I can feel my bones twitch as I'm running through the darkness. I hear a cry for help, so I come to a stop. The pitch-black air surrounds me. I can barely make out the trees. My heart hammers against my chest. Sweat builds on my forehead and dries on the pillow underneath me.

Help me. The girl screams. I take off running again and this time I hear her screams get louder as I get closer. My feet skid to a halt when I reach a clearing in the woods. Katie lies on the smooth grass screaming. She is looking straight at me. I crouch down towards her.

Shh it's okay Katie. I touch her arm and she lets out a howl. I look down at her arm to see it turning black from my touch. I stumble backwards and hit the grass. Her screams are swallowed by the dark shadows from my touch until she is nothing. She is gone. I stare at the air in disbelief.

You could never have saved her. I watch as Max emerges from the forest.

You can't save any of them. You're a monster. My eyes widen as he runs towards me and then I am swallowed by darkness.

A gasp chokes in my throat as I sit up in my pool of sweat. My room is dark, and it reminds me of the forest. I quickly reach for my lamp and switch it on. I place my hand over my heart and breath in and out to slow my heart rate down. I wipe the sweat under my nose and shove the covers off of me. I glance at my clock. It's not even sunrise yet. I run my hand through my sweaty hair and get up to take a shower. As I do this, I see something white on the floor. It is a piece of paper. I pick it up and read it. Midnight- S. I breathe out a sigh of relief I didn't know I was holding in. I can't wait for midnight.

After I wash all the sweat off my body I get dressed and then lay on my bed. I stare at the ceiling until someone knocks on my door. Max walks in and pauses when he sees me lying flat on my bed.

"How long have you been up?" I sit up and he closes the door.

"I had a bad dream," I say not answering his question. He sits beside me and puts his hand on top of mine. You're a monster, echoes in my head.

"Hey," he says getting my attention. "Are you alright?" I nod and put on my reassuring face.

"You're supposed to be fitted for your wedding dress today." I press my lips together and lay back on my bed.

"I can't want till this is over," I breathe.

"Me too," he admits. I smile as he leans down over me and kisses me. I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him closer to me. He grins on my lips. His arms link under my back and pull me up to level with him. We pull away and he strokes my hair.

"Come on. We don't want to be late for my mother." I manage a smile even though all I want to do is to stay in my bed with him the rest of the day. Instead of protesting, I follow him out the door.

When we get to the fitting room Joanna and Cedric are waiting near the podium with Sybil. Max walks beside me towards them. I see my wedding dress hanging on a rack near Sybil. I picture myself wearing it at my execution when they find out I'm the one they want. Max squeezes my hand and it makes me shake off the thought.

"Sybil," Joanna says gesturing to the dress. She grabs the dress and tells me to follow her. I walk into the dressing room and strip out of my clothes. She helps me into the dress. I stare in awe at myself. Sybil pins my hair up and out of my face. I turn around and examine my exposed back. I hate it. I should like it, but I hate it. I hate it so much. Rage fills my veins as I feel my body tense up.

"I need a minute," I gasp. Sybil takes that as her cue to leave the room. I suddenly let go of the rage building inside of me and exhale it through my skin. My eyes drag up the mirror to the black shadows stretching from my body. They flare around me and move like smoke. My shadows. Tears stream down my face from the sight. I don't feel like a monster. I feel powerful. I yank the shadows back towards me. They fall back and absorb through my skin. I wipe my tears off my face and take a deep breath. I open the doors as a huge puff of air hits my exposed back. I keep a straight face as I walk towards them. Max looks at me in awe and smiles. He helps me up on the podium and I look at my reflection. Max stands on my left and Cedric comes to stand on my right. I meet his eyes, which are soft and sympathetic. Joanna comes in front of me.

"It's perfect," she says. I give her a nod and look back to the mirror. I watch as both males on either side of me look up at me. Suddenly everything seems a bit clearer and more defined for the first time in my life. I know that this is not what I want. I want something completely different and I know that now. Max turns away first, but Cedric's gaze lingers on. Max grabs my hands and I tear my eyes from Cedric and let Max help me down from the podium. Sybil takes me back to the dressing room and I change out of the dress. I hope I will never have to wear it again. I leave the room without saying goodbye and head to the dining hall because I need to talk to someone other than Max. I need to tell someone what is happening to me and this world. It's corrupted just like me and I feel like I am going to explode... any second now.

The moment I walk into the hall I see Kim sitting down at the table. Ava and Jeremy are nowhere in sight. I head straight towards her and I sit down in front of her.

"Hey," she greets me.

"Hi," I smile. She sets her napkin in her lap.

"Where were you today?" She asks.

"I had to do something for the Queen," I say. She nods.

"How was training?" Her face lights up.

