xiii | lauren

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IN THE WORDS OF HIS SISTER, THE THING I WANT TO SCREAM AT THE BOY IN FRONT OF ME WAS "TYSON, YOU'RE SUCH AN IDIOT."

I was sure he was going to actually use his brain this time - did he realise that the fate of the entire world rested on his shoulders and on the tips of his fingers?

I wanted to scream and possibly punch that stupid face of his. But I couldn't move at my own will and was forced to do what Mom and Auston wanted, I don't think they'd like if I punched my... fiance in the face.

No. No, that's not what we are. I know it was true but is just felt so... weird. There were knots in my stomach the entire time we were sitting in the dining room - even when we just entered the building. I just wanted to get out of there without having to face the people I actually loved. The looks on their faces when I entered were shocked, yet I could tell they were expecting it.

But as we get out of their, I know that part of my life is planned out. I know that the Institute is one step closer to what they want. I know that things aren't going to get easier from here, especially on me. I might not know all of the details here on out, but I'm confident nothing is going to end up good.

One of the castle workers took the contract from the table, but Auston told him to put it down. He took the contract himself, making sure that the blood was dried, and put it in his briefcase.

"That's all for tonight. I'm sure that we will cross paths again," Auston said, standing from his seat. Mom followed him though I remained seated. I didn't want to get up. No one was forcing me to.

"Why don't the three of you stay the night?" King Jacin suggested. Everyone looked at him like he was crazy, like I thought he was. Why don't we just bring the enemy into our home. I'm sure they won't do any damage. Yeah, great idea.

I could tell that Auston wasn't keen on the idea. Mom was quick to respond. "We'd love to."

Immediately, I wished that Auston was the one to respond - which is probably one of the only times, probably currently the only time - I've agreed with him. I didn't want to stay. I didn't even want to come. I can't spend a night here, not with all my... friends here.

Jessica already started to try and talk to me while we were waiting for the boys. Even if I wasn't mind controlled, I didn't want to talk to her. I didn't know what they thought of me, which probably wasn't even good. I couldn't stay. Don't make me stay.

The king turned to the butler. "Please show them to the guest rooms."

"We can't stay," I said, finding my own voice. Was I free? Can I just go on my own back to the Institute? "I don't have anything to wear... for the night..." I looked down at my dress, which was made of lace.

"I'm sure there's stuff in the dresser," Tyson said. "We always have extra."

I shoot him a dirty look. Why, just why?

"This way, please." The man gestured to follow him up the stairs. I finally got up from my seat and trailed behind the two adults. Mom put an arm around my shoulders, pulling me closer to her.

"Don't leave your room tonight," She whispered into my ear. "Don't do anything stupid."

- - -

My eyes are on the city. I don't think I get around enough these days, or pay attention like when I was in the car.

Everything is destroyed. Everything. What was I staring at out the window in the car if I wasn't focusing on the goddamn city.

Most of the buildings are destroyed. The tall ones, especially. Destroyed by bombings and different attacks by the Institute and the Evolutians. Tents were drawn up to provide shelter - at least it wasn't snowing. Fire burned, one that were intentional and ones that seemed to have started out of no where and burned all the trash on the streets.

How did I not see this before. Surely it couldn't have happened in one night. My last field assignment was nearly a week ago. Did I really not notice how everyone was suffering? How self-involved am I?

I could see some of the Evolutians on the streets, looking for children and teens. At this point, parents were giving their child to them, and I could understand why. If I had a child, I wouldn't want them living in these conditions and even if there was a bunch of teenagers asking to take my child away, I'd accept.

"Enjoying the view?"

"Heard of knocking?" I responded instantly. Turning around, my eye's met Tyson's - the guy who's ruining my life at the moment. He walked over to me on the balcony and stood next to me, looking outside.

"I mean, I guess you're enjoying it. You did it." It didn't sound like he was accusing me of all of this. "As for knocking... you already stepped into my room without permission once before."

