EXPLODE

twenty six

The next week passed like the blink of an eye. Members of the Royal Guard assembled a safe house for the families of Auradon who didn't feel safe.

We were shocked to find the numbers of people who had volunteered to fight against the Rebellion, and even more surprised to find out the number of those to be people of the Third Faction, considering the way they had been treated for the past century.

All put together, we outnumbered the Rebellion. But the fact still stood we would lose many.

Gaby's now husband, Sadri, signed up, and as Gaby visited my home, healed from the last attack, she looked tearful. She described it as a never ending horror show, despite Sadri's explanation for joining was "for her".

I wrapped her in a hug, remembering the first time I saw her and got to know her.

Gaby was still trying to figure out who she was, going through a pit shortly after losing her father, who wasn't much of one in the first place.

As she had to start working more and more trying to provide for her family, I remember her focusing nothing but her work. To pit simply, she fell into a void that was her mind.

Her mother almost thought her hopeless for a while, as everyone thought Gaby would just work herself to death, but then she described something as a miracle happening.

Gaby fell ill due to overworking.

She wouldn't get up out of bed, she wasn't eating, drinking, and everyone thought she wouldn't make it. Her mother grew desperate, and since she didn't have enough money for a real doctor, brought a doctor in training to Gaby.

And guess who it was? Sadri.

Gaby made a miraculous recovery after she saw Sadri that one fateful evening. Sadri constantly calls it her his love at first sight.

Within weeks, Gaby had pulled herself out of her pit, and less than a year later, Sadri proposed.

I couldn't imagine what would happen to Gaby if Sadri were to, well, die.

What would happen to Auradon after so many people passed? Would we stay strong? Would we fall apart at the seams, begging other countries for help?

My thoughts were quickly answered, as the first attack came four days after the threat at the camp.

I was sitting in my room with Liam and a couple guards when we heard loud explosions outside.

We were discussing methods of defense, coincidentally. We all rushed towards the window, and saw the forest bordering the Third Faction ablaze, settling a thick, hazardous smoke upon the Faction.

And immediately, our few days planning was set into action.

"Evacuate all persons from the Third Faction immediately and anyone fighting, arm them!" A guard shouted over the phone to another guard within the premises.

Despite my arguments, I was told to stay at the castle with Liam as my guard. Ten extra guards were guarding my home, which held royals and people yet evacuated to the safe site.

We got a stream of the fight from the many cameras strewn around the Third Faction, and all people gathered inside our theater to watch, praying for someone they knew-- because everyone knew someone fighting-- that they would be okay.

We continued to hear explosions as we gathered into the room and the stream began. I almost immediately became sick.

Bodies piled in front of the cameras like trash. The smoke caused a layer of gray film on the camera, making everything filmy and grainy.