Black billows of smoke rose from the ruins of the wall where a huge hole had been blasted out. I gasped, black figures jumped through the wreckage and swarmed in a huge mass up the main street.

Screams rang through the panes of glass as the doors to the Conclave chambers burst open. Conclave members raced down the hall, shedding their robes and pulling out knives to join the fight.

They shouted in panic, filling the wide hall with chaos.

On the streets below, civilians brandishing knives ran towards them, determined to protect the settlement. My heart swelled as they neared the invaders. We could survive this.

Bright shapes began to fall, felled by the traitors who simply pointed their hands.

"Elliott, we need to go now. We can barely use knives and they have magic." My throat was dry as I turned to Elliott. We had no choice but to leave the settlement now.

He was frozen, tears streaming from his eyes as he watched his paradise fall. I grabbed his arm and forced him to turn away.

"Let's go!"

"That could have been me." He stared over my shoulder, unable to look me in the eye.

"But it wasn't. You weren't at the wall today so we need to go. I want to make sure Skylark is safe and then we'll leave." I tugged his arm again, leading him to the Conclave Chamber's doors. I hoped the Theo and Gemma had gotten her far away. I hadn't seen any of them leave the Chambers yet.

I shoved the doors open and stepped into the strangely still room.

"Skylark!" My voice echoed through the empty room, nearly smothering the creak of the door swinging shut. The room was full of toppled chairs and scattered papers. "It's us, Melanie and Elliott. Come out!"

"Melanie?" My head jolted towards her voice, staring straight for the bookshelves where the little girl poked her head around.

"Skylark!" Running, I scooped her up from the ground. "Why are you still here?"

She sniffled into my shoulder as I pulled her tight to my chest. Loud bangs sounded from the road below, causing her to stiffen as I did.

"Mama and Dad said to stay here until they came back. They took the back way to go fight." She hiccupped slightly, her tears drying on my shirt.

"We need to go." Elliott shook my shoulder, his hand shaking. What was the back way? The Traitors had been on the main street for a while and the front exit wouldn't be safe.

"How are we going to get out? I have some supplies stored up but we have to get there first." I turned to Elliott, meeting his eyes fearfully. He mirrored my terror in deep brown pools widened.

"We'll go the same way as Leader Grace and Guardian Grace. Come on!" He hurried away, past the toppled pews to a door set in a wall. I followed, passing the podium I had been behind only the day before.

Beyond the door was another set of stairs leading down into darkness. Elliott stood just in the light of the door, ushering us on.

"Give me Skylark, you'll never make it down on time carrying her." I nodded, depositing the scared still child into his arms. She whimpered softly as she buried herself into his shoulder.

One hand on the guardrail, Elliott hurtled down the stairs with me close on his heels. As we descended into darkness, we couldn't slow down. The Traitors could be in the Conclave Building by now, or waiting at the base of the stairs to kill us.

The frenzied bangs that had been the white noise of the Chambers had slowed, becoming less frequent and duller in our minds. Our tired breaths filled the stairwell as did our pounding feet. Finally, light flickered at the end of the tunnel; we had reached the basement cellblock.

Elliott shoved the door open to let us into the dim, torchlight room. Bending in half, I shuddered. The room was almost a nightmare for me, a reminder of pain at the hands of a madman.

"Melanie, Ottosen isn't in a cell." I straightened immediately. Had he caused the destruction of the settlement after all?

"Mama released him to the Between to die." Skylark trotted over to me, grey eyes wide.

"She did what?" My voice came out as a screech, visibly hitting the child as she cowered.

"Melanie, stop. You're scaring her." Elliott stepped forward to hold Skylark close; his face closely guarded as he looked at me.

In the pit of my stomach, disgust churned. "I beg your forgiv-"

"Let's just get out of here." His face softened slightly, eyes losing their strong anger. I sighed, nodding as he turned to the hatch I had noticed the last time I had been down here.

"Wait, do you know where to go from here?"

"No, where?"

"To the right, out in the warehouse rows. If I don't make it, find number five, the entrance is hidden behind a bush." I looked him straight in the eye. Together, we came to the realization that death could come at any second once we left the relative safety of the building.

