And it all Went Wrong

P A R T | 1

CINDER WALKED AHEAD, her foot in pain. So very much pain. Her prosthetic foot was mostly just dangling by a few wires. But she couldn't stop. They couldn't stop. Not now, not ever. She grunted and paused to catch her breath. They were so close. So very close.

"We-- we don't have to do this..."

"No," Cinder said through gritted teeth, interrupting Kai. Anger once again coursed through her veins, boiling in her blood. A headache took over, reminding her she should be crying. Reminding her she couldn't cry. Reminding her she wasn't human. Reminding her how much she hated Levana. "She made me like this, Kai, and she took Thorne away." Her voice broke at the mention of Thorne's name, but still her eyes remained dry. She covered her mouth to muffle the dry, tearless, sobs.

It hurt so very much.

"Cinder, we don't know if he's dead yet. May-- maybe we-- Maybe we can-- Maybe we can still-- still save him," he offered, his voice sounding unsure, like he wasn't trying to convince only her, but himself too.

Cinder scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Right, Kai. Because Her Majesty is so merciful." She banged her head against the wall, kicking it with her un-human leg, and punching it with her right fist. "He's gone, Kaito, he's gone. And it's all my fault," she whispered.

Kai cursed under his breath, something he seldom did, and turned Cinder around, balancing her by grabbing her firmly by the arms. "Stars, Cinder. Stop blaming yourself."

She looked down. She would never stop blaming herself, because it would never stop being her fault. She swallowed. "We should get going."

"Cinder, this isn't necessary!"

Cinder looked up with a frown. She scoffed, throwing her arms up in the air. "If you didn't want her dead, then maybe you should have just said so and I could have taken you back to your beloved. I hadn't realized how much you wanted to marry Her Majesty," she said, making sure to keep her voice at a reasonable volume so they wouldn't be seen.

"Cinder, that's not what I meant..." He trailed off and reached out to her, but she turned away.

She didn't have to put up with him. She crossed her arms. "If it's not what you meant, then come on." She stood up straight. Well, as straight as she could in her condition. "We don't have all day. Our army may not last forever out there."

She turned her head towards where they had come from, like she could see the entrance, see their army. Maybe they were already dead, maybe the guards had already won. She wished X-ray vision had been given to her. Her heart winced.

Silence filled the cockpit, the crew only days before descending to Luna. Thorne poked Cinder's eye. "Ow!"

He leaned away, his eyes, which were in the process of returning to their usual bright blue hue, remained on Cinder. "Do you have X-ray vision in those eyes of yours?"

Cinder blinked. "I don't think--"

"You could have seen me shirtless whenever you wanted," Thorne said with a smirk and a wink.

Cinder shook her head, blinking the scrolling text warning her of her increased heart rate away. She couldn't let grief wash over her. Not now. If she had made it after what had happened to Peony, she would make it after what had just happened to Thorne. Besides, she had barely known him. No. That wasn't right. Thorne had grown on her, a vine on a wall, and his death had the same effect on her. After all, they were 'prison escape partners.'

Kai nodded, hazily, like he had just woken from a dream. "Right. You're right." He ran a hand through his hair, his gaze everywhere but on her eyes. "Just lead the way, Your Highness," he mumbled.