Nearly eleven days had passed, and Dominic was still forbidding me from leaving the white walls of the more homely infirmary he had placed me in later that same day I came to. This room was bigger, and an actual bed was provided for me, but it seemed so barren and lifeless. A single window provided an overlook of the circular maze he had led me through so many weeks ago. Besides that, there was nothing else to look at within the room. 

     Dominic had practically isolated me in the room. The only ones he allowed to see me were Orson, and Eleanor. However, Eleanor's visits had grown increasingly low as of late. I hadn't seen her in at least two full days. Corrine was never permitted to give me company, and Dominic seemed like the only one to be allowed to save me from loneliness. The first few days I was awake, Orson had been constantly by my side, never leaving the foot of my bed. Then he seemed to disappear as well. I assumed he had just decided to spend more time with Violet, but it was beginning to get slightly suspicious. 

     When I wasn't asleep, I was often staring out the window. It was the only thing that kept me from going insane from lack of interaction, and the lack of mobility. I was afraid to leave my bed for fear of Dominic finding out. He seemed to get genuinely annoyed with me when he discovered I so much as stuck a toe over the edge of my memory foam bed. He never yelled at me, but his beautiful blue eyes always appeared to darken, and he'd avoid my gaze with crossed arms. A silence would always ensue while I would guilty look away before he broke the silence and gave me a rant about how I never seem to listen to him, and how I'm not ready yet to be on my feet and moving around. Then he'd promptly kiss my forehead and turn away to leave me for hours on end with no more company the rest of the day. It made me feel like a child. 

     My speech had improved greatly over the time, however, and I could now properly carry on conversations. My throat still felt sore from time to time, but it was bearable. The incredible pain I'd felt in my chest nearly two weeks ago had also all but disappeared. The nasty bruise on my side from Aradella, as well as the ones around my neck, had also almost gone away. My side had turned a yellow color as opposed to the dark black, blue, and purple it originally was. My hunger had also been kept at bay since I awoke. I seemed to gain weight a lot easier, but I brushed that aside since I figured it was due to my lack of physical actions. 

     A quiet knock brought my head down from the clouds as my attention changed from the window to the door. Curiosity filled my gaze as I couldn't decipher who was on the other side. Dominic wouldn't have bothered to knock, Orson would have been frantically scratching, and Eleanor would have called out to me. The thought of it being Corrine crossed my mind, and a sudden joy filled my eyes.

     "Come in," I softly said with a smile. The smile was quickly wiped from my face as I recognized the slim figure in the doorway. An uncharacteristically worried expression was worn by the female who had attempted to kill me only about a month ago. Her red eyes were puffy as if she was close to tears, and her lips were trembling. Her tough facade seemed to have disappeared. A baggy, dark blue sweater sat lazily upon her shoulders, and the small trim of shorts poked out from beneath her sweater that was obviously too big for her. The nearly black hair that always seemed to be pulled back elegantly seemed haphazardly thrown up in a messy bun that hung around her slender face. No makeup resided on her face, and it brought out the hoops that were pierced through her eyebrows, as well as the stud in her lower lip. She almost seemed normal, but that didn't stop me from tensing.

     "My g-grandmother would like to see you," she shakily said, lowering her gaze down to her feet. I tilted my head at her, and she took a step inside the room. I sensed no malicious intent coming from her, and I seemed to be witnessing a different Aradella not clouded by the negative emotions that led to violence. A sad expression molded my face in return.

     "I can't leave this bed," I told her. If Dominic learned that I'd left the room completely, I could only imagine the loneliness I'd face.

     "She r-requests you, though. You seem perfectly fine to me. Your recovery shouldn't have taken this long," she informed me. I already understood that, but I hadn't wanted to disobey Dominic. 

     "I know...I just don't want Dominic mad," I ended, and Aradella let out a sad chuckle.

     "Believe me, Dominic could never be as mad at you as he is with me," she sadly joked, and in that one moment, she seemed almost friendly in a way. 

     "Even so...what does Eleanor want? She hasn't visited me for days," I replied. If Eleanor had needed to talk with me, I would have thought she would have came to me.

