Present

  Rho and Troy: I thought you were dead!

  Nigel: You two know each other?

  Ace: What is going on?

  Troy: You... you should be dead...

  Rho looks at him, terrified.

  Troy: So that was all act too?

  Rho: Too? What are you talking about?

  Rikka: I am so confused right now...

  Dog: Troy? What is going on?

  Nigel: Did that dog just talked?

  Dog: Roger.

  Nigel confused. Troy ignores him and still talks to Rho.

  Troy: I saw you dying... three years ago...

  Rho: Not here, not now.

  Dog: Troy?

  Troy: Are you serious? Even after 3 years of thinking you are dead, and you thought the same about me... you still try to cover something up? Oh I think we crossed that line a long time ago.

  He talked serious, angry.

  Rho: Troy, I don't know what they told you but...

  Troy: Oh don't give me the same story again.

  Rin: Rho, what is going on?

  Rho is silent.

  Dog: Boss?

  Troy looks at Roger.

  Troy: Roger, let me introduce you

  Rho: Don't...

  Troy: This is famous...

  Rho: Troy, please...

  Troy: One and only, Nexara.

  Everyone surprised, except Kaya, she knew a long time ago.

  Nigel: You are... Nexara?

  Rikka: Holly shit...

  Rho: I...

  Ace: The Nexara?

  Rin: Nex project?

  Rho: I am not the same person from before... I...

  She talked a bit scared, her voice was trembling.

  Nigel: Are you or you are not Nexara? He asks seriously.

  Troy: Wow, they didn't even know your name.

  Rho: I was her... but... I stopped being her a long time ago...

  Nigel: I can't believe this...

  Ace: You didn't only work for them, you also worked with them... I mean you are...

  Rin: Daughter of Davon, first general.

  Nuri: That can't be true...

  Rho: And it is not, he is not my father!

  Ace: But you are Nexara...

  Kaya looked at all of them, she wasn’t sure what to do or to say.

  Rho: I was... adopted, I am not his blood.

  Troy: That is truth.

  Rho: Well I am glad that you had even a bit of humanity to not deny that.

  Troy: Oh don't even try to play that card… I lost everything because of you! I trusted you...

  Rho: I was telling the truth!

  Troy: Oh really? And how come I found out that you were only using me to get what you want?

  Rho's eyes widen.

  Rho: What?

  Nuri: Is that... true?

  Troy: Well I saw it with my own eyes. At first I didn't want to believe that you would betray me, but now I see you alive... I wonder, did you ever even tried to find me?

  Rho sight.

  Rho: I thought you were dead... I am not even sure how are you standing here in front of me... I thought they killed you because...

  Troy: Finish that sentence.

  Rho: Because you helped me.

  Troy: They tried, they failed.

  Rho looks at everyone, they looked at her as they are mad or scared. Rho looks at them concerned but then she closes her eyes and opened them again, she was more serious.

  Rho: Yes, I was Nexara, but I am not Nexara anymore, and if you can't see that... I can't help you.

  She starts to walk away.

  Kaya: Rho, wait!

  Troy: Rho?

  Rho stops and looks at him.

  Rho: As Rhodri.

  Troy didn’t say anything but he knew the reason why that name, Rhodri. She walked away.

  Kaya: Wait!

  She doesn’t stop.

  Kaya: Is no one going to stop her?

  Nuri: Kaya.. She is...

  Kaya: Rho! Our Rho!

  Rin: Why are you so okay with this? She lied you too.

  Kaya: No, she didn't, she just didn't want to talk about her past, and every one of us has that right!

  Nigel: Not when you are Nexara.

  Kaya: So what if she was her? She is not anymore.

  Rin: You can't never know that for sure.

  Troy: Yeah, because she is the type of person who would do anything for her goal, even if that means throwing others under the bridge.

  Kaya: That is not true! You might knew her, but you don't know her now. Besides, I knew all along who she was, and I didn't care.

  Ace: What? You knew?

  Kaya: Yes. I know that ever since Provecta Island.

  Ace: And you never cared to mention?

  Kaya: Oh you don't want to play that game with me. Fine, what about you and Nigel then? You two seem to have a lot of secrets lately.

  Ace: That... that is not the same.

  Kaya: Oh isn't it?

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  She was mad at all of them for not trusting Rho.

