Chen yelled,"The merchants! They must be here in some moments!" Her body still in Sloane's hand. She noticed Chen's body healed faster. Just a bit but enough for her to notice.
It's healing was surprising in the first place. Sloane hesitantly asked,"What merchants?" Her hands trembling.
"I locked up some merchants near the market. Some of my rebels dressed up as soldiers did it." Chen's voice unsteady.
Dannyal was standing far away. But hid eyes glinted at Sloane, sparking in surprise, not the good one. That stare alone made Sloane remember.
She turned to Chen,"W–what? Those merchants?"
"Yes, they will be used, threatened to be killed." Chen steadied herself leaning back in Sloane's lap,"They are the empire's backbone."
"Shit! Chen! W–we freed them." Sloane coughed due to the increasing fog.
Chen sighed. Too late to blame. Every seconds ticking could be heard to the core of the spine.
Sloane noticed that Chen didn't flinch, she calculated. Even in this defeat, what did she have to calculate?
Dannyal's breath hitched as he stumbled back, just a bit. His mind screaming at himself, what have you done? Your empathy causes the death of your friend!
All of this now feels more failing, more stupid. Dannyal clawed at his head, breath uneven, as if something inside him refused to be quiet.
He killed the last hope they had. Even though just a minute ago he had settled for death in a rather peaceful way.
But a sudden hope now makes it feel more mistaking. More frustrating. For Dannyal.
Whereas, Sloane doesn't regret it. She never did. She concluded, It was Dannyal's fault. Why will I think I did a mistake and not die with a smile?
She didn't accuse just tried to find a way to avoid the thoughts we have after a mistake. The overthinking. We can't change it, so, let it burn.
But Chen wasn't even close to all of that. She hadn't accepted defeat yet. She can't accept humiliation... again.
She looked at Sloane's fulfilled eyes staring at the sky, almost getting filled by smoke,"Tenzin! What about him?"
"It's fine, he will take care of Wang." Sloane smiled.
Chen's brows crooked, as she sat up, from Sloane's lap,"Can't he help us?"
Sloane chuckled,"He must be observing from far away." The chuckle slowly turned into laughter, laughter of stupidity. Illusion to avoid pain and failure.
Dannyal started laughing from far away. He found Sloane's laugh funny to hear, to him it sounded like that of a donkey and pig.
It might sound foolish but it was just their way to hide. The laughter echoed among the stone walls.
Chen stood up. Rebels running to and fro. Then Chen looked all around. Every corridors, every balconies, every rooms that could be seen from the courtyard.
And yes, in one of them, she found Tenzin staring. His eyes darkened, in disgust. He muttered,"Failures!"
Chen tried signaling, but, she was not noticeable enough in these dark environment and crowd.
Slowly, the decorations of the courtyard started melting. The marble works all started getting detroyed. Screams and yell could be heard all around.
Tenzin finally noticed Chen. She signaled,"Help us!"
"Why would I?" Tenzin asked.
"You suffer if you don't."
"Delusional!" Tenzin went away signaling that.
Sloane noticed the smirk in Chen's face. Not really something a delusional would have. Never.
Sloane didn't say anything. Time felt too expensive to say anything. She walked towards Dannyal. He walked towards her. Maybe, just maybe, they could share one last joke.
Just some feets away, the Emperor walked into the courtyard, protected by guards. He stopped in front of Chen,"I forgave you once." His eyes in sorrow,"Is this what you do to me?"
Sloane noticed, the Emperor's behavior were too empathetic. There could be no way, he would forgive her twice.
"Brother, my dear, there's no way." Chen walked closer,"I would never disappoint you."
The Emperor swung a sword forward, to distance himself, "Death is the only way, it seems."
"Your empire is filled with betrayers," She winked, a dangerous one,"I'm flushing them out."
"And I believe you?" The Emperor tilted Chen's chin up with his sword,"Not so easily."
"Kill them, all of them." Chen replied, clenched her fist on the sword, blood dripping in droplets,"I could've used foreign power, but, I just used rebels."
Chen's hand dripping blood made the Emperor flinch. Chen smirked,"Isn't that enough proof?"
The Emperor's confusion hadn't withered away. Well, not completely. But his eyes longed for proving Chen as harmless. Ally, not enemy.
Was it just empathy? It could never be. Was it anything more? Anything forbidden? Perhaps, the Emperor hadn't known it himself as well. Chen's characteristics could indeed be amusing.
