"Where'd she go?!" I whispered somewhat frantically, releasing Ben and turning around myself. The room was all dark aside from the glow from the lighter in my hand. There was no way she could just vanish like that! Teleporting was an advanced skill that only powerful people were capable of. This HAD to mean she had an incredibly low number.

I could tell Ben was terrified because he was trembling beside me, clinging to my arm desperately as if his life depended on it. I wanted nothing more than to assure him that everything would be okay. That I had a plan for escape, but the truth was that I didn't. I was so confused, and there were too many questions filling my mind.

He quickly pulled out his notebook and wrote: We made her very very angry. She doesn't like when people see her face.

I nodded, then tried offering a reassuring smile, though it was strained. 

"It's okay. I'll get us out of here. I promise."

I grasped his hand sightly, then led him into the next room, where there were many dolls sitting along the wall. As we moved, I could see them sway and tremble, as if someone was quickly moving behind them. I tried breathing slowly to keep my heart rate down. 

I had to be brave. For Ben.

As she moved around the shadows, I held your lighter up. Yes, it only offered a small amount of light, but it still helped. My eyes continued darting around the room as she seemed to dart through the shadows. However, I couldn't hear footsteps. It was like she was a ghost or something.

But she wasn't a ghost. 

My heart beat quickly as I rushed into a room. The moon was no longer shining through the skylights. I actually missed it for once. I wanted light to fight the darkness away. I wanted to feel safe. I wanted you and Mario back.

As soon as the door was shut, Ben let go of my hand and took a shaky step back, bringing his hands up to his head and tangling his fingers in his blonde hair as if stressed. I had never seen him so terrified.

"Eighty-Eight, listen to me. I won't let anything happen to you," I assured him as he trembled. "I swear on my life-"

Just as soon as the word left my mouth, the lady appeared right between the two of us, looming over me. Her mask was back on, but I couldn't unsee what I had seen earlier. I knew what she looked like beneath that mask now.

She leaned over me, then waved her hand. It felt as if two invisible hands wrapped around me, lifting me into the air and bringing me to her eye level. Ben gasped and stumbled backward, tripping over himself as I looked into the woman's two black eyes which reminded me of empty voids.

I began to kick and squirm, but nothing made the invisible hands let go.

The lady then reached forward, grabbing ahold of my left wrist and reading my number. Her eyes softened for a brief moment, but I wasn't sure if I was just imagining it because the moment was so brief.

That was when I caught the number on her wrist. 5.

Oh Dear Grambi.

"You are a One?" She asked, her voice smooth and a little airy. It was sweet like honey. She had a thick french accent. If I hadn't seen her face earlier, I would have thought that it perfectly matched her elegance. 

"Let me go!" I demanded, still helplessly squirming like a worm on a fishhook. 

She didn't. She instead let go of my arm and poked my stomach. It was like she was observing me. Like I was some sort of animal on display. 

"I thought Ones were big and strong," she giggled. 

I began to nervously sweat as she laughed more and more. It was like me being weak was funny to her! 

"Something is clearly wrong. Perhaps they messed up-"

"They didn't mess up!" I exclaimed, not sure why I felt so angered by the idea. 

Of course, they didn't mess up, because my number was all I had. It was my whole identity. I had powers. I could snap my fingers and make an execution box to kill her right then and there if I wanted to. How DARE she underestimate me?!

"Ah, sure," She giggled. "I take it you two were the ones disturbing my guests in the dining room."

Dining room? I had no idea what she was talking about. 

"Guests?" I asked. "Y-You mean those people all walking in a line?"

"Yes," She explained in a sweet tone. "Permanent guests."

I never liked the sound of that word. Permanent...

"What do you mean?!" I asked, my voice shaky despite my attempts to keep it steady.

She didn't answer. Not that I expected her to. This was the real world. The villain never would actually explain their evil plan to the hero. Besides... I think I could figure it out on my own anyway. 

She was a low number... low numbers tended to hate high numbers. The guests all looked like humans. If I had to bet, she was probably luring them all to that ship to trap them and separate them from the rest of the world... She was getting rid of the weaker numbers.

I nervously swallowed, then looked into her eyes. "Who are you?"

"No one important," She beamed with a small head tilt that led me to believe she was lying. The crown on her head for one was a dead giveaway. 

"Liar! Let me go!" I cried, briefly allowing my eyes to flicker to Ben, silently asking for help. I knew he couldn't do anything, but he was my only ally. He was all I had.

He nodded, then charged towards the lady, grabbing a book off the floor and desperately hitting her leg with it. The captain looked down at him, then let out an annoyed sigh, waving one of her arms and making him float into the air as well.

She then turned towards him, making me fall to the floor. I didn't realize how much pain I was in from being held up until I was finally released. I didn't realize how hard it was to breathe until I was finally freed.

But I didn't have time to savor it, because now the captain was looming over Ben, narrowing her two empty black eyes at him. His eyes were wide open with terror, but he didn't squirm. I think he knew that struggling was pointless. He knew the lady, a five, could easily overpower him, an eighty-eight.

"Ah, what a cute little kid," The captain giggled, looming over Ben like a storm cloud, her cold gaze betraying her warm tone. "I have a special place for kids like you!"

"HEY! DON'T HURT HIM! PUT HIM DOWN!" I begged as tears of fear began to well up in Ben's eyes. 

I could have killed her the way I killed the man with the yellow eyes. I killed him because he took Blumiere from me. I killed him because he was a threat to my friend.

But... I regretted killing him every single day. Death was a permanent solution, and no matter how strong I pretended to be, I wasn't strong enough to kill anyone again. 

So, I stood there, doing nothing.

"Don't worry," She hummed as she took a step back, her crown beginning to glow. "This won't hurt a bit."

I could see the glow of her purple crown reflected in Ben's terrified gaze.

He began to tremble, then looked at me.

"One!" He cried, his voice soft, yet desperate. "I'm scared!"

I softly gasped and drew back. This was the first time I ever heard the kid speak. I wasn't even sure if he could talk before then. He sounded exactly how I'd imagine a scared little kid to sound. His voice was soft and sweet, yet there was terror lining each and every word.

He looked at me with confusion, as if he was silently wondering why I was just sitting there. 

Why was I just sitting there?!

Why did I feel so powerless?! I was a One! I should have the power to save him!

So why am I just sitting here doing nothing?!

"One! P-please!!" He begged, tears falling down the sides of his face. "You promised!"

I promised...

That's right, I promised!

"Eighty-Eight!" I cried, getting up and readying my hands. I promised to save him! I had to do something-

As if on cue, the lady flicked one of her wrists, sending a mirror off the wall and right at me. It hit the side of my head and shattered, knocking me down.

My ears began to ring and my vision began to fade in and out. I was stuck on the ground, lying on my side on the brink of consciousness.

All I could do was sit there and watch through blurred vision.

All I could do was watch as the Lady's crown glowed brightly, making the whole room seem to flash a white color.

Once my vision returned... he was gone.

The lady was still standing in the middle of the room, looking forward as her crown slowly stopped glowing.

"Eighty-Eight...?" I whispered, sitting up. Glass shards fell off me, but I luckily wasn't cut. Not that it would matter if I was.

I couldn't see around her anymore, so I carefully crawled around the edge of the room, praying that he was still there. Praying that he was okay.

But what I saw when I peered around her... it wasn't Ben.

"Ben...?" I whispered quietly, my voice shaking as I looked at it.

A lone boo, floating about a foot off the floor, staring up at the lady's crown emptily.