Luisa

Three years inside of a bunker could drive the average human insane but I wasn't average. The only reason was that I had some experience with the Ark, but at least we had a window.

There were certain things I could do to keep myself grounded like work or watching people die in the arena. There were a few people that reassured my sanity: Roan, my distant father, and the eleven-year-old boy.

"Keep your feet apart or you'll lose balance," I stated. Ethan nodded and settled his feet before gripping his sword and went in to fight me. I blocked the strike and he slid the blade out to dive under my legs and kick me in the knee-bend.

"One point for me, heda," he said. "You're getting better," Gaia hummed. "You may go." Ethan ran off and I wiped the sweat on my face and slid my sword into its hold.

"I do think you should take in the other children," she suggested. "No one has black blood, they can't be Commanders," I said. "Ethan isn't and yet, you've chosen him to be your champion," she said.

"He's under my care and protection so he will have to do things like me. At least I know he will continue my legacy," I said. "May the Spirit of the Commanders choose wisely."

I put on accessories and walked out of the practice room to be followed by guards. I entered my office where Raven was sitting on the desk, kicking her legs.

"Hey Commander," she greeted, standing. I knew that if she was the only one here, then it would be a serious conversation so I closed the doors. "The food's running out and we're about to be the Blight Generation. Sinclair estimated that next week is when the effects will happen."

"What do you have in mind?" I asked. "The fighting pits don't seem to be working. A hundred and fifty people dead is not enough of an impact." "Terrible idea," she stated. "We can't be eating leaves forever because we need nutrients and protein and the only valuable source- we don't have animals-"

"Humans," I calculated and she stressfully nodded. "Their meat is enough to keep us alive for a year until the farm starts producing again," she explained. "I can use the bones as a source of energy. I don't want to do this but I need your confirmation." "Do it."

She nodded and walked out of the room, leaving me in a mental disaster and I huffed, sitting on the desk. The doors opened and my head lifted to see Roan enter.

"What's wrong?" he asked, lifting my chin. "Too many people," I said. He stood between my legs and rocked them around. His forehead pressed against mine and he cupped my cheeks.

"Heavy lies the Commander that holds the Flame," he said. "That's not the saying," I breathed. "But I understand." I held onto the buckles of his vest.

"I love you, Roan," the absurd words came from my mouth. "Does that make me weak?" "No," he shook his head. "It makes you human." He lifted his head to kiss my lips and I exhaled when he pulled back. "You didn't eat yesterday, come with me."

I pursed my lips and complied, leaving the office. We went down the ramp and to the cafeteria where blocks of red meat were placed on our trays. Some people were confused but I knew exactly what they were and sat at the middle of my table filled with my inner circle.

"What is this?" Ethan whispered from across the table. Everyone's eyes looked at me and I responded, "Food that will keep us alive. All of them, for all of us." "Wait-what?" Lincoln questioned. "Them?"

"Eat." I sprinkled the salt on the cube and took a bite out of it and it tasted cold, plain, and like iron from someone's blood. From the example of a Commander, those who didn't question me took a bite and others didn't.

I looked down the table to find Clarke's friends, including Abby and Kane were still staring at their food. "Eat," I said. Raven eyed me and bit down on it. Emori and Murphy knew their position in the bunker and decided to follow.

"We have a choice," Kane assured them. He stood and I could feel his essence walk behind me and other people left the cafeteria. "They will starve and die," I said, and took another bite.

I watched as the rest stayed to finish their meal and the second round of the clan to eat. They were disturbed at what the meat was but continued to eat. I then left and went to the meeting table and took my seat.

"Who came up with this idea," Kane raised his voice. "We are eating our own people!" "People who've failed to obey the law," Octavia justified. "Are you failing?"

"We are not cannibals," Clarke stated. I didn't even know why she was here. "I know it's the only way to survive but... we can't be." "Unfortunately," Roan spoke. "We are. We can find redemption after."

"How long will this last?" Bellamy asked, with eyes glistening. "A year should bring the levels equal," Raven said which made everyone gloomy. "It's the only way," Abby muttered.

