaming, a wordless sound of utter grief, his father was motionless, stone, the only revelation of emotion was the trembling staring up in his hands, tucked behind his back.

Corben was no longer listening to the doctor, but was instead staring at the empty bed, sheets still wrinkled and bunched in the shape of a nine year old girl, an orchid that he had just picked that morning on the floor, petals splayed out in evidence of its forgetteness.

He was choking on tears, unable to breathe, two words, two terrible words repeating, stuck in his mind. "I'm sorry." There was only reason for an apology in a hospital. Something had gone horribly, dreadfully wrong.

His sister should have been there on that bed, smiling and chatting with him. She should be there, not that girl shaped emptiness.

His mother was still screaming.

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They were dragging her away. She should have expected it, honestly, should have known from the sound of it all that he was not the only one there in the grasses with her.

But seeing him, seeing her brother, blood smeared across the lower half of his face, knocked her defenseless against all of them when they grabbed her. They didn't even both to shut Kai up, and once again, she reminded herself that this was not real, that this could not be real, that she was in no danger at all.

But the thoughts in her head, and the feelings of everything else convicted to harshly, the stinging feel of the grass, the too tight grip of their hands around her arms as the marched her on and on. She didn't know how she was still screaming, but when she tried to stop, the sound continued, but it was not her voice this time.

"Corben!"

The name, the voice, the complete otherness of the situation clicked her back to life, and the limpness in her body stiffened as awareness fired through her. Corben. Corben was near her, meaning she was no longer alone. Another voice crying out his name meant that he was not the only one, that they were here, that this must have been the continuation of this plot.

Words spilled out of her, scratching and painful from the overuse of her voice before. "I'm here! Corben, I'm here, please help me!"

"Shut her up," a voice snapped, and they were stopping, a rough piece of leather shoved into her mouth, stretching too hard, gaping her jaw uncomfortably wide. She choked on the pain, and flailed in their hold, unable to break away, only able to hope that they had heard her, that she would would free in a moment, to release all of her anger on these men.

There was a thunk, a groan, and the man on her right was going slack, his hand dropping from her arm as he crumpled forward, a feathered arrow sticking through his back.

The captor on her left turned, yanking Kai in front of him and trailing a knife across her still bleeding throat. Before she could move to get away, he stiffened, falling backwards and dragging her with him. Kai ripped herself from his hold and spun to face the third, the last.

He was not looking at her, but behind her, and she watched as he loosed a pitch black arrow, hurtling just inches away from her, her eyes following as it swung past a mirroring yellow one.

Kai heard the man groan, but she could not care less.

Because Maylea was standing there, and she had an arrow in her chest.

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Carmen was now desperately trying to heal Juno, to bring a flicker of life back into his eyes, but Charlie knew it was in vain. There was no coming back from that moment, from those sightless, empty eyes.

He tried to busy himself with Veronica instead. She was still alive, for now. And from what they saw of Juno, there were no extra lives in this game, no chances to restart.

Veronica was propped up against a rock, face tightened into a grimace as she stitched and sewed herself back into working order. At least, slightly. Charlie was holding a bundle of bandages, rolls of different lengths and widths in his arms as he tried to not focus on the fact that Veronica was sewing her own wounds back together.

He handed the scalpel to her without a word into her open palm, gulping as she cut the stitches and let out a low groan. "Do... do you want me to help bandage that?" He offered, shifting slightly to hold out the bindings in his arms.

Veronica started to shake her head, then winced, inhaling sharply. "Fine." The word was supposed to have an edge to it, Charlie knew this, but the sting fell flat compared to the pain on her face. "Make sure they are tight-" she exhaled slowly, her eyes squeezed shut. "And clean. Tight and clean."

Charlie nodded, though Veronica could not see him, and leaned forward to start winding the bandages around her waist and lower torso. His hands trembled as a moved to shift her shirt so he could go all of the way around, but when she did not move to threaten or kill him, Charlie continued with anxious care not to brush her skin.

It was silent, but for the raggedness of her breathing, and the muffled sobs still coming from the direction of the other girls. Charlie was winding around for the last time when Veronica spoke, and though her voice sounded tight, it was less so. "I need-" she grunted. "I need to talk with you, but first, get me some- get me some pain killers. And get Carmen to give up on Juno. He's dead."

Charlie nodded, but didn't move to leave, only wrapped again, and a second time, and a third. He had to make sure this was done right. He had to make up for that dreadful mistake.

He had to make up for killing Juno.

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Avery came running out of the woods, panting hard as he looked out on the rest of their group spread out in the area they had just fought in.

And, there was a body...

Horror caught in his throat as he stumbled down, landing next to Azalea, breathing hard. "What happened?" He gasped, trying to struggle down deeper breaths.

