The Real Villian

Year: 4055; Day: 270

{Song of the chapter: Sarah Smiles - Panic! At The Disco}
Comment one of your favorite songs!!

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Knock, kno-knock, knock.

In a half-conscious state, I reached my foot down to nudge Javi awake. Low mumbling could be heard from the floor.

Knock, knock, kno-knock.

"Javi, could you get the door?" I mumbled, laying comfortably in my majestically plush bed.

"No."

I rolled my eyes but forced myself to sit up and throw my feet over the bed, onto the floor. Stepping over my brother's corpse-like body, I reached for the door.

Knock, knoc--

I pulled open the door leaving Jove's hanging fist in the air. "What? It's too early to deal with life, Jove."

"It's 10:00:00, Your Highness."

With a low sigh, I pulled the door all the way open to let him in. Javi peaked his head out of his cocoon of white blankets. "Oh. Hey."

Jove glanced at Javi then back at me with confusion in every angle of his face. "Nova, can we talk in private? Also, there's a few messages from Greon."

My heart anchored. In amidst of my brother, my home, I'd forgotten about Greon. It'd be easy to shatter my promise to him, considering Javi was now safely with me, if he didn't know where Lake and Cassi were. "Um, yeah," I mumbled and followed Jove out of the door. Before, though, I turned towards Javi. "Don't do anything stupid."

He laid his head back down on his mountain of pillows. Regarding me with a crooked grin, he said, "Wouldn't dream of it, Nova."

The door softly fell shut behind us. Jove and I were alone in my comfortingly homey office. Passing Jove, I walked to my leather seat and slumped into it. The chair molded into my figure, welcoming its owner. "Okay, now we can talk," I said, my hands scattering across the table of gramlets and newsgrams.

He swiftly drifted to my desk. His hands slammed down onto the desk top. "Queen. Who kidnapped you?" he snapped.

With a roll of my eyes, I leaned into my chair. "Nobody," I stated.

His eyes narrowed immensely. With an incredulous stare, he said, "I don't believe that. Was it that guy who's with you? What is he blackmailing you with?"

My casual, dismissive glare turned fiery in seconds. "It's none of your business, Jove."

"It is my business, actually. Your business is my job, Your Highness."

"It's not--" I sighed. "Jove, thanks for your concern, but I can take care of myself. Now, I need to see those messages from Greon."

He paused for a few moments, his dark blue eyes scanning over my face for any signs of dishonesty. Finally, he mumbled, "They were all private. Maybe that guy knows something--"

"Jove. Give me the gramlet with the messages. Ignore Javi, he's a school friend."

Muttering things under his breath, he reluctantly slipped a small gramlet onto my table. I quickly snatched it and looked through the messages. It needed facial recognization. After scanning my face, three messages notified me.

The first one read, "Kara Xiver, lovely Queen of the City of navy blue and sailor white. I understand that you are back in your cozy and luxurious home."

My gut twisted and churned in distaste. I flicked my finger to the next message.

"My first request is to kill all prisoners of yours. If they had done something bad, they should die. It isn't rocket science, my young queen."

Jove was watching me carefully, so I attempting to maintain a neutral composure-- though, my insides were eating me alive and there was sand covering my tongue. Dismally, I moved on to the last message.

"My second request is that you dispose of that lowly consultant of yours. Through recent knowledge, I have uncovered that he refers to you by your 'personal' name. That's against law, Queen, for civilians. Kill him."

My breathing was ragged. My pulse was throbbing. I forced my gaze away from the words and instead to Jove's dark eyes. An eyebrow of his quirked. "What did they say, Nova?"

My eyes fell. "Don't call me Nova," I breathed.

"What? Just tell me, you're acti--"

"Jove." My voice cut through his like a knife to flesh. "I... I have to go, uh, talk to Javi." I stumbled up from my chair, avoiding Jove's stare.

With my eyes stinging, I rushed towards the bedroom door. I pulled it open, then closed it with a slam. Javi's head perked up. He hadn't moved a millimeter since I'd seen him last.

I paced through the overly large room. "What's up, sis?" Javi asked.

"Don't."

My brother stood up and carefully settled down on my bed. Smartly, he remained silent.

Thoughts were running through my head. I couldn't do it, I couldn't kill all the prisoners. There weren't many of them, maybe only twenty, but two of those twenty were my best friends. Lake and Cass could hate me all they wanted, but I'd still care for them.

I'd always care for them, unfortunately. Much to my dismay, my heart was not completely made of jet black coal.

And Jove... I hadn't ever truly liked Jove, but he still didn't deserve to die.

"Kars? You okay?" My brother's voice interrupted my anxiety ridden thoughts.

I abruptly turned towards him. His dark brown eyes were observing me with confusion and concern. "I'm fine. It's fine. Everything is fine." My voice was rushed and borderline panting, like I had just run two miles in ten minutes.

"You don't seem fine."

"I just can't kill them," I unknowingly vented to Javi. He wouldn't know what I was talking about, and I needed someone to tell this to.

"Kill who?"

I threw him a blazing glare. "Everyone," I derided. Guilt soared through me and I sighed. "No," I explained, "It's Greon. The old fat dude? He wants me to kill Lake, Cassi, Jove... And I just can't. But if I don't, he'll kill them anyway. It's just-- galaxies. It's just hard."

My brother's lips pursed and wrinkles formed in his brow. "Just put extra security on all of them and tell Greon 'no'."

I considered the idea for a moment. "You know," I muttered, "That's actually not too bad of an idea."

Javi's face lit up with a smile, though his expressions held a grim undertone to them. His face probably mirrors my own, I thought.

"You sound disbeliefed. I can be smart, you know," he remarked.

"Disbeliefed isn't a word, my smart brother."

His grin widened and some of the heavy dismay was lifted from it. "Sure it is, sis."

I rolled my eyes, chuckling lightly. "Okay," I said, sitting down beside my brother. "Let's appoint some Year 17s."

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Thanks for reading!!

-K xx