“Tefanna please help me…” I heard a voice in my head but I couldn’t pinpoint where it was coming from. It sounded like Torshik’s.

  Just then, the door opened and the mayor started to panic as he saw all the other doors opening too.

  “Shit!” the mayor yelled

  I pushed him aside and bolted out of the room, the mayor started chasing after me. I knew I would have to run faster than I had before because Heskians had naturally more able bodies, meaning he could run faster than me, especially since he was a male. What made it harder is that the bullets in my leg still hurt.

  While running I bumped into Torshik.

  “Torshik! You’re okay!” I hugged him tightly.

  Torshik hugged me tighter, “heh… barely…”

  I started to check Torshik for injuries.

  “Ashathink… I know I’m not much of a religious guy but out of desperation I prayed to Tefanna and she helped me.”

  I was overjoyed to hear that, “Wonderful! I’m so glad you know how much Tefanna cares for us!”

  The mayor finally caught up to us and I instinctively hugged him tighter.

  “I don’t care who you are or what power you hold I will kill you and everything you hold dear if you even think about hurting him!”

  “Oh please all we were going to do was give him powers and make him forget you. Doing healthy things for him.” The mayor scoffed.

  “You were going to make me forget her?!” Torshik yelled.

  “She’s dangerous, of course we should’ve.” the mayor shrugged.

  “You’re worse than any Eshkichin I have ever met! And they were the ones that killed my people!”

  “I am doing what’s good for my people! I will do everything to ensure they live their best lives! And I don’t care who I have to hurt, kill, or manipulate to achieve it!”

  “You're a madman. And what’s even worse is I was just like you for so many years because I felt like I had no one! You don’t have an excuse! You have many people who love you! Many people who are like you! I only have one who is like me! Only one! And he is the sweetest, smartest, most brilliant thing to have walked Moskinius!” I told the mayor while hugging Torshik tighter if that was even possible.

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  “And the last part goes to you too.” Torshik smiled.

  I smiled back and nuzzled with him.

  “How sentimental. It would almost be cute if she wasn’t dangerous.”

  “She will never be more dangerous than you!” Torshik retorted.

  “Those very words are the reason she’s dangerous! We can’t have someone who wants to spend time with someone who lives like the ancient age! We need progress, not silly meaningless rituals!”

  “And yet you hide history from us and potential progress we could discover from it. That’s what makes you a weak leader. Strong leaders don’t need to hide information to maintain control.”

  The mayor stammered for a little bit, “O-Of course strong leaders hide information! They know what’s easy for everyone and they do it!”

  “Of course not-” The mayor shot me in the chest, it hurt a lot but it didn’t kill me.

  “AGH!” I yelled out.

  “Asha!” Torshik cried out, pressing a hand to the wound.

  “Bring them to the new power room.” The mayor said to some guards that arrived at the scene.

  We arrived in a room where my spear was. It was hooked up to some wires.

  “We’ve been trying to use this as an energy source for this building as an experiment. However we know only a Dishkanshan can use it so tell it to power the lab.” The mayor said slowly.

  “Not on my life.” I scowled at him.

  The mayor then grabbed Torshik and pressed a gun to his head, “Then what about his?”

  My eyes widened, “Sir… don’t do anything rash… he’s just a child.”

  “I told you I don’t care who I have to hurt, kill, or manipulate to achieve my goals so if I were you I’d start commanding the spear!”

  “Even if I wanted to power this building I can’t! The spear’s power can only reside in itself and if I tried to tell it to power something the power would overwhelm it!” I tried reasoning with him.

  “It sounds alot like you want a bullet in his head right now!”

  “Sir please, I’m telling the truth!”

  Suddenly one of the guards knocks the mayor down. I assumed he was scolding him but I didn’t care. Torshik ran towards me and I wrapped my arms around him.

  “I want Shade…” Torshik whimpered.

  “Shh… I know… it’s okay…” I comforted him, letting him sob into my neck.

  “I don’t want to die, Asha.” Torshik cried.

  “And that’s why I won’t let anything happen to you, I promise.” I ruffled his hair.

  I looked up and saw the mayor pointing a gun at Torshik’s head. My eyes widened. Without thinking I swapped places with Torshik, the bullet hit my head instead. Within the instant I was dead.