"Skylark?" I stepped towards the pair and smoothed her soft hair. "Don't be afraid, alright? We'll be fine, it'll just be loud for a bit." Keeping her face buried in Elliott's shoulder, she nodded.

"Ready, Melanie?" I stepped back, my heart in my throat as I moved to leave first. I pulled myself up the cold iron rungs, palms sweaty on slippery metal. I pushed the hatch open, popping the bubble of safety and pushing my head into the chaotic settlement.

Outside, sporadic blasts exploded, stunning me with the destroyed world. I darted my eyes across the area, sunlight blinding me to the landscape.

"Is it safe?" Elliott's voice reminded me of him and Skylark. I pulled myself onto the treacherous ground, the rough pavement scraping my palms. The alley was still and empty, but I didn't allow that to fool me into security.

"Yes." Kneeling before the hatch, I pulled Skylark up. Elliott climbed up himself and rose to stand above us. Looking up at him, the ruffled spikes in his hair were highlighted by the sun, washing out his face into a dark blur.

Scrabbling around in my bag, I pulled the knife I took from the training session out. Beside me, Elliott scooped Skylark up and glanced at the knife weirdly. Ignoring his look, I stood, holding the blade nervously in my left hand.

I lead the way, sprinting down the alley to a little intersection. At the end, I paused, afraid of what we would face beyond it. Elliott moved to go first, tilting his head out the end of the buildings.

"Let me go first." I stuck my arm in front of him, preventing him from taking the lead. He could still be my Soulmate. I didn't want to bear the pain of Severance.

Without waiting for his response, I left the alley, sprinting to the left towards the warehouses towering down the road. In my nose was a terrible, smoky metallic smell, but I kept my eyes forward. Looking anywhere else was devastating; people lay horribly twisted and sprawled around us.

I gulped, my eyes catching on a girl with shimmering hair caked a murderous red. Shaking my head to rid my mind of her still-open eyes, I kept running. If they would murder a child, they wouldn't hesitate to shoot me.

Explosions rang out behind me, deafeningly close as they echoed off the buildings. Small rocks stung my calves as I ran, kicked up by the blasts. Risking a glance over my shoulder, I cried out in panic. At the entrance to the road stood a man holding a angled piece of metal straight at us. More explosions shattered the air and I ran faster.

"You Severeds are going to pay!" The dark-clothed man's bellow hit me with icy bolts of fear. What if Elliott couldn't keep up?

I stopped dead in my tracks, spinning on one foot to see him running, weighed down by Skylark. We were closer to the warehouses, but Elliott's desperate attempts might not be enough for them to reach safety.

Going against the scream of my mind to run, I ran from safety and straight towards Elliott and Skylark.

"No, keep going!" Elliott yelled, expelling some of his precious breath. Ignoring him, I passed Elliott the knife and pulled Skylark from him.

Behind us, the traitor growled unintelligible words and smashed his tool to the ground. He couldn't hurt us anymore.

"Go," I breathed as more pavement cracked behind us. Struggling to support the little girl, I ran on. Elliott passed me, the knife in his hand beating a song of flight and fear.

I couldn't let Skylark meet the fate of the rest of the city. Inside my chest, power broke free to fuel my pounding legs. We would be safe now.

Then Elliott turned, grim determination carved in the harsh lines of his face. He ran straight at the Traitor. I spun, following his path as he hurtled close to the dangerous man. I watched, frozen as my possible Soulmate risked his life and my Soul.

"Elliott, no!" The traitor grinned, cracking his knuckles as Elliott approached with the knife brandished widely in his hand.

Elliott yelled, his voice a thunderstorm. "You'll pay for this. You killed Guardians Kern and Bradberns."

With a broad slash of Elliott's knife, blood spilled from a cut in the Traitor's arm. A vicious yowl roared from his throat as he landed a strong punch on Elliott's shoulder. For a sickening moment, Elliott lurched back. He had to win this.

Regaining his balance, the pair circled on the sun-splotched battlefield like dueling forces of nature. My eyes were locked on their every move, a terrifying spectacle as Elliott opened cuts on the dark traitor but was pushed back by flinging fists.

The whole fight had lasted only a minute before the unthinkable happened. In a blur, Elliott fell; knocked to the ground by a hard punch to the throat. Our breathing stopped together as I watched the cruel beast smile over Elliott's crumpled form.

