"I do. I do remember that."

She didn't know how long she they trapped her there. Days? Months? This moment felt like years.

Within this small room. Where the only thing she heard was the occasional drops of water falling from the ceiling. Those drops made her feel that the ceiling will collapse. She wanted that. She wanted something to change.

"I don't what else to add" Juliet scratched the back of her head. She looked at one spot where a lot of drops where falling and took out a piece of wood.

"Jack continued to be a knight. Mom formed 'Rebellious Flame,' we met this Rue woman, she helped us attack the castle and you know the rest."

Thing was she was unsure how much she remember of what she knew.

"Rebellious Flame?"

"It's the name of our rebellion. Grandpa actually came up with the name long before the trial. It was cheesy but mom loved it. She always made sure people took it seriously. Plus, it grew on me as-"

"What's the goal?"

"Goal?" Juliet held a hammer in her hand.

"The goal for your group."

Juliet didn't look at her. She only payed attention to the part of the ceiling she wanted to fix.

"I guess it's to make the country a better place to live in. No dumb rules against women or people without magic. Equal pay. Doing something about the weather. I don't know, I guess the one true goal is to get rid of the emperor to solve-"

"Where does the Knight of Miracles fit in?"

She fixed it

"Originally, mom wanted to see if he could help them with his healing magic and all that. Jack hated that idea and the two argued a lot about that. But at this point, I should build a coffin for him."

Now they only heard small drops of water, "And that should do it. Anyway you stay here while I find mom and-"

"He did nothing."

"What?"

"He didn't do anything!" Alice laughed as if she heard the funniest joke in the world, "He didn't 'heal' Miroslav when he needed it! He never told me what happened to him! He kept it all a secret! Why? And the gall to make a big deal out of finding out Teodora's name."

Her laughs turned into shouts. Tears flooded down her face. Only she herself didn't notice the stream.

"I need to do it. I need to kill him."

"What?" the hammer was still in Juliet's hand, "What do you-"

"You told me so yourself! It was his fault all this happened! The only way to fix this is to kill him!"

Small flames ate up her hands.

"Please let those flames die. You know that's a stupid idea. I don't want to deal with mom and you with all this-"

"Stupid? It's not it's revenge!"

"Which is also stupid!" Juliet yelled.

"What else do you want me to do?! Pretend that nothing ever happened and forget everything you told me?"

"No? What? All I tried was to explain how we got into this situation. I never suggested you killing him! I won't let you!"

"How?"

With her flames alone she was able to bend the bars of the cage and escape.

"Tell me how?"

"How did you-"

Alice covered the kid's mouth.

"No offense but I'm clearly the more powerful out of the two of us. And I'd do both of us a favor for killing him-"

"Grandpa never hated him!"

That yell made Alice feel as if the room was truly going to collapse.

"I was there when he left. He never judged or yelled at how Nexus hurt him. And you know who he truly hated? Murderers? I can't let someone he trusted do something like-"

“I killed before.” Alice let it finally out.

This would have been a bad time for me to show up, so I decided to stay put. She needed to let it out.

Juliet at the point held the hammer as if her life depended on it, "You...did?"

“So what'" Alice let he go and walked away, "He deserved it."

"It was the guy who stabbed Miroslav in his chest. I did it for his sake." Alice lied.

Juliet's body resembled more a twig than a human. Her posture was so small and stiff, it took Alice by surprise seeing the hammer flung at her face.

"You're lying!" she hit her stomach, "You have to be lying!

"Calm down. I already said I did it for his sake."

"You saved me! Someone who saves others would never kill!"

"I am no savior!"

Juliet gasped for hair as she pulled out a small knife. Putting it against her arm.

"What are you-"

"People died because of what you did!"

Alice's body betrayed her.

"Do you know how those people died. They died accused of a crime they never committed! You want to know who else died like that!?"

"...Stop."

"Grandpa!"

"Shut up." Alice pressed her head, "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!"

"What? Scared of the truth? Admit it where's the difference? Someone killed a guy and innocent people died for it. You're a villain no matter what!"

"Drop that knife!" Alice yelled hoping the room would crash around them.

"I refuse to believe that a murderer saved me. I refuse!"

"I didn't kill that guy for Miroslav, I did it because I wanted to!"

Alice was fast. She was able to grab that knife and throw if far enough so that Juliet couldn't reach. A small wound appeared on the kid's arm. While her hand bled like a waterfall.

"That's worse you idiot" Juliet hugged her knees, "You're the worst."

Alice took small steps as she left the room. The only thing she left behind are the traces of blood that fell of her hand.

It didn't bother her. She felt worse.

“Alice!”

She didn't know what to expect when she heard Sun's voice echoed through the room. But she know at last what she could do about it.

As his flames were ready to enter the room. Alice took Juliet and protected her. The flames only hit what was left behind of the cage.

Sun snarled. He entered the room finding only Juliet in Alice's embrace.

"Sun?" Alice wasn't sure who to focus on, "Juliet, are you-"

"Stop saving me!" Juliet pushed her away.

"You!" he was ready to attack the girl. But he stopped when someone grabbed his tail.

"Let's not." Ryad told the boy, "Can you stand up?"

Alice struggled to breathe.

"Then let me help." he picked her up, holding her within his arm, "The show must go on!"

-

And that's chapter 17! I had a hard time editing it but I'm happy with how it came out! Thanks for reading and goodbye!