  Rin: She does have a point.

  Ace: Oh no you too..

  They argue.

  Kaya: You know what, do as you like... I am going to go find my friend and hope that she will forgive me for not coming after her sooner.

  Nuri: Kaya...

  She is gone. Silence.

  Dog: well, that was fun.

  He sits down. Rin sights any leans on the tree.

  Rin: Maybe we were too harsh...

  Ace: I don't know just... I can't believe she is Nexara...

  Rikka: She was...

  Nigel: How do you know her?

  He speaks to Troy.

  Troy: I was something as a personal guard that was assigned to keep an eye on her, yet to take orders from her.

  Nigel: So you worked with them too?

  Nuri: It sounds like you really know her very well? I mean, she never mentioned any friends...

  Troy: I wasn't allowed to be her friend, she wasn't allowed to have any friends, yet I was her only friend.

  They all sit in silence.

  Rho walks through the forest alone. She was frustrated, angry, on the edge of tears. She found a place to be alone. She was angry so she transformed and throws a huge rock with her powers and smashes it. She sat down, head on her knees.

  The rest of them. Silence.

  Roger: So that's Nexara ha? Who would have thought...?

  Ace: Troy, right?

  He nods.

  Ace: You said something about her not being actually a daughter of Davon... what is the story behind that?

  He looks away.

  Troy: That is not mine story to tell, it is hers.

  He talked serious, he is similar to Rho.

  Rin: Well what can you tell us?

  Troy: What do you want to know?

  Nuri: What was she like? Back then.

  Nigel listened but he looked down. Troy thinks.

  Troy: She followed orders, she was doing her job, she was serious yet she liked to laugh. Everything was organized and planed for her, every minute of the day. Most of the time she was being under supervision, yet she was the one who supervised others. She wasn't allowed to feel, to have friends or to refuse any orders. Of course, only orders she needed to follow was Davon’s, the rest followed her orders. Unfortunately she was ?programmed“ to only think with her brain, not with her heart, so she can seem off cold, or emotionless but, she never was like that.

  Rin: What did she do?

  Troy: She started to make her own rules, she started to change the system. The system needed to be fixed and she was aware. She started to disobey orders, to disobey Davon, and... Well she paid for that, we both did.

  Ace: You were helping her?

  Troy nods.

  Troy: As much as I could, but yes.

  He sits down.

  Troy: She started to notice some things she never did before. She was fighting for different rights, law then they had in mind. She wasn't afraid to speak her mind, and no one was allowed to say anything back to her, she was well protected, at least that is what I thought.

  Rikka: What do you mean?

  Troy: She was protected from others, even though she made a lot of enemies along the way, she was untouchable... but, that wasn't really the truth. She was protected by Davon, but she wasn't protected from him.

  Ace: She brought some dangerous technology into this world, not only that, she made some decisions that were... well, also dangerous.

  Troy: She wasn't aware of that, she thought she was doing something good, for everyone. At least that's what she told me.

  Rin: Did you trust her?

  Troy is silent, remembers the past.

  Past.

  Nexara and Troy.

  Troy: That is crazy...

  Nexara is a bit under pressure stressed.

  Nexara: I am telling you the truth... something is going on around here and they are not telling us everything...

  Troy shuts her.

  Troy: You better stop talking, even thinking about it can get you into trouble!

  Nexara: I know you don't want to hear this but... you are the only one I can trust around here.

  Troy: So you are trying to say, they are hiding something?

  Nexara: Yes, at least Davon is.

  Troy: And do you have a proof for that?

  She nods.

  Nexara: I found files that I never saw before... they were written in a cod, and I managed to figure it out only 17% of that.

  Troy: Aren't you supposed to...

  Nexara: Know everything around here? Yes. But... I don't.

  Troy: What did you figure it out by now?

  She stayed silent.

  Nexara: Nothing good.

  Present.

  Troy: She came to me, she asked for help. She wanted to do something about it, but she couldn't do that alone. She claimed she had a plan, and she never, and I mean never lost any battle. So I put my trust in her, I choose to stand by her side... but then...

  Past.

  Troy: Are you sure this is going to work?

  Nexara: Positive.

  Troy: A lot of is on the stake...

  Nexara: I am aware of that.

  Troy: Are you sure you are ready to play with others people life like that?