     "Has Dominic not told you about her condition?" Aradella asked with surprise, and I shook my head with furrowed brows.

     "She's gotten terrible these past few days. Without using some kind of machine to keep her alive, she's most likely not going to survive to the end of this week," she said with a fresh wave of glimmering tears filling up her eyes. My eyes widened at her remark, and I threw the blankets from my body. Why Dominic hadn't told me that crucial fact, I didn't understand, but if she was on her death bed, I needed to see her, no matter the consequences. She hadn't even told me where the main machine is located so I could put the key into it. If she died before then, I couldn't ask someone else without arising suspicion.

     "Lead the way then!" I exclaimed before shakily getting to my feet. My legs were weak from the lack of use, and I had to grasp the edge of the bed to remain standing. I attempted to hobble over to Aradella, but she only sighed and put one of my arms around her neck while placing one of her own around my waist to help keep me standing.

     "Dominic's doing something to you. You shouldn't be this weak, even after a near death experience. Which, I'm sorry about. I'd just been so angry at Dominic the night before for rejecting me once again, and I snapped. I shouldn't have tried to kill you. I realised only after he yelled at me to leave that it would have gotten me nowhere to accomplish my goal. I'd been so clouded by what I thought was my fate that I hadn't taken the time to see what was in front of me. It's obvious now that you and Dominic clicked the moment he layed eyes on you, and I shouldn't have done anything to get between that. You seem like a good match for him. I only regret that we got off immediately on the wrong foot, and I didn't even take time to befriend you, especially since we're going to be sisters-in-law very soon," she apologized. I'd been surprised from the beginning when she apologized, but nothing compared to the utter shock that smacked me in the face when she called me her future sister-in-law. Scrunching my eyebrows together, I turned my head and looked up towards the taller girl. 

     "Apology accepted, but 'sisters-in-law'?" I questioned. An equally confused expression filled her face as she looked down at me.

     "Dominic told me that you accepted his proposal. This entire week, he's been getting the mansion and flower garden decorated for your wedding. That makes us sisters-in-law, unless of course, you dislike me so much that you can't even begin to comprehend that idea," Aradella rambled as if she just cleared up all the confusion.

     "I...never accepted that," I told her, flabbergasted. Another look of confusion crossed her face before she stopped her movements with me and turned fully towards me.

     "What?" She questioned with her hands on her hips.

     "I never answered that question...he never brought it up..." I trailed off in thought. Each day he seemed to be cutting off small strands of my freedom bit by bit. It was beginning to worry me.

     "Even Grandma was under the impression you said yes, and she can tell when someone is lying. When Dominic broke the news to her, she sensed pure truth from him," Aradella explained to me. A more natural look of suspicion changed the expression on her face, and I continued to stare blankly at her.

     "I assure you...I never did anything of the sort," I firmly said, and Aradella for once seemed conflicted. Her mouth opened to say something, but she quickly closed it and put her arm back around me to continue our trek through the hallways. A tense silence filled the space between us, but no hostility made an appearance, so I was finally able to slightly relax.

     It wasn't much longer until we came across a baby pink door that seemed hand painted with small flowers growing out from the vintage doorknob. Aradella stopped in front of it before taking a deep breath. I knew of how strong their bond was, and I could imagine the pain Aradella was going through. 

     "Grandma, I've brought (Y/n)," the bluenette crisply said, and a quiet voice was heard on the other side. Aradella took that as a sign to open the door. A frail, old woman rested on the pale bed in the middle of the room, and I was hardly able to recognize her as Eleanor. She seemed to have aged ten years in just the two short days I hadn't seen her. Her once pale skin had turned a sickly yellow, and the shaky nature of her hands had increased. A box of tissues rested beside her bed, and one already appeared to be held tightly in one of her fists. Small droplets of blood could be seen on the tissue, and a few tears nearly filled my eyes, too, at the sight. Her hair that always seemed to be in a high bun now rested in thick waves around her shoulders. Streaks of light blue could be seen among the silver in her hair.

