35.

The clearing at the foot of the castle is bathed in sunlight, the warm glow mocking the reality of our situation. The villagers are gathered around us, all shoved to their knees by hollowers or Malik's guards patrolling behind them. I tug against the topes binding me to the pole, darting my eyes to Malik who stands at my side. He won't meet my eye. Across from me, Elias stands, attached to the pole similarly to me, except the brace around his neck keeps him from moving. Cynthia paces the space between us, eyes scanning the crowd. I can see the thoughts ticking over in her head, a cunning plan fuelled by revenge lining her every step. When she meets my eyes, my blood runs cold. An audience is gathered around us. My execution is the show.

"Don't let her do this." My voice is low, so only Malik can hear. "She's going to hollow me." He ignores me. I tug against the rope as Cynthia starts to move towards me. "How could you do this to us, to me?"

He looks at me then, eyes dark. "The pain won't last long, I promise."

"You think I care about the pain?" I glare at him, my eyes blurry. "You're a coward, Malik. A coward and a traitor."

He looks away, jaw ticking. I want to scream at him, to grab his shoulders and shake him, but all I can do is stare. Soon, Cynthia's blocking my view of him, standing so close I can smell the sweat on her clothes. Deep lines etch her face as her gaze meets mine. She says nothing, she doesn't have to, the words are written in her eyes—the internal turmoil, the pain, the brokenness.

I don't break eye contact as she places a sweaty hand on my chin, forcing my head sideways. Her hair tickles my skin as she leans in, nails digging in when I struggle. Elias shouts something—too muffled for me to understand, as a sharp pain flourishes at my neck. My back arches as I squeeze my eyes shut, letting out a cry.

But Malik was right. The pain is short and sharp till I can't feel anything anymore.

~

I'm burning.

Every inch of my body feels as though it's on fire, sweat drenches my skin as I shoot up, a wave of dizziness washing over me as I blink my eyes open. I grab my chest, throwing the scratchy sheets off my legs. The room feels too small, like the dirt walls are caving in. I grab my chest and stand up, running a hand through my hear. Aboveground, I hear the yowls of the creatures, prowling around us. A chill runs down my spine.

As a child, I'd have nightmares about them coming down below and snatching me from my bed. I used to run to Charles' room and he'd assure me it was nothing more than a nightmare. But I'm older now, Charles would only scowl at me for approaching him in the middle of the night. Besides, I can't even remember what my nightmare was about.

I grab a sweater from the floor and throw it on, approaching the doorway in search of Flo's quarters. They're not much different than mine, aside from a few books her parents gave her. But she's always welcoming when I come in the middle of the night, holding back her covers for me. We used to sleep together a lot as children, now, not so much. Only when one of us can't sleep.

I pull the sheet back, leading into the tunnel, jumping in fright. Charles stands before me, stoic, as if he was waiting.

"Charles." I put my hand over my heart. "You scared me. What're you doing up?" He doesn't say anything, just stares at me, face still. "I had a nightmare, I was going to find Flo but... are you okay?"

As I blink, his face distorts. His eyes hollow, cheeks sinking like wax held too close to a flame. I take a step back. "C-charles?"

From behind him, he brings out a machete, raising it overhead and sending it sailing towards my chest. A strangled cry escapes my throat as I lunge backwards, a millisecond too late. The machete punctures my chest. Pain flourishes from the wound as I stumble to the ground, hands reaching for the whole in my chest as the world around me darkens.

I open my eyes.

My body is covered in sweat as I shoot up from the bed, shaking from the nightmare. What did it mean? Charles tried to kill me. But that thing in my dream was not Charles, its face was distorted, twisted into someone else.

There's a knock on the wall. I darts my eyes up. Darius stands next to the billowing sheet. "Oh, it's just you." I run a tired hand down my face. "What're you doing awake?" His skin is pale, eyes sunken in. "Trouble sleeping? Does Cynthia know you're here?" He just stares. I notice his clothes, all white, with a black cape thrown over his shoulders. "Darius?"

"I'm dead."

"What?"

"You killed me."

I stare at him. "I—what're you talking about?"

He opens his coat, revealing a wound in his chest. Suddenly, everything comes flooding back. His body on the forest floor, my knife in his chest. He stares at me blankly, the wound seeping with blood.

"D-darius."

"Why did you kill me?" he asks. "I was only thirteen." I don't say anything. I have nothing to say. "I was only thirteen." I squeeze my eyes shut.

This isn't real.