  Nexara: I am going to win... There is no way I am losing this. Someone needs to put an end of this, and if no one is going to do it, then I will.

  Troy: I have a bad feeling about this...

  Nexara: It is too late to back down now, so don't even think about it.

  Troy: And what if you lose?

  Nexara: That is not happening.

  Present.

  Troy: She was so sure in herself, there was no way of stopping her. She was ready to start a war, and she didn't care what was on stake. I trusted her, I really did.

  Past.

  Troy: Are you sure this is a good idea?

  They were in an experimental lab, where they were creating powers from mountain. Just like with Kai. Munera mantis.

  Nexara nods.

  Nexara: I need you to be stronger, this is the only way.

  Troy: I already went trough this… I am already feeling some changes, I don’t think is a good idea to rush these things… Beside I thought you hated this project? You said it is risky, and dangerous.

  Nexara: I did?

  She looked different.

  Troy: Yes, you said that there is much bigger chance to lose something than gain something with this,

  Nexara: I was wrong.

  He looked at her suspicious.

  Troy: You are never wrong...

  Nexara: You will do this, and this is an order.

  She looked even colder than usual.

  Troy: Fine... If this will help us, then I will do it.

  Nexara grin.

  Nexara: Excellent.

  She had a needle, he sat on the chair, and she gave him a serum.

  Present.

  Troy: I was never the same after that. When you use that kind of serum, it can either make you stronger, kill you, or make you a slave. But that wasn't the problem. Problem was that after I used it, they captured me, and she was the one who gave an order for that.

  Ace: How you know it was her?

  Troy: Couse she did it in front of me.

  Past

  Guard coming, surrounding Troy.

  Troy: What is going on?

  Guards pointing weapons at him. Nexara walks in.

  Troy: What is this about?

  He looks angry.

  Nexara: Don't looks so surprised. We found out what you did, you are a traitor, and we can't allow traitors to work for us. We will no longer need your services.

  Troy shocked.

  Troy: What are you talking about?

  Nexara: You failed, we are all very disappointed.

  Troy: You... you set me up!

  He wanted to attack, guards stopped him.

  Nexara: You set yourself, don't blame me for your decisions. Take him away, I don't want to see your face ever again.

  She turns around and starts to walk away.

  Troy: You will pay for this!!!

  They took him, he struggled.

  Ace: Oh...

  Troy: I never realized why she sat me up... but she did. It was all the part of her other plan I didn't know nothing about. Later I found out that she only wanted to replace Davon, she didn't care for anything, she just wanted to rule.

  Silence.

  Nuri: I can't believe that...

  Troy: I couldn't believe either. Then I escaped, and I was trying to find her, and there I saw her, fighting Davon. I saw her...

  Pause.

  Troy: I saw her die right in front of my eyes.

  They looked confused.

  Rikka: She seems pretty much alive to me.

  Troy: No kidding. I know what I saw... She is not supposed to be alive.

  Roger: Well, she is.

  Troy: And I still don't know how. I mean, she doesn't even look the same...

  Ace sights.

  Ace: The worst part is that I can't even tell what the truth is and what is not. She is always hiding something and doing things on her own... I can't even tell who she is.

  Rin: Yeah...

  Nuri: But there must be explanation for all of this...

  Nigel thinking the whole time.

  Kaya searching for Rho.

  Kaya: Rho... where are you...?

  She keeps walking, after some time she notice her, sitting near the river. She came to her and sat next to her. Silent.

  Rho: Why are you here?

  Kaya: I am here because I care.

  Rho: You should stay away from me, everyone should.

  Kaya: Maybe, but I can't or I will lose my powers. She smiles, trying to cheer her up.

  Rho: It is better to lose your powers then your life.

  Kaya looks sad.

  Kaya: Don't say that...

  Rho: I am not a good person Kaya.

  Kaya: Yes you are! You are keeping us safe... you... you are our friend.

  Rho: I don't know how to be a friend Kaya.

  Kaya: So what, you are learning, and you are way better at that than you think.

  Rho: I see that.

  She looked down. Kaya sights.

  Kaya: Whatever you did I am sure you didn't mean to...

  Rho: It is not that simple Kaya. I hurt someone, I put someone’s life at risk, I... I was very bad friend.

  Kaya: I don't believe that.

  Rho sights.