"Are you done?" I asked. I looked at my father who stormed off. "Are there any other issues any will like to address?" "No." "Good, you may leave." I watched them singly leave the room with an aroma of negative energy.

"When I asked you what was wrong, you didn't answer truthfully," Roan said, coming into my view. "We supposed to tell each other everything, even our soft spots." "I know," I agreed. "This... this is beyond me and I didn't know whether- I don't know.

"Will we ever find redemption after? Will I? To call me human sounds like an insult." "I can only help you," he said. "But I can't do it for you." My chin rested on my fist and I felt him kiss my forehead and left.

Knowing I was alone, my head dropped and my lips trembled. There was a thick feeling in my throat and I gasped, letting the tears fall from my eyes. My war paint was smearing onto my hands and my mouth fell open to scream but nothing came out.

I felt like a mess. Mentally, physically, and emotionally, everything was disoriented. I sniffled, trying to gather it when I felt a pinch on my neck. Things slowed and I looked up to see the short-haired blonde looking at me. My brows frowned as she formed two then one figure and everything went calm.

Chaos erupted in my mind space where I could hear screaming. Chains jangled and the raspy voice of my mother yelled out to anyone who could hear. She was crying out names to be set free.

Just like her, I had been confined to the same room as her and restrained to the pipelines. I had water and a bucket to pee in and I knew by the length of the chains, I couldn't get far.

I tried to yell out for help and pull on the cuffs that burned my skin. I felt useless and unlike anything I had gone through, I began to panic. It was like I couldn't breathe, remembering the fate that could come after this.

Bellamy

"I don't know what she's become. I know Kane has always been like this but her? She was good when I met her but know she's siding with the Commander. They call her Skairipa," Lincoln confessed. "And Echo? Azripa; Ice Reaper."

"Things have changed more than before," I said. "Even Luisa had some kind of morals but this is beyond her and me." "Bellamy," Lincoln called out and I looked at him. "I've tried to talk to Octavia but she's like Indra; honoring the Commander." "My sister, my responsibility," I nodded.

Getting up, we shook hands and I left the room. It was a quick and clean walk across the sleeping quarters without getting stopped. It didn't last when I halted at the hierarchal bedroom.

"I'm just here to talk with Octavia," I said to the guard. "Or Skairipa, she's my sister. Remember?" They profiled me and poked their head in for confirmation and I entered.

"Security on your big brother?" I questioned. "It's not for me, it's for Ethan," Octavia said, rising from her bunk. "Heda wants him protected." "Then the other kids wouldn't want to play with him."

"They do," Ethan came to say. "I'm like the king of the other kids, they respect me." "You mean fear you," I corrected. "Just like your mother." "Mother?" Octavia questioned. "Here she comes adopting another kid."

"She didn't adopt you, O," I said. "Sorry for calling her that, Ethan." "It's fine," he said. "My mom died on the Ark, the Commander and Roan are the only ones I've got." "Of course they're nice to you," I said. "O, can we talk?"

"I know Lincoln sent you here," she said. "I was Indra's second to be a war chief. Now that I am, I must serve and die for the Commander and next, even if it means the weakest or strongest sits on the throne. Luisa Kane is strong."

"But-" "She was there for me and I will be here for her," she cut me off. "I agree with her," Ethan spoke. He buckled up his vest and faced us. "Where is she? She said we would talk after her meeting."

"I'm sure she got caught up with something," Octavia assured him. The doors banged open and Indra and Echo came in. "The Commander's missing," Echo stated. I rolled my eyes, glancing at Octavia.

A few of her guards had come in and we made sure to keep it private so the entire clan wouldn't panic. I shipped Ethan off to Gaia and I could tell he didn't want to lose anyone else.

"I was the last person to see her," Roan said. "She seemed fine." "She's never fine," I said. "Did you guys argue?" "Bold of you to assume that," he stated. "But no."

"What if she's hiding?" Miller questioned. "From what?" Indra asked. "She knows how to be the Girl Under the Floor," Octavia commented.