     "Why, thank you, Ella dear. Now, if you'd please give us some privacy, I'd like to speak to (Y/n) alone," Eleanor said with an obviously strained smile. Her body must have been paining her terribly. 

     "Of course, Grandma. Here, I'll go refill your tea," Aradella offered before grabbing the cup from Eleanor's night stand and leaving the room, carefully shutting the door behind her.

     "Ah, good, good. Come closer, sweetie," Eleanor kindly said to me, motioning her hands for me to move towards her. I obliged to her wish and was soon standing beside her bed. She reached out for my hand, and I moved mine towards her as she tightly grasped it. 

     "It's been awhile since I've seen you, not that I can see you very well now anyways. My sight's been failing me greatly these last few days. I can hardly see anything besides outlines, but I'd know your outline anywhere, dear," Eleanor told me with a smile. Her light pink eyes had nearly clouded over completly which proved her statement. I smiled back at her, even though she most likely couldn't see it. 

     "I'm sorry, Eleanor. I was told you wanted to see me," I told her. She faintly nodded her head before loosening her grip on my hand. 

     "Well then, let's cut to the chase. I'm well aware I have very little time left, no matter how much Ella has been trying to assure me that I'll survive. She's been trying to pressure me into allowing her to tamper with my old body and prolong my existence, but I know that once something like that has happened, they're never the same person. So I keep refusing her offers, but that's not what I requested you here to talk about. I need to tell you about the main control for the machines," Eleanor took a deep breath before continuing, but a cough wracked her body as she brought her fist with the tissue in it to her lips. A few minutes passed before her coughing fit had passed, and the entire time I had been on edge, gently stroking the back of her palm in my hand. 

     "I'm sorry, dearie. It's very hard to surpress my coughs at times," she quietly said with a pale face. 

     "Take all the time you need," I told her with a reassuring smile. I gave her hand a small squeeze as she took another deep inhale of breath into her lungs before continuing. 

     "The main control is in the northern hemisphere very close to the northern most pole. That place was long ago known as Alaska, but it has been barren and left alone ever since the Robotic Age began. I myself have never been there, but I've been told it's heavily guarded, and the only way to get in is if you're a relative of the Fujimoto line, and of course, the Estis's are. Since you've been known as 'Unknown' for so long, it'll most likely be harder for you to get into it, but I have faith that you'll be able to do it," Eleanor explained. 
      "How will I be able to get there?" I questioned. It all seemed good and well, but getting there seemed nearly impossible since I didn't even know the geographical location of where I was now. 
     "That's where your marriage to Dominic comes in. Not only will you then be a relative in the Fujimoto line, but I've also been told that Dominic wants to take you to see the Northern Lights as a honey moon. If you can get him to take you near the main control, then you'll be able to sneak off and break in," she told me. The plan was basically for me to use Dominic, and the idea nearly made me sick to my stomach. 

     "I never agree to marriage... And I don't want use Nic," I said in a frantic fashion. My speech had broken up from so urgently rushing to get the words out. 

     "I know you never agreed to marry him, but dear, it would be to help the entire human race. It would greatly benefit us all. I told him when he visited me awhile back that you told me you planned to agree to his proposal, so this entire week he's been planning the wedding. Your dress is nearly made, and the plane he was going to take you on to see the Northern Lights is almost done as well," Eleanor explained, and the world really did feel like it swallowed me up. Everyone seemed to be making my decisions for me, and I never had a say in anything. It seemed like my entire life had been a play. I felt like a pawn in a huge game. My only meaning was to be a vessel to deliver a key into a keyhole, and I had no purpose afterwards. A tear of rage tried to slip from my eye as I gritted my teeth together. 

     "Do I have any choices?" I asked while trying desperately to hold in my annoyance. It didn't seem fair to be angry at her since she was so frail in this state. 

     "Of course you have choices. You don't have to do any of this. You could run away and continue living with nowhere to go," Eleanor said.

     "So I can either be a rogue and fail everyone, or I can go down the path that everyone has chosen for me," I said more to myself than Eleanor. 