"Okay, yeah, whatever." My eyes didn't leave the scene of the city. "Is it like this everywhere?"

"Everywhere as in the kingdom or the world - because the answer for both is yes," Tyson said with little hesitation in his voice. "The Evolutians are becoming something big, I'm guessing."

"You guys aren't helping them."

"And since when do you care about that?"

I stayed silent.

"Everyone knows that protecting the royal family is a priority," Tyson explained. "No one asked."

"They don't need to ask, idiot. You're going to be a horrible ruler when you become king," I tell him.

"At least you're going to be the one making all the decisions and forcing them all out of my mouth," Tyson said, looking down. "Here, give me your hand."

I didn't move. He grabbed my left hand on his own and slid a ring onto it. I take a closer look.

It was pretty simple, apart from the fact that the diamond in the center was slightly bigger than a small bead. It was tinted blue and the ring surprisingly sat perfectly on my finger.

"Why do you have this?" I asked him. I wanted to take it off, but I didn't. I don't think I should.

He bit his lip. "It was my mother's."

It was my mother's. Just like the bracelet Cole gave me.

"You... I can't have this," I said.

"She cared for you like you were her own daughter, you know that Lauren?" It sounded different hearing my name from his voice. I don't know what it is. "She'd want you to have it."

"I'm seventeen, I can't be engaged."

"Hardly. Are you forgetting, your birthday is in November. You're sixteen."

A long silence hung in the air before either one of us spoke again.

"Who's side are you on?" He asked me. It was like when I asked Spencer when he came to the Institute. Though I thought for me it was more obvious.

I didn't respond.

"We could've stopped this all, Lauren," He said. "Why did you run? This wouldn't have happened. We could've stopped the Institute and just lived to be normal teens. We-"

"THERE IS NO WE IN ALL OF THIS," I yelled at him. Breathe, Lauren. Breathe. "There is still no we... there is no "we" in this revolution, just you and me."

"What? Lauren..."

He was interrupted by chanting from down below. Chaos erupted below us. It looked like one of those scenes in the movies with people with pitchforks and torches, demanding the government to explain. The crowd was breaking through the gate guarding the castle and was barging in, one by one.

"Look, on the balcony! It's him!" I heard a man cry from below. Fingers were pointed at us, though I knew most of them were meant for Tyson.

I didn't think twice before getting off the balcony and barging out my room door. Who cares if Mom said I shouldn't go outside my room. I needed to see what was going on. I needed to see what the Institute's next move was. I knew it was here. It had to be here, right now, in this moment when all eyes are on us and everyone is demanding answers.

I'm quick on my feet, almost too quick. The time it took me to run here was equivalent to the time it took Tyson to teleport by my side. We rushed outside into the courtyard, where King Jacin was standing on the steps, trying to address the citizens that looked like they literally wanted to strangle him. The guards had trouble holding them off.

Aidan, Jessica and Tyson's siblings were standing on one side of the front entrance, the other adults on the other. The king stood dead center, and was being blinded by lights. I squeezed to the front. Beside him. Beside Aidan. He looked at me in disgust.

"Put up a force field," I mutter to him. "Do you actually want the king to be trampled?"

"Do it yourself, I'm not risking it."

"It's not a secret anymore at this point, Aidan."

He, for some reason, obeyed me, which I really didn't deserve. A barrier went up in front of the guards, keeping the citizens out.

"Give us answers!" A man at the front yelled. "Tell us the truth - how our world ended up like this and how this damn barrier was created."

The king looked as if he was frozen in place, not sure what to do. A flash of terror seemed to have been plastered onto his face, like he was reliving a bad memory. Chaos continued on the other side of the barrier, and it wouldn't be long until it comes down.

"How long will that hold?" I asked Aidan.

"Why do you need to know?" He replied bitterly.

This wasn't going to end well, I could tell. My eyes scanned the area and fell upon Auston's. He was waiting. Waiting for me.