  Rho: I was trying to do the right thing, I thought I knew what was I doing but... I just made things worse. I just didn't know that he would hate me that much, he was the last person I wanted to hurt.

  Kaya: Well, maybe you should talk with him... and with us.

  Rho: You are probably the only one who still wants to talk with me.

  Kaya: They will too, they are just... confused, that's all.

  Rho: I was just trying to protect you.

  Kaya: I know...

  Rho looked at her.

  Rho: Don’t you care that I was Nexara?

  Kaya looks away and laughs nervously.

  Kaya: I kind of already knew that… I stole the paper from you where was your picture from past… when you were Nexara… so… sorry about that.

  Rho raised an eyebrow, then she sighs.

  Rho: Well, I am not Nexara... Even when I was, I didn't want to be her.

  Kaya: I know...

  Others.

  Ace: I don't want to believe that she is just using us.

  Nuri: Me neither... she is not a bad person.

  Troy: I thought the same but... with her you never know for sure.

  Nuri: I mean... I know that she is not the most emotional person but is she really that cold?

  Rikka: No. She is not.

  Troy: And you know that how?

  Ace looks at her and shakes her head.

  Rin: What are you not telling us?

  Rikka: She will kill me for this but... I saw her... crying.

  Nigel looks at her, everyone surprised.

  Rikka: I didn't see her just crying she... she looked like she wanted to scream but she couldn't... she was suffocating in her own tears... and not only that...

  Ace: Rikka...

  Rikka: They need to know okay? Ace is silent.

  Rikka: Her body was... full of scars.

  Troy: What?

  Nigel’s eyes softening a bit but only a hint, and others felt sorry.

  Rikka: C'mon, think about it... she never shows her skin.

  Rin: But when she is using her transformation...

  Ace: Then she is able to heal.

  Rikka: I don't know what she was like before or what happened to her, but I know one thing. If she was really at government side, she wouldn't have those. Who knows what they did to her.

  Troy thinks.

  Troy: I thought that was a lie...

  Ace: What?

  Troy remembers when they caught her and him, she was sent away, they both were tortured but he didn’t know that, he thought that her being tortured was a lie. Troy didn’t say anything he started to run, following the scent of her.

  They all got up and followed him. He runs fast. They had problem to keep up with him.

  He found her, Rho turned around, and stood up.

  Rho: Troy...

  He just looked at her and he was walking towards her. Rho was ready for anything, she didn’t want to fight him, she was ready to die at the spot. She looked down, she couldn’t look at him. He stood in front of her.

  Rho: If you want to kill me... I understand. I fail you. Do what you want.

  He made a move, and everyone was ready to step up, but then he hugged her, tight. They are all surprised.

  Troy: You didn't fail me... I failed you. I am sorry.

  Rho was shocked but then she broke, her voice shaky.

  Rho: I am sorry...

  She said quietly, Troy still hugging her.

  Troy: I know...

  Rho hugs him back and starts to cry.

  Everyone silent, Nigel looked at them then he looked down, clenching his fist, then he released it. Everyone was surprised, couldn’t believe what they are seeing. Ace knew that Rho would never do that if she wasn't truly broken, so she turned towards everyone, and started to move them away.

  Ace: Come on, nothing to see here. Let's give them some space.

  They were worried but they listened. Nigel looked at them one ore time then he also turned around and walked away with everyone. Rho and Troy stayed hugged, and she continued to cry.

  Roger: Well, I didn't see this coming. He doesn't even want to pet me, yet he is hugging her.

  Kaya: I can pet you.

  She smiled she picked him up and started to pet him.

  Rho cried, she couldn’t hold it anymore, Troy hugging her, tight. She buried her face in his chest and cried.

  Past.

  Nexara walking and entering Davon's office.

  Eligor and Davon were there.

  Eligor: Did you do it?

  Suddenly she changes into another person, that wasn’t Nexara, it was a shape shifter, and he kneels on his one knee, and looks down, his face hidden from the hood.

  Shifter: I made him arrested, as you wanted.

  Davon: Good. There is no way he is ever again going to believe her after this.

  Eligor: Did he suspect anything?

  shape shifter: No, he thought I was her,

  Eligor: I knew you would get the job done, Aaron.

  Aaron smiles evilly. He raises his head.

  Aaron: Of course my master.