When I open them, he's still there, standing still. But he's not alone. Behind him is Flo, Charles, Nella, and children I don't recognise. Wounds litter their bodies, seeping with blood, their skin sunken in.

"You doomed us all," they say in unison.

I stumble backwards as Charles emerges from the group, a machete in his hand, their chanting drowns out my scream as he plunges the weapon into my chest.

Hands grapple at my arms, holding me upright as I scream. "Stop!" The pain has faded but the memory hasn't. Sweat drips down the side of my face as I come to, my throat hoarse, like I've been screaming for hours. The sun momentarily blinds me as I blink around, I've been untied from the pole, only Malik holding me upright as Cynthia stands over me. My cheeks are stained with tears as I dart my eyes around.

Hands wrap around me, holding me upright.

"I didn't mean to!" I scream, struggling against Malik's hold. "Let me go!"

"Milena!" I find Elias across the clearing, on his knees, the nails piercing his neck and drawing blood. "It's not real. That wasn't real."

I smell the pine in the air, feel Malik's hands on my arms. I'm in the castle, with Cynthia, but I see them on my eyelids when I blink—Charles, Flo, Darius, all the people who've died because I lived.

Cynthia slaps me. I'm too weak to hold myself up, so Malik does it for me, hands restrained to keep me from trying to break free. I blink up at her, blood in my mouth.

"What're you waiting for?" I spit. "Aren't you going to kill me?"

"What fun would that be?"

She waves her hand and from the bushes Cassia and Eric emerge, chained up and restrained, both resigned to their fate as they're dragged before us. I stare in horror, did they even get far? How long has Cynthia had them?

"No, no." At the sound of my voice, Eric meets my eyes, expression serious. "Stop, don't hurt them. You just want me."

"I want you to suffer."

She doesn't hesitate. Her dagger buries itself in Eric's chest. I scream as he lets out a breath of air, cluttering to the ground, his body falling still, knife still planted in his heart.

"This is all because of you," Cynthia says.

Cassia struggles, crying and trying to reach Eric. Cynthia grabs her hair, forces her gaze up, and then looks over her shoulder at me, maintaining eye contact as she slices the knife across Cassia's throat.

An awful gurgling sound emanates from her throat and she falls down, dragging her weak body across to Eric. She doesn't reach him, falling onto her back and gasping for air as she stares at the sky, body growing lifeless, just like Darius' did.

I can't talk; I can barely breathe. Everything is happening too fast for me to comprehend as Cynthia moves over to where Elias is, taking another knife from one of the hollowers.

"What're you doing?" I call, panic lighting my body. "Y-you need him!"

She looks at me and smiles. "I am immortal, those I care about are immortal. We have enough blood for their children, and their children and their children. We don't need him."

A deafening call echoes through the clearing as she pushes the knife into his chest. His back arches, shout matching my own. My body weakens and I drop to the floor, Malik not bothering to hold me up any longer. My legs feel filled with sand.

"Milena!"

My eyes flash open, Cynthia is on the ground in front of me, writhing in pain as she screams. My eyes dart around the clearing, Eric and Cassia's bodies are gone, Elias is still alive, shouting my name frantically, but Cynthia is screaming in pain, her body burning by an invisible fire. I'm so weak I can barely move my body, only watch as she writhes in pain and then falls still, her eyes on me, still breathing but unable to move.

"I-I don't understand," she says. "What've y-you done."

Malik steps over me, not bothering to restrain me anymore. I couldn't move if I tried. I'm close to dead. He stands over Cynthia, pulls out a dagger.

"You got what you deserve, hollower." And then he plunges the knife into her body and she falls still. The entire clearing moves, watching as Cynthia dies. An immortal hollower, dies. Everyone watches Malik with bated breaths.

"Try to run and you will suffer the same fate as your leader," Malik says, turning to the hollowers gathered around. They exchange glances as Malik's guards surround them, confused, not understanding what just happened.

Malik turns to look at me, he kneels close, touching me gently. I'm so weak I can't even lift my head.

"You're okay," he murmurs, brushing the side of my face. Words won't come, it's like I can't speak. "You're going to be okay."

"What've you done, Malik?" Elias calls, straining against his brace.

"I didn't do anything," Malik says.

He looks at me. I try to hold his gaze, to try to understand what just happened, but consciousness slips through my fingers and everything falls black.

~

DISCUSSION:

1. wtf just happened!!!! a very crazy and confusing chapter, what do you think happened at the end?

2. if you got hollowed, would you rather relive your worst memory or experience your worst fear?

3. what do you think might happen next?