What do I do? I don't know what to do.

I figured, he was waiting for me to do something on my own. For the Institute.

Soon, when you learn to accept that the Institute is doing this for the better, you won't be needing it. You'll be running this place, as well as the kingdom, and the whole world for that matter, and all the decisions will be coming from your head.

I stepped out onto the entrance and stormed towards the king. The guards were quick to react but didn't do anything once they knew it was me. I grabbed the mic from his palms and pushed him aside, looking into the crowd.

"You want answers?" I asked the crowd. The mic screeched. "I'll give them to you. I'll tell you everything that the royal family is hiding from you."

I brought down the barrier with a flick of my hands. No one moved any closer, astounded by what I just did. I looked to both sides of me - my friends, or the people I hope were still my friends and then to all the adults that helped to make my life the confusing mess it is.

I drew in a deep breath, then locked Tyson into my control. He walked over, his eyes glassy as they weren't truly his. Then, with the motions from my hands, I brought the papers from Auston's briefcase.

"This, next to me, if probably a familiar face," I said, gesturing to Tyson. He had no reaction, which I expected. "A boy who has walked on our streets and attended the same schools as some of your children. He also happened to flood our news channels with rumors about his bloodline."

I wave the papers around. "Here I have proof - DNA testing proof - that this boy is in fact Crowned Prince Tyson Alexander Montgomery. Your next ruler." My future husband, I guess. "And, yes, these papers can confirm that he, like his mother, have super natural abilities.

"He, and his mother, are the main drivers of an experiment that has grown for the last, what, twenty years? An experiment that occurs right at this very moment, hidden from all of you but is known to those behind these doors." I point behind me. "The Evolutians Experiment is something that has been going on for years and probably every one of you have been affected in one way or another."

Silence. It was complete and utter silence and you could basically hear Taylor's pin drop on the cement.

"Has anyone been told that the child you welcomed to the world was dead - but you've never gotten to see the body." A few heads looked to each other. "Has anyone been told that their child was infected with a virus called Mortirus, so dangerous that they had to take them away." More people broke into small groups of chatter.

"It's a lie," I tell the crowd. "It was all a lie. Look at me. Look at them-" I point to where Aidan and Jessica were. "Look behind you." The other Evolutians. "We were all lab rats, just part of this experiment. We were given supernatural abilities just like your late queen. Just like him." I shove Tyson just a bit. "And this is what everyone in future generations will be like."

"Is that why you've taken our children?" A woman asked. "For all of this? Couldn't you have just given us details. We're going to be living in this world, too."

"No," I said simply. "Most of you are not going to be experiencing this new generation, though that is why your children have been taken.

"Imagine a world where there is no disease. Where there is no violence, and if there were, you could bring the criminal to court right away. Imagine a world where the superheroes we read about in comics are things we can grow up to be. And not just the lame, "oh, you can make a difference in the community, too" type but you can fly and teleport and have super strength."

"What if we won't let you do this to our children?" Another woman asked. She held a child, who was probably barely six in her arms. "Our king hasn't done anything to our children yet. Everything that's been happening has been illegal, technically."

I closed my eyes. "I don't think I've been clear." I passed the papers onto my mother and brought a gun to my grip. Fully loaded, ready to shoot.

I put the microphone down and look to Tyson. He isn't being controlled anymore. I whisper two words to him: "I'm sorry."

I stretch the gun out, pointed to the adults. Tyson already knows where I'm pointing. "Lauren, NO! You -"

I fire before he could finish. The bullet hit his father square in the chest. In the heart. He fell to the ground. Gasps are heard all around.

I put the microphone back up. "Your king is dead. Your prince is mine."

I flash the diamond ring around my fingers. My eye specifically catches Spencer's, who just walked into all of this. I could see him gulp, seeing the ring.

"I'm in control. I have the power. Listen to me, or this is your end."

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