4

- Swallow your threats, it's not your pretty speeches that will make me bend, she mocked, not seeming to have appreciated. You will stay here whether you like it or not, we need you.

- I have my word to say, I was indignant, clenching my fists so that my hand does not leave by itself to whip the face of my comrade. I didn't want to get it dirty.

- No, you haven't, she retorted, your desires only revolve around your navel. I don't need the opinion of a self-centered girl like you. The drain's patience was about to give way. And I was counting on getting her out of her gongs. I wanted her to feel the rage I was feeling right now.

- Don't blame me for my selfishness when you allowed yourself to destroy my life by your simple coming! I started screaming. You dissolved my band of friends, you deprived me of my daily life and you ridiculed me in front of my classmates!

- Ridiculed? She laughed. You make life hell for anyone living around you, I only helped them to free themselves from your chains, the rest is due to your behavior towards them.

- And I can know how it concerned you? It's not your business! You don't even come from my world, so don't come and meddle in what doesn't concern you!

- To see how you treated the people of your encouragement was simply unbearable to me. You act as if they were only objects at your service, and even then, I'm sure you treat your furniture better.

- I have my reasons.

- No reason justifies the mistreatment of others. I burst out laughing.

- Abuse, immediately big words. You don't seem to suspect that I'm capable of much worse, so my advice, stop getting in my way because you'll end up regretting it. You can't even imagine how much I hold back my urges, because otherwise, you'd already be dead. I heard gasps from the other teenagers, staring at the scene, their eyes filled with fear. But I didn't take it into account. The winged clown crossed his arms against his chest.

- So we move on to death threats, do you still have other threats against me in reserve or are you done going around? She answered in an icy voice. You don't seem to realize the magnitude of what you're saying. Murder is not insignificant, it's a disgusting act that you can't take back. We must then learn to live with it.

- Spare me your remonstrances! I know the consequences very well and it does not scare me! Seeing others suffer, I find it delightful and I would have no remorse to leave a lifeless body behind me. The clown looked at me with disgust while the other teenagers seemed to be seized with great discomfort, see, an irrepressible desire to go as far away from me. Which made me happy.

Without warning, the imposing red door opened letting two guards dressed in a gray similar to the exterior color of the castle, enter. They held a teenager firmly as if he were a prisoner.

- We found this Ranger who was stealing confidential information in the north tower, the guards told us, where is the queen?

- Left for an urgent matter, we take care of it, replied the girl with the scales of fish. The guards bowed before exiting, closing the door. The electric-haired boy sighed.

- As if we needed a second problem on our hands, he sighed. I had no trouble understanding that the first problem had to be me. What exactly did they expect? That I agree to help them by crawling at their feet?

- Let's take him to the dungeon, we'll take care of his case later, decided the fish.

- No, the clown intervened, grabbing a spear hanging from the wall. The looting of the queen's confidential information is a crime of great gravity and it is a repeat offender. We'd better take care of him before he ends up wreaking havoc, she replied, handing me the spear under the stunned gaze of my comrades.

- What do you want me to do with this? I said, contemplating the spear I had just taken.

- The crimes he committed must be punished by an irreversible sentence, she explained to me, but you claim to have no scruples. So if you can spare me having blood on my hands, that would be fine. Kill him. The prisoner looked at me, his eyes filled with terror.

- What are you doing? tossed the fish to the clown.

- Let me take care of that, she scolded her, looking at me intensely. What are you waiting for, kill him! Don't waste any more time.

- Why would I do such a thing? I replied, not seeing why I would obey.

- You wanted to know how to get back home? Kill him and I'll tell you how, I promise you'll be back to your daily life in two days. I widened my eyes. The offer was tempting, but…

- Why would it be up to me to do the dirty work? I was indignant.

- I thought it made you happy to see others suffer. But for your answer, only a human can kill a Ranger. So now, hurry before I lose my patience. Do you want to go home? Your exit door and right there, before your eyes. All you have to do is stab him in the heart.

I felt my heart beating wildly. Was she telling the truth? So I just had to kill the thief in front of me and everything would stop forever? All I had to do was stick my spear into his organs, it wasn't a complicated thing.

My eyes settled on the boy. He had dark skin as if he had been in the sun for a long time. Her black hair, medium length, and slightly curly, gave her a rebellious appearance. He had long, graceful eyelashes, and a square, powerful jaw. On her bare arms, black tattoos were inked there and seemed to shimmer, as if living and breathing on her skin. My gaze fixed on his eyes. His red eyes. His physique was quite charming and could have melted hearts. If of course, we liked supernatural physics. However, his face was broken with fear.

I remained indecipherable. Tightening my grip on the stick of the spear, I made a gesture of momentum so that once launched, I would not miss my target. I wanted to go home, so I was going to have to kill him.

All I needed was a good hit.

Just one.

But… my gaze was locked on his red eyes and my limbs froze.

- What are you waiting for? Go ahead, let's get it over with, the blonde got impatient. I blinked violently, finding a way to get my limbs working again.

I had to kill him. Why was I taking so long? It was simple, I just had to pierce his heart. Seeing people suffer never bothered me, I would revel in it soon, thinking back to the fact of having shed so much blood.

So why was my heart pounding in my rib cage? Why were my hands sweaty? Why had my throat tightened so suddenly?

I had to kill him. It was the compromise.

But his eyes…

I couldn't tear myself away from it.

His eyes… his eyes that brought up an avalanche of feelings in me. Their eyes.

I felt my heart split in two. No. I couldn't let weakness win out. I shouldn't think about it. I had to…

My hands were shaking and the word refused to come out.

What should I do?

"Kill him," the clown urged me, refreshing my memory. My gaze stopped once again on the prisoner's eyes and I collapsed on the ground.

I then started screaming, crying, and digging my nails into the ground to manage to cling to something. So as not to sink completely.14

I started crying and screaming at the same time, letting my tears flood my face and my heart explodes in my rib cage. Gasps interrupted my cries.

I was lost.

Lost.

- I can't, I can't do it, I managed to articulate before screaming in pain. My shell had shattered.

I clutched my hair at the roots to keep my screams from getting past my lips to no avail. My crying was uncontrollable and I hated myself. I hated myself for being so pitiful. But my emotions had taken over everything else. No matter how much I pulled my hair at the roots, screaming at the top of my lungs, I felt like I was dying.

I saw the clown take hold of the spear before putting it back on the wall.

- I knew it, she let go, looking at me before turning to the prisoner. He should be taken to the dungeon, he's seen enough.

Then my crying was so powerful that my mind disconnected from dealing with the emotional pain. And I lost touch with reality. I couldn't remember anything after suddenly falling into a volley of screams.

I blinked, trying to remember where I was. My mind was foggy. I couldn't get my hands on the latest happenings.

I was sitting on the floor, back to the wall. The wall, the floor, the atmosphere, everything was cool here. Around me there were doors. Lots of doors. In red stones at the lower half, they ended in solid rungs. Were these prisons? The events quickly came back to me.