"How the hell do we lose the highest person here?" Pike snapped. "She doesn't like to be heavily guarded," Harper said. "We all know she can guard herself." "Fine then. We split up and search for her," Octavia said. "Don't be too frantic or they will question us."

My sister separated us into groups and she put me with her. We left the room at different times and we went down to the medical room. It was hard to ignore Kane and Octavia eyed me not to speak as we went through the area before leaving.

The farm station had already been swept by Harper and Miller so we went lower to the engine room. It was loud from the bodies being thrown together in Raven's barrel.

"She could be in here!" I had to yell. "Because no one can hear her!" Octavia had to agree and we went through every closet and piping until we found a locked door.

"Same room I was in when they wouldn't open the seal," I said. Shooting it open, we entered with caution and turned on the lights to see the clothing of the Commander. She was crunched into a ball and she looked up, she looked deranged.

"I found the Commander," I said into the radio. I set down my gun, knowing should panic, and eyed Octavia to do the same. Cautiously, I crouched beside her and held her cold hand.

"Kane?" I whispered. Her wet eyes flickered towards me and she squeezed my hand. "Make sure everyone stays outside, I know she wouldn't want them to see her like this," I said. Octavia left the room and I comforted her.

"Tell me, why are you in here?" I said, noticing the shackles. "Someone brought me here," she responded. "Please, let me out, I can't take it anymore."

"It was Clarke, wasn't it?" I said and she assuredly nodded. "If you want to leave, you can't sentence her." "What else am I supposed to do?" she questioned. "Let her be free? I wouldn't be surprised if my father set her up to this."

"He didn't," I said and she rolled her eyes. "Maybe their fear is turning into hatred and that hate is going to get you killed." She scoffed. "Remember the time you threatened the last Commander's life? She showed you mercy."

"Well I'm not her," she said. "Let me out." "Promise me-" "I already made a deal with her when she opened the sea for us and I will not do it again, Bellamy. Let me out. This room is making me go mad!"

"Tell me, let's talk for the short time we have together." "The Second Dawn cult leader shoved my mother in this room and shackles like these because she withheld information and she wanted to give everyone nightblood. Too bad there couldn't be two saviors," she explained. "Is that talk enough for you?"

"How are you?" "Disoriented, sick, claustrophobic." "Oh me too," I agreed. "The choice of being cannibals is beyond me." "You think I wanted that for us?" she asked. "Not even I'm that low."

I could hear footsteps outside the door and I went out. There was a hatchet in the next room that I used to break her chains and pulled her up. She didn't bother looking at me and left the room. I stood off to the side, watching as she hugged Roan and slowly went into her father's arms.

She faced me and I had a thought for her to thank me but she said, "Let's go eat." I nearly gagged as the group went to the cafeteria. I sat at the far end of the table, beside Clarke and the meat was in front of me.

"I know what you did," I whispered to her. I could hear her gulp and Luisa commenced the meal. My stomach growled and I watched Murphy bite it.

"Eat," Luisa said. "Or you'll go hungry." She seemed to be fine after being locked up. I looked around, still finding people who weren't eating and my head snapped to her when the chair scraped the floor.

She walked towards my side of the table, gazed at us, and continued walking. I saw her stop at a distant table and urged someone to eat their food.

"My brother was in the pits, I can't- I don't want to eat him," the man said. "He died so we can live," she said aloud. "All of him for all of us," Octavia stood to say. She looked at us and said, "Eat."

"We have a choice," the man said. "And I choose not to eat." Luisa turned and grabbed the guard's gun, "Then you choose to be an enemy of Wonkru," and shoot him in the head.

I rushed towards her, seeing the blood on her face. A guard pushed me back and she moved to the next person. "Choose." The woman trembled and Luisa didn't give her a chance to answer before shooting her in the head.

"Eat or die." She shot the two people when Kane shouted, "We'll eat! We'll eat." He motioned me to grab my cube and I held my breath, taking the bite with Clarke.

"Take her," she ordered. The guards turned and held her by the arms and tugged her away. I was punched in the abdomen by Pike who was part of her security so that I wouldn't fight back. "I never promised anything," she told me. "Let's meet in the arena."