They entered Andvari's cell. Ivendir stopped at the door and the rest marched deeper.

Andvari sat in the middle of the cell with his legs crossed and his hands behind his back. He gazed at the wall with completely empty eyes. They didn't express any fear, anger or surprise at the sight of his friends. He wore white pants and long-sleeve with neon-yellow stripes. The collar around his neck could explode if it got damaged or if he attacked the guards. His dreadlocks had no beads, and they were tied carelessly. The eyebrow piercing and the earring were also taken.

"Now, you have to prove that you're not like him," ordered Ivendir, leaning against the massive door.

Erilaz clenched his fists, preparing to say something. Hefri snorted with disdain and glared at Ivendir.

"You expect us to kill our friend?" she asked, tilting her head and narrowing her eyes. She spread her arms and gazed at the floor. "Erilaz is right. You're insane."

"Andvari, is that true?" Erilaz spoke up. In that moment between the question and the answer, he heard how his blood soughs in his head and his heart rapidly thumps in his chest. The last time he felt a paralysis like that was when his father got shot. "No" was the only word he wanted to hear.

Only then Andvari raised his blank stare. His expression resembled the face of a lobotomy victim. He breathed steadily, almost like a machine.

He said in a soft voice, "In this one and only case he is honest."

"But why?" asked Hefri, and the desolation replaced her previous composure. Her wide open eyes shimmered with fear and desperation sounded in her voice. "What..." Averting her sight, she gulped as if she had eaten a spoon of sand.

Erilaz only stared at the floor with a chaotic mass of different thoughts raging in his head.

"Me or him," said Ivendir, carefully watching the reactions and body language of the Vardir Commanders. He considered it both horrifying and fascinating. He didn't feel pity anymore. The king finally accepted the treason of his trusted warrior. He quelled the last remains of sympathy for Andvari. The sense of guilt overwhelmed him every time he caused somebody's death but this time he approached the execution with peace of mind.

"Simple choice, right?" he asked.

Hefri opened her mouth, trying to find any sensible word but the words stuck in her throat.

Erilaz exhaled slowly. Despite the dull headache, he collected himself and sorted his thoughts out. He couldn't lose his friend, and he didn't care about the new, false king and his decisions. That might have cost him his life, but he would never forgive himself the lack of any reaction.

He nudged Hefri.

"Him," he whispered, glancing at Ivendir.

She nodded despite the dread in her eyes.

Erilaz tapped the icon on the LiqWatch. Hefri lifted the gun.

Andvari raised his eyes to see them one last time. Even with the gun directed at his head, he remained mentally absent. He forced himself to give his friends a feeble smile.

"Kill the traitor," he muttered.

"We will," said Hefri.

She swirled around so quickly that her blue dress spread like the waves in a maelstrom. Aiming at Ivendir, she pulled the trigger. The gun only clicked. Engulfed by fury and hatred, she squeezed the trigger with all her might. It clicked again. With mounting panic she began to frantically push the trigger over and over again but the only sound that echoed in the room was a thin, quiet click.

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Unimpressed, Ivendir still stood in the same spot, watching the incident with disdain and curiosity.

The fright struck Hefri like a rockfall. The dull constriction pierced her chest and stomach. Her hands and knees began to tremble as if she was getting an epileptic attack. She felt as if imaginary ice had frozen all her body cells. The only voluntary move she could make was looking around with terror-stricken eyes.

Ivendir shrugged. "What? You think I'm stupid enough to give you an unlocked gun?"

All three Vardir only stared at him like hyperrealistic statues carved by a mad artist.

"It's blocked," explained Ivendir, "it can only shoot in one direction." He glanced at Andvari. "Come on and try it yourself."

Hefri's body seemed to be frozen in time and space. The sole signs of life she expressed were the rapid breath and a drop of sweat on her forehead.

Erilaz stepped back. The guards raised their guns in a blink, aiming at his friends and him. It was the first time he felt like a trapped animal. He always towered over other Helvettians, inspiring respect and sometimes even awe among them but now he was nothing more than a prisoner. He narrowed his eyebrows, glaring at the guards with aversion.

This way he concealed the helplessness and desperation. He wanted to seem powerful and adamant to the very end. He had no idea how long he could keep up appearances as the panic was surging in his veins and strangling his heart.

Hefri regained control over her body. Even though the waves of anxiety still pierced her muscles, she took a deep breath and shook her head.

"Erilaz was right," she hissed, glaring at the king. "You're insane!"

Ivendir only gave her a compassionate look and said, "Take them..."

The guards handcuffed Erilaz and Hefri. Even though the guards had guns, they still moved carefully around two of the greatest warriors on Helvetto. Their body language subtly unveiled a primal fear. They behaved as if their bulletproof vests, huge bullets and years of training were nothing against the three, almost godlike creatures.

Erilaz sensed their fright too, but it didn't let him feel any pride or superiority. Instead, he began to zone out for a moment.

Hefri and a few guards left the room first. Andvari was next. Before Erilaz could think about anything, the guards yanked him and led him towards the exit. He snapped out when Ivendir grabbed his arm.

"You know what?" hissed the king, leaning towards Erilaz. After a heavy, weary sigh, he continued, "I don't regret killing Brymir."

"What?!" growled Erilaz, trying to charge at the king. The guards tightened their grasp and dragged him away.

Ivendir looked at the floor. "It hurt at the beginning but was necessary," he added in a quiet, almost exhausted voice. "He wanted stagnancy, I wanted progress. The Moryans just helped me a bit."

Erilaz lost his voice again. He barely breathed in the chilly, stifling air as his throat constricted and his lungs turned stiff. And even so, he wouldn't be able to find the right words. Nothing could express the hatred in its purest form, the fury, that overwhelmed his muscles and nerves, and the unspeakable disdain. He lowered his head, not only because his neck and spine faltered, but also because he couldn't look at this atrocious creature. The guards pulled him towards the exit, but he didn't resist. His knees felt like they weren’t his own. He just automatically took one step after another as if there was no floor under him.

Luckily for him, the primitive part of his brain cut him out from the real world, desperately trying to save his sanity.

"Don't worry." Ivendir looked at him with hopeful but also dismal eyes. "Helvetto will prevail."

A soft, pleasant lightness stroked his heart. He finally got the truth off his chest. Living in this illusion was for him like forcing his way through quicksand. It devoured his mind piece by piece, gradually draining him of his life force. Now he had nothing to lose. Erilaz didn't have much time left, and he was locked in the most secured prison on this planet so this information would remain just between them.

When the last guard left the room, Ivendir poked up after them.

"Wait," he called.

The guards halted and turned towards him.

"Don't kill them yet. I just thought about something." He walked out of the room with his arms crossed. "I should give a lesson to anyone else who may want to repeat their feat," he explained in a calm voice. "Since they're Vardir, the message would be powerful enough..." He smiled sadly, glancing at the floor. After a moment he raised his eyes and ordered, "Jail them and give me a few hours. I have to gather a few big shots."

The guards nodded and moved on.

Ivendir leant against the wall and breathed a sigh of relief. All tension that gathered in his muscles left his body, leaving the exaggerated feeling of serenity and fulfilment. He expected this night to be the first time in a long time when he could sleep peacefully.

He turned around and headed towards the exit.

"Who knows what the others are planning to do?" he whispered to himself.