Barely thinking, I set Skylark down to her cries of fear and ran for the knife that had been thrown from Elliott's defeated form. There were no screams anymore, just desperation and strength as I grabbed the knife and ran at the man.

Dark eyes met mine with amusement as the traitor cracked his knuckles like a prizefighter and stepped forward to swing at me. Sidestepping, I dodged his huge fist and dug the knife into his side.

He stumbled backwards, clutching the bloody gash in his side. This was my chance. I stepped closer, nervous to finish the fight.

Before I had even raised my arm to make the final move, he flung a bloody hand out, punching my skull. I cried out, dark splotches covering my vision and making me stumble. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Elliott carrying Skylark to safety.

"Melanie?" He turned as he called for me, worry for me overriding his protection of Skylark.

"GO!" I doubled over as he landed a punch on my gut. At least they would be safe even if it meant I would meet my end. I spat blood on the ground, clinging to survival to save my Soulmate.

"Pathetic little Severed," the man growled. I was no Severed and he would pay for what he had done today.

I stabbed up at him as I rose in one explosive moment, launching a final attack. He knocked me back again with a lazy arm. He was toying with me, enjoying my pain and desperation. He could have killed me by now and been done.

The Traitor stepped back, leaving me one last chance. I had try even if I would never win.

With a slash of my knife, I made my last effort. He had my blow blocked by a bloody arm raised but in a split second the arm was pulled down to reveal his unguarded upper arm. He collapsed, blood spurting from an artery in his arm to coat me.

For a moment, the woman who had saved my life stood behind him, blood leeching slowly from a huge hole in her leg. Then, she too fell. In the blood of two enemies, I knelt, grasping her hand.

"Gemma, you saved me." I stared in horror at the dying woman who had just become Conclave Leader. Her delicate face knotted with pain as she looked up at me. The cream robe of the Conclave was torn, peppering her with red wounds.

"I shouldn't have had to. I shouldn't have let Ottosen go. He had some device to blow up the wall and because I let him go, everyone is dead." Tears ran from her almond-shaped eyes in tiny rivulets. "Is Skylark safe?"

"Yes, Elliott Wayne has her." I faltered; should I lie? Should I let Gemma die with a clear conscience?

"Thank you." Her voice was a gasp. "I didn't protect her like I should have. I'm so sorry, tell her I'm so sorry."

"I will. I promise she'll be safe with us." I should lie. "You did what you thought was right, Gemma. That's all any of us can do."

"Yes. And now my life will end as Theo's did and everyone else's here. Just, tell Skylark we love her. She isn't ready to know what happened, but tell her when she's older." She coughed, voice catching in her pain.

"I'll make sure she knows." She nodded, leaning back in my arms. Her eyes closed, then fluttered back open. "Will you do the Farewell for me?" Again, I was struck by the combination of two worlds that was the settlement, but I had no doubts in my mind about performing the Farewell for her.

"Of course. On this day, we meet to celebrate the wondrous Soul, Gemma Sakuri. She has lived a long and full life outside of the Gathered Cities," some of the words had to be replaced awkwardly, "yet she has loved and lost more than most in our world. Born a delicate cloud, she has transformed into a mighty thunderstorm of emotions and embodies the true spirit of a Soul. She shall be reborn into her true form though her mortal form will live forever in our thoughts. Farewell, Gemma, may you find comfort in what lies beyond our short time here."

As I finished the ceremony, Gemma sighed and her eyes dimmed to glassy orbs staring at the clouds she would become. Tears rolled down my face, freed to spread my sorrow across the world.

There would be no proper burial for Gemma, nor any of the citizens of the settlement. Would they even be reformed?

Only the yells of the Traitors broke the painful silence, reminding me that I needed to leave Gemma behind eventually. As I slid her off my lap, I stared at the clouds, wishing for there to be some miraculous appearance of a cloud. Sadly, the accounts of those seeing Reformation weren't confirmed to me.

I stood slowly, trying to contain the tears that fell off my cheeks ceaselessly. In a daze, I moved; lifting the bloody blade off the ground and stumbling to the warehouse.

I tried to block the memory of the murderer who laid beside a wise and worthy Soul, but I couldn't ignore the wrongfulness of the pair for long. No matter how far I ran, they were with me still.