     "Don't think of it that way. You have the key to save all of humanity. It's your choice whether to use it or not," She said in an attempt to calm me. I felt cornered. My father had wanted so badly for me to go down this path, and I couldn't disappoint him. It was his dying wish, and now that wish lined up with Eleanor's. This was what everyone wanted, and it was all at the cost of my freedom. 

     "Alright, Eleanor...I'll do it. Where exactly is the main control?" I quietly asked while looking away. An expression of joy crossed the old woman's face as she nodded her head in approval. 

     "I knew you'd make the right decision, sweetie. I've been told that the main control is underground and marked by a singular rune engraved in a rock. You have to dig through some of the snow directly beneath that rock, and then you'll find a metal plate. If you press that plate in, stairs will appear going downward which will most likely cause an avalanche you have to be ready for, but then you'll have to descend the stairs. A finger pricking device will be at the door, and you must allow it to take a sample of you blood. Since you will then be a member of the Estis family, your blood should be confirmed, and the door will open. I know nothing of what's inside, but I have a few pictures I'll provide for you as a wedding gift so as to not arise suspicion from Dominic. Do you think you can do this?" Eleanor described before ending with her question. I firmly nodded my head in response. 

     "Thank you, (Y/n).  Your parents would be proud. Oh, also, one more thing. Don't-"

      "Grandma! Do you know where-(Y/n)!" Dominic yelled as he threw open the door. He rushed towards me before engulfing me in his arms and pulling me away from Eleanor. 

     "I've been looking for you! What are you doing out of your room?" Dominic demanded while holding me at arms length and examining me for any injuries. 

     "Eleanor wanted to see me," I answered with frightened eyes. He seemed in another one of his angered moods. Changing his gaze from me to his grandmother, then me again, he pulled me into another hug. 

     "If she wanted to see you, she could have gotten up and went to you herself," he said with hostility. I shook my head before trying to remove his arms from around me. 

     "No, she couldn't have. She's deathly sick, Nic! Compared to her, I'm in perfect health!" I told him, struggling even more to get out of his arms. 

     "I'm just trying to protect you, sweetheart. How did you even get here?" He questioned, and my words caught in my throat. I didn't know how he'd react if I told him about Aradella escorting me. Thankfully, Eleanor answered for me. 

     "I asked he Ella if she could bring (Y/n) to me," the old woman said, and Dominic instantly released me and turned his gaze to the woman on the bed. 

     "You did what?" Dominic demanded. 

     "I asked Ella if-"

      "Do you have any idea of the danger you could have put (Y/n) through by doing that?" He seethed. I reached out to Nic's arm in an attempt to calm him down, and once his eyes rested on the contact I'd made with him, his gaze softened slightly. 

     "Even so, you don't have any idea of what could have happened. What if she hadn't gotten rid of her malice towards you? I nearly lost you once, I can't do it again," he said as sadness filled his gaze. I gave him a small smile before wrapping my arms around his torso from behind and he placed his hands over mine. 

     "You won't lose me," I assured him as I nestled my face into his back. He was wearing his white sweatshirt today, and this one was extra comfy. It also smelled more like the garden than his other ones. 
      "Why don't we get you back to your room, hmm?" He asked before removing my arms from around him. 

     "I was having a conversation with her, dear," Eleanor said, reannouncing her presence. 

     "I think she's had enough excitement for one day, Grandma. She needs to rest," Nic told his grandmother, and a glare was back onto his face. It started me that he was more concerned about my health than his dying grandmother's, but I kept quiet. 

     "Alright, Nic, but I'd like to see her later, okay? You've been keeping her to yourself an awful lot lately," Eleanor stated. 

     "That's because she's mine," Dominic blatantly said before turning to face me and abruptly picking me up into his arms with a monotone expression. A small squeak left my lips as I quickly wrapped my arms around his neck. A satisfied smirk grew on his pink lips, and I sent him a playful glare. Sticking his tongue out at me, we left the room and took a turn towards a door I hadn't seen for a month. 

     "Why are we going to your room?" I curiously asked when I saw the door come into view. 

     "It's an improvement, and this way I can see you all the time,"