"it's just like i thought..."

pearlnight hissed as the clan started glaring more and more intensely at her. "i knew it... i knew i was right! everyone... everyone is a monster!"

"d-don't call us monsters just because we all turned on you, pearlnight." peridot held pearlnight's gaze for a moments before pearlnight broke off.

"what do you have to say for yourself?"

pearlnight turned to the speaker. jaspereyes seemed reluctant to say more, condemn their clanmate further. but she pushed.

"i don't like accusing my clanmates, but there's- there's evidence. after onyxfall, sunstone, rubyscorch..." jaspereyes blinked, shuddering. "... even if you wanted to kill us all... why do it in such a brutal fashion...?" jaspereyes's breaths became shallow, their voice sharpening quickly into a screech. "why did you have to torture amberstone?! she had so many wounds, so many..." jaspereyes collapsed onto the ground, staring past the earth beneath her paws. "you... she didn't deserve to die like that!"

coralmist padded forward. pearlnight looked hopefully at the she-cat, who had a reputation for being kind. but though her gaze was locked upon jaspereyes, she looked too shaken to offer any condolences.

"... a monster."

every cat's head turned to coralmist. she was whispering, mostly to herself, it seemed.

"y-y-you're right... amberstone didn't deserve to- to-" coralmist gasped for air. "i- i shouldn't..."

coralmist was silent for a moment. then she looked up.

"i shouldn't be... i shouldn't be offering..." coralmist looked nervously around at her clanmates, seeking their approval. no one said a word.

"just- get out. please."

"coralmist..." pearlnight's ears flattened to her head. but a yowl soon broke the silence.

"don't joke around!" smokywind jumped forward, bolting towards pearlnight and knocking coralmist aside. "she deserves such a death as she dealt to her clanmates!"

"don't!" coralmist screeched. but smokywind had already pounced, battering pearlnight with a flurry of blows, some of which she was already failing to deflect.

"smokywind, please! stop!" coralmist was suddenly by smokywind's side, yanking with a weak hold on the brown she-cat's scruff.

"why stop her? i thought we had decided that she was evil." kyanite glared with new suspicion at coralmist, who only stared bleakly back.

"..." coralmist shook her head. smokywind stopped trying to reach pearlnight, and the accused traitor shrank back, eyes fixed on coralmist, who had likely saved her life.

"haven't we had enough death for a lifetime?" coralmist's voice cracked, and she squeezed her eyes shut, trying and failing to collect herself.

"pearlnight, just- please, leave before anyone tries to..." coralmist stumbled on her paws. she looked up, fixing pearlnight with an imploring stare.

"go!"

pearlnight didn't need to be told a third time. breathing hard, smokywind's inflicted scratches growing redder by the second, she nodded wordlessly. without even looking at anyone else, she left. not in a run, but walking; unafraid of any cat chasing her, but seemingly not caring if they did. her tail stirred up the dirt, and her paws dragged along as if drenched in mud.

"the last traitor isn't getting a second chance," amethystsky muttered weakly. "lustreclan is out for revenge."

"if revenge is being sought, then target diamond." jaspereyes tensed just at the sound of the name. "she's the only one we know for sure is evil."

"a traitor could turns on us for her," kyanite pointed out.

"... i hate to say this, but i must agree with amethystsky." coralmist breathed, pushing herself up with all of her strength, not meeting the gazes of any cat.

"lustreclan wants to slay the monsters who destroyed the peace. i... i won't stop you from killing the last one, i promise."

━━

pearlnight was eliminated by the vote. she was the traitor.

━━

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