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[PREVIOUSLY: Octavia is stabbed in the back by Lexa and thrown into Titus' dungeons as punishment for massacring Trikru. She finally reunites with her brother, Bellamy before hatching a risky plan of escape].

The flickering lights of the candles danced eerily along the walls, illuminating the quaint hooded figures of Titus and his fellow Flame Keepers as they glided smoothly along the packed earth floor. Their deep, monotone voices, raised in a mournful tune, echoed spookily throughout the darkened tunnels, sending their wavering notes to the very ears of Bellamy and I.

"It's time," Bellamy whispered as the familiar rattle of our cell-door opening grated through the air.

Taunt with agitation, I turned to face the balding Flame Keeper as he stepped into the cell, his thick, brown cloak swirling around his body.

Without saying a word, he gave me a solemn nod before setting the food tray down on the floor by his feet. Folding his hands together, he bowed his head one last time before backing up towards the door.

"Wait!" I called out as I stepped towards him.

"Kamp raun hir (Stay there)!" the man squealed in terror as he ripped a knife out from within the folds of his cloak. Pointing the blade towards me, he shook his head as he repeated, "Kamp raun hir."

"I don't want to hurt you," I explained slowly, inwardly wondering whether the man actually understood what I was saying. "I just wanna talk."

"Hod op! Hod klin (Stop. Keep away)!" he shouted.

CRACK.

Bellamy's balled fist made contact with the back of the man's skull.

The Flame Keeper's eyes rolled back in their sockets and he slumped, unconscious, to the ground.

Bellamy winced as he nursed his sore hand. "Ouch. His head is hard, dang it."

"No wonder. It's made of bone, doofus," I rolled my eyes at him as I stooped down and retrieved the knife from the man's hand. "Quick. Help me take off his cloak!" I urged. "We don't have much time."

With Bellamy's help, I managed to slip the heavy material over the motionless form of the Flame Keeper. Using a small coil of rope that had been hidden in the back of my boot, I tied him up before dumping him in a darkened corner of the cell.

Quietly, I stepped out of the room before closing and locking the door behind me with as little noise as possible.

Joining Bellamy, who was standing in the entry leading into the passage a few metres away, I brushed my fingers against his arm, indicating that everything had been taken care of. Then, in one swift motion, I threw the cloak around our two bodies. As the cool material touched my bare skin, I shivered ... but not because of the cold.

Keeping a firm grip on the knife, I tugged lightly on Bellamy's torn shirt as I led the way down the tunnel after Titus.

It felt like we traced them around the place for hours. There was no way to tell if we had simply been going around in circles the whole time because everything looked exactly the same: rock walls, dirt floor, the occasional torch, a couple of armed guards here and there ... In fact, both Bellamy and I were ready to simply give up and just make a run for it when suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I glimpsed a sliver of light.

"Bell, look!" I hissed under my breath as I nudged him in the side. I nodded towards the crack of white light simmering beneath the sturdy oak door situated down the end of the dank tunnel. "That's our way out."

Bellamy sent a cautious glance after Titus and his men, but they had kept on walking, completely ignoring the fact that we had just stopped right in the middle of their procession.

"We can't run in this," he whispered, motioning to the heavy cloak encompassing the two of us. "Okay, on my count, we throw it off and run, got it? You have to be fast, O, or you'll be recaptured and I'm sure that it won't be as easy to escape next time round."

I nodded, clenching my jaw in determination. "Let's do this."

Bellamy let out a pent-up breath as he spoke, "You ready? 3, 2, 1, GO!"

The two of us ripped the musty material away from our sweating bodies and chucked it aside, immediately grabbing the attention of the four guards standing idle nearby.

As Bellamy and I rushed towards the door, they unsheathed their swords and started after us, yelling at the tops of their voices for reinforcements.

I chanced a quick glance over my shoulder. My breath caught in my throat as I saw how close our pursuers were getting.

Crap.

That door had never looked so far away.

My heart was pounding and my head was throbbing. My legs were aching with every step that I took and as each precious second slipped on by, I fell further and further behind.

C'mon, Octavia, you can do this. C'mon.

Bellamy was a good two strides ahead of me by the time we reached the door. Seizing the bar holding it in place, he yanked it upwards and forced the door open with his shoulder.

SMASH.

Unexpectedly, the seemingly sturdy door caved in, splintering the wood from top to bottom. Taking his chance, Bellamy leaped niftily through the opening. Then, he spun around and held out his hand to me.

"Quick, O!" Bellamy shouted out encouragingly, although a worried tremor laced his words. "You can do it! You can do it!"

Grinding my teeth together, I lunged forward, my fingers wrapping tightly around Bellamy's wrist.

My brother's eyes lit up as he began to tug me towards himself. "Don't worry, O, I've gotcha."

Then, as quickly as my relief appeared, it vanished.

Strong, burly arms covered in bone-studded armour snaked their way around my waist, stopping me mid-movement.

"Bellamy!" I screamed as I was pulled back. Holding fast to his wrist, I pleaded, "Don't let go! Please, don't let go!"

"I won't! I won't!" Bellamy strained his muscles as he tried to break me free from the guard's grip, but to no avail.

As the other grounders came rushing over to help, Bellamy and I's fingers suddenly broke apart.

"No!" I sobbed as I was jerked away from him. "NO! Bellamy! Help me! Help me!"

"O! O!" he yelled hoarsely, tears glistening in his eyes. "No! No! Please! Octavia!"

But there was nothing he could do.

He stood there, helplessly, watching me as I was dragged, kicking and screaming, crying and begging, back down the dank, dark tunnel.

"Be quiet, girl!" one of the guards growled angrily as he gave me a warning slap across my cheek and mouth.

My head snapped back painfully and blood rose up in the back of my dry, cracked throat. Coughing and spluttering, I looked back up towards the door but all I could see was the darkened frame of broken wood.

Bellamy was gone.

Gif: Octavia and Bellamy as they disguise themselves in the Flame Keeper's cloak.

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