Azalea was rubbing her hand across Carmen's back, who was sobbing and uttering things under her breath, hands flying in and out of the bag at her side, materials and supplies appearing just to dissappear with each breath. "It's Juno," Azalea whispered, tilting her head at the body. "He came in wearing the prince's insignia and Charlie reacted. We didn't know."

Avery gulped and brushed a strand of hair from the body's face, then shuddered in recognition. Could that be him next? Would he just be a body on the ground at the end of all of this? No, not that couldn't be right. This was just a simulation. They had been promised that it wasn't real. It couldn't be real. They would get out and Juno would be sitting there on the couch, curled up and napping, or whatever he did in his spare time.

Carmen had given up, simply leaning into Azalea, her body limp as she stared down at Juno's form. "I couldn't do it," she whimpered, her breathing shallow. "I'm supposed to be the healer, so why couldn't I do it?"

Azalea stroked Carmen's hair, her own voice low. "You should have never had to worry about this, Carmen. We're just kids, we're not meant to rescue princess and overthrow kingdoms. We're supposed to be learning at school and laughing with friends and planning for breaks. Don't ever blame yourself for the messed up decisions of others."

Avery shuffled over and placed his chin on Azalea's shoulder so he could speak without Carmen hearing. "And Veronica? How is she?"

Azalea tilted her head just slightly so she could respond to Avery. "She's back behind that big rock. Charlie is with her."

Avery slipped back, nodding. "Ok, thank you." He hesitated, then turned to look at Carmen, eyebrows creased down. "It really wasn't your fault," he said. "If there is anyone to blame, it's the ones who put us in here.

When his eyes flicked over to Azalea, her gaze was dark as she stared off into the distance, thumb rubbing on her leg.

"What's wrong?" Avery asked, his own eyes narrowing as he searched through the forest, trying to find the focus of her attention.

"Huh?" She startled back to attention blinking rapidly at him. "Oh. No, nothings wrong, I was just thinking." She licked her lips, then turned her face away. "You should go check on the others. They might need you."

Avery nodded, but a dark shadow stuck in his stomach as he turned away. Something was wrong, he could feel it, but he didn't know Azalwa enough to push the issue, for fear of how she would react. They didn't need another person dying today.

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Corben twisted and saw Maylea, a shocked look on her face as she stumbled backwards. He went to move for her, to catch her, but his feet stayed plastered to the ground, his legs stiff as he watched her drop. "Maylea!"

The word was twisted and broken, but the echo of it was not his own voice, but Kai's as she hurtled toward them, stopping with a jolt only a pace away from Corben. Her breathing was ragged and heavy as she strained, but but was just as frozen as Corben was.

"Princess."

The word was thick in his mouth, and he couldn't even recall saying it, but it hovered in the space between them, clearly there. "I've finally found you."

Her face was twisted in confusion, but the sound of her voice was clear and sweet. "We've certainly gone much further than sneaking into the gardens together, Fero."

He was suddenly moving, wrapping her into his arms, and despite every fiber of will that fought against it, their lips met with a strange sort of ferocity and longing. Thus wasn't right. He didn't want to do this, and from the stiff feel of Kai in his arms, he guessed that she felt the same.

The moment stopped. He could feel himself again, was back in control of every movement, every motion. He stumbled backwards and tried to still himself, tried to shove away the shaking that had started to grasp at his hands. "Maylea." The word choked out of him, and he stumbled down, practically crawling toward her, his breathing sticking in his throat. "Maylea!"

He slipped his hands under her head and back and cradled her into his lap, trying to still the sobs as he tucked her closer. "Maylea, you idiot," he whispered, wiping a small tear off her cheek. "I told you that I'm not a healer."

She gifted him a small laugh, but it dissolved into hiccups and sobs, matching his own. "I'm so sorry," she whimpered, gripping at his arm.

He shifted her in his hold, staring at the arrow, deep burgundy blood seeping into the blue hues of her dress. "It wasn't your fault," Corben whispered back. "I'm so sorry for not protecting you."

Maylea gulped and took a shuddering breath. "Will... will you do me a favor?" She asked, her eyes piercing despite being unfocused.

Corben was barely aware of Kai coming to sit on the other side of Maylea. "Anything. Anything you want?"

She coughed once. "Will you finally cut off my skirt for me?" The stain was bigger, taking over her entire stomach.

Corben took one of her hands in his own, tears hot on his face. "I promise." The words were dull and fell flatly as Maylea nodded and closed her eyes, her breathing slowly changing from ragged heaves to shallow gasps.

A final shudder. A whimper from Kai.

Corben pressed the faintest of kisses to her forehead.

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Well I was planning on ending the simulation this chapter, but I got an idea so you'll have to wait

And of course I had to give you a death

Because yes

Who's dying next? >:]