"I kicked Ava's ass today! I finally got her back from all those times she would mock us in training." I laugh and smile with her.

"That's great. I wish I was there to see it," I say with a brightening tone. She returns my smile.

"Her face was priceless. I think she actually missed you today," Kim says. I doubt that.

"Do you have siblings, Kim?" She gives me a surprised look, but quickly recovers.

"No, it's just me." I nod.

"I have two older brothers," I inform her.

"Oh, I didn't know. Where are they?" That's when she hits a nerve. Tell her. Say it.

"That's the question isn't it?" She gives me a confused look. "Kim, if you were in my position would you do everything in your power to reunite yourself with your siblings?" She pauses for a second. Think Kim. Please say the right thing. Don't hate me.

"Yeah, I guess I would. I mean... family always comes first right?" I place my hands together and look at her.

"Octavia, what is this about?" Kim asks me in a serious tone.

"What if there's more out there than this? What if this is wrong?" She gives me a blank look. I've scared her.

"Is this about Max? Are you having second thoughts?" I shake my head furiously.

"This is not about Max," I urge her.

"Are you okay? You look angry," Kim says noting my clenched fists on the table.

"This is about us. All of us. Is this what you really want?" I search her eyes as she stares at me.

"I don't know what you mean. You're scaring me," she says as she shakes her head. I've lost her. I thought I could win her over and get her to see, but she can't.

Before I can say anything, a loud blasting alarm goes off. Everyone in the hall clamps their hands over their ears. Kim and I exchange a look of panic. What the hell? The guards start moving and directing us out of the hall. Kim and I move towards the crowd and slowly move. I need to find Max. I search through the crowd, but there is no sign of him.

"I have to go find Max!" I yell to Kim over the alarm. She nods with her hands still covering her ears. I move my way through the maze of people and get to the edge of the doorway. I make sure no guards are watching me as I slip away from the crowd and start running down the hallway. I can't believe I totally blew it with Kim. She thinks I'm insane now. I just wanted to tell her the truth. I just wanted to stop lying to her.

Where are you Max? I search the training rooms first and then head to the east wing. Every corner I turn I have to wait for the guards to leave before I can continue. As I move away from the hall the alarm seems to have grown softer. My mind goes to Sage. Could she be a part of this? Is she planning something? No, she would have told me. This can't be her doing. I slow my pace as I approach the throne room. The doors are wide open. I look around to see if anyone is coming before I step into the stone throne room.

Light streams in through the windows, but it feels cold inside. I stop in my tracks when I see something lying on the floor. I walk closer and see a gold crown lying a few feet away from what looks like the body of a man. I gasp when I realize I am staring at the King lying in his own pool of blood.

My chest seizes up. I can't move. My mind is blank, but before I can do anything a hand grabs the back of my arm holding me in place. Before I can pull away, something is plunged into my back with a sharp slice. Words are silenced in my throat. My whole body freezes up. I glance down at my stomach and see the glint of a shiny blade peeking out of my abdomen. A dark liquid drips from it and lands on the cold stone. The knife is then pulled from my body like a bandage being pulled off. I drop to my knees in shock. My knees turn to jelly as I fall towards the floor. My palms catch me. I start to feel a warm sensation in my stomach. The sound of the knife clattering on the floor startles me. I use my hand to turn myself on my back to see who the culprit is. My eyes meet a man with dark brown hair and chocolate eyes. The bloodied knife lies a few inches from his feet.

"Max." His name seems foreign on my tongue. He stands in front of me with no sympathy or remorse on his face. My fiancée. Max. What have you done? He stares down at me like I'm a speck of dust. "No," I croak. He smiles and takes a step closer to me. I use my arms and inch backwards. I start to notice I'm surrounded in my own blood. My own brain isn't registering with my body.

"Octavia," he whispers. I don't recognize this man in front of me. His face is not the same. His features seem darker. Almost evil. This is not Max.

"What are you doing? What have you done!" I cry to him. Hot tears fill my eyes. What has he done? Has he completely lost his mind? He shakes his head and crouches down in front of me. I start to breath very heavily.

"You really can't trust anyone," he smirks. My face crumples up into a twisted look.

"Whatever Joanna said-," I start.

"Guards," he barks. My body shoots up. No. I summon my shadows under my skin and get ready to unleash my rage on him. Two guards' barrel towards me and I'm am too late and too weak. They slap silver cuffs on my wrists. No. No. No. No. No.

"Max!" I thrash in their arms. My energy deflates from my skin. My body goes limp from the loss of feeling. They grab my arms and start to drag me out of the room. "Max! Please!" I scream at the top of my lungs, but he won't turn around. I fight as hard as I can and just like that I am being dragged away into the shadows.