"I will have my eyes on you." He turned away, walking,"Kill the others." He ordered.
So this was how easily the world corrected itself.
He glanced on Dannyal, he had trusted him. A betrayer, now. Then walked away.
All this rebellion, this hardship, it felt like nothing but a minor inconvenience to the Emperor.
Everyone stared at each other. In disbelief. Then in hatred. But they can't do anything.
Sloane looked at her palms, trembling, then at Chen. She trusted her... so much. Believed that she finally found someone to trust not with her heart but rather mind. The dark part. The insecure part. The side which confused between logic and morality.
But it meant nothing. Now.
The guards stopped the fire. They sprinkled water so fast as if it had never happened. The Emperor did order the fire, but, something in him clicked, burnt his chest not to burn... everything.
Something old and inconvenient stirred in his chest.
The soldiers came forward. Capturing everyone. None of the rebels protested.
This image stabbed the back of Sloane's head. The Jesuit! He warned her long ago. All of them were pawns, every rebel.
They won't be remembered. Their heartbreak won't be. History will only write about Chen's greatness.
Which in fact, wasn't even greatness. It was brutality dressed as bravery.
The moment the soldiers came towards Sloane, Chen ordered,"Not her."
Sloane's eyes widened, a bit of disbelief but with a bag of hope.
Dannyal heard her order as well. He smiled. His suspension lessened, almost finished. Maybe Chen would save him as well. He hoped.
Sloane walked towards Chen," T–thanks?"
Chen smiled in return,"I have to protect you."
Just after a moment, Sloane remembered that the same person who saved her was also the one who betrayed her. Her morales.
"Why?" Sloane's voice broken.
"Survival." Chen caught her wrist and walked away,"We don't deserve to die."
The soldiers approached Dannyal. Dannyal's eyes caught Sloane's. Sloane was being tugged away by Chen. But her eyes didn't leave Dannyal's, " He–him? Save him? Won't you? Chen?"
"I told you before." Chen's voice cold and calm as ever," Some people were disrupting your training."
"No,no, you–you're wrong. I–I need him." Sloane's breath hitched," H–he"
"You need him," Chen said flatly. "And look what that does to you."Chen looked at Sloane, with sharp eyes,"Stutter every word?"
Chen increased her pace, soon Dannyal's face stayed behind. Sloane's wrist caught hard. Took Sloane to her room.
Chen cornered Sloane in her room. She forced Sloane to sit beside the window. Facing her. Rain started the moment they sat. As if nature trying to erase memories.
Sloane yelled,"You can save him."
"Don't lie to yourself, Sloane." Chen let go off the wrist.
"Lie? " Sloane backed the moment Chen let go.
"You didn't even resist once." She grabbed a napkin and cleaned her hand's blood,"You, you let me hold your wrist."
Sloane's eyes widened at the fact. She indeed just tried to convince her. Didn't fight her.
Chen leaned closer, grabbed her wrist, carefully this time, cleaned her hands with the same napkin. It was soaked in warm water.
Sloane's breath slowly hitched. As she believed she had now become someone who didn't feel. Didn't go to save.
"Don't blame yourself,"Chen backed away, slowly rubbed Sloane's hand,"Resisting me wouldn't have saved Dannyal."
Chen carefully tangled her fingers through Sloane's fingers. Observed if Sloane would resist this time, or flinch. Sloane didn't.
Sloane didn't look at the hand but the rain. She tried to watch the rain to ignore the warmth of Chen's hands. But it was impossible to do so.
"Survival is no sin." Chen's hand still tangling, filling the gaps between Sloane's fingers,"Why would you run to Dannyal only to be killed? It isn't a drama movie, it's your life, dear."
"Dannyal and those rebels felt so much, they died." A pause." You and I... we rationalize, we survive, together."
Chen's hand held Sloane's now. Perfectly. Chen loosened her grip for half a second, waiting. When Sloane didn't pull away, she tightened it again.
She squeezed Sloane's hand once. Sloane exhaled, a breath she didn't knew she was holding.
"Survival is your instinct. Don't let it overflow with weak emotions." She leaned closer, forehead touching Sloane's, "No need of those petty trusts and care. I am enough for you. Trust me."
Sloane looked at the tiles. That was her acceptance.
She didn't pull her hand away.
And that scared her more than losing Dannyal.