After a few days we were walking into polis. What was once a peaceful city, filled with my people, was now bloody and dark. We walked through the streets, my eyes scanning around as I saw people hanging from wooden posts, blood pooling beneath them.

"About what i expected" pike said, his voice too casual.

"Shut your mouth" the guard snapped, pulling him roughly.

"Hey, we should leave" Marcus said, but the guard shoved him aside.

"Think you're gonna find peace with the new commander?" Pike asked, smirking almost.

"Leave if you must, Marcus, but I need to speak with her" I said, keeping my voice steady as I turned and continued walking.

"Go. Move it" the guard barked, shoving people aside. My stomach twisted. Something wasn't right. My people- my family- kneeling like this? They looked...controlled, like their free will had been stripped from them.

"Chancellor" A man called, stepping forward.

"Jackson?" Marcus asked, eyes wide.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Pike demanded

"Those aren't necessary." Jackson said to the guards

"This man belongs to the commander." The guard insisted

"It's all right jackson" jaha said calmly.

"Untie him. Now. Open your mouth and accept the key" Ontari commanded, and the guards obeyed.

"Theonious...what is this?" Marcus asked, frowning.

"This is the chip. I thought you were crazy, now I know you are." pike muttered

"This is unity like you always wanted" jaha said

"Everyone back away or the commander dies!" Pike shouted, brandishing a knife at Ontari.

"Thank God. Briggs, Grant, get behind me" pike ordered, but the guards only kicked him to the ground.

"Briggs, you're from farm station" pike said as they grabbed him.

"There are no stations here. Just the city of light. Join us Charles please. There's no more need for fighting." Jaha said

"We both know there's no way in hell I'm taking that thing" pike spat

"Sorry it has to be this way" jaha replied, and they covered his face and dragged him away.

"How about you Marcus? Diana?" Jaha asked, holding out a chip to each of us. Both Marcus and I hesitated, then grabbed one. My gaze locked on the chip- it had the same mark as the flame and my necklace. My stomach sank.

Marcus flung his chip to the ground. I stared at mine, unable to tear my eyes away.

"That was a mistake." Jaha said

"I don't think so" Marcus countered.

"You will" jaha said coldly before cloth covered Marcus's face, and he was dragged away. Then all attention turned to me.

"So...will you join us?" He asked

"I am Haiplana kom uf. No way in hell I'm joining you" I spat, snapping the chip in half.

I watched jaha slowly turned his head, as if listening to someone else's orders.

"Take her to the throne room" he commanded, and the guards began dragging me away.

"Let me go! Ontari, you're a coward. You disrespected the flame, you disrespected Lexa!" I screamed, struggling against the ropes that now bound my wrists.

But they didn't stop. My heart pounded, my mind racing. This wasn't just about me. It was about my people, my family- and now they were all at the mercy of people I couldn't trust.

They dragged me into the throne room, ropes bitting into my wrist and ankles as they tied me down. I could barely breathe with how tight they clinched it around my neck. My body thrashed against the restraints, but it was useless.

Then I saw her.

"Abby?" My voice cracked, half in shock, half in hope.

She stepped forward, calm, collected, her eyes strangely empty.
"What's the passphrase?" She asked

I frowned.
"To what exactly?" I asked

"The flame. What is the passphrase?" She pressed

The realization slammed into me like a blade to the gut. My chest rose and feel sharply as I shook my head.
"You don't have it. Ontari isn't the real commander. Clarke has it" my voice dropped to a whisper as I lifted my gaze to her.

"You'll lose. You'll never get the flame or the passphrase. I won't give it to you. You can kill me now" I spat

Abby tilted her head slightly, as if listening to someone whispering in her ear- just like Jaha- then she smiled faintly.

"Guess we should show you what we're willing to do to get it" she said.

She reached for a knife.

The cold steel missed my stomach before slicing deep. A strangled gasp tore from my lips as I felt the warmth of my own blood running down my skin. Abby's eyes widened suddenly, her breath catching as if she hadn't expected what she saw. She staggered back, hand trembling.

-Third person-

"She is a nightblood. How did no one know?!" Allie's voice echoed sharp in their minds.

"That's why she was separated in mount weather" abby explained, her voice strangely detached.

"We need to kill her" jaha said firmly

"No. While I was in ravens head, I saw what she can do. I saw how they think of her- as family. She knows the passphrase. We need her alive" Allie's tone cut through his

-Back to Diana pov-

I breathed heavily, head lifting just enough to glare at them. They weren't talking to me anymore- they were talking to a voice. A phantom voice controlling them.

Abby turned back, her knife glinting in the dim light.
"We need her friends. Then she will tell us" Abby said

Her head tilted again, listening to the invisible commands, before she moved closer. The blade bit into me once more. Another cut. And another. My blood hits the stone floor in steady drops, and I gritted my teeth against the pain, refusing to give them the satisfaction of my screams.

Then rough hands hit against my skin. But still, I refused to break.

After what felt like hours, the guards came back for me. My body ached, weak from blood loss, but I forced myself to stay upright as they walked in.  But the throne room doors opened, and my breath caught.

Clarke.

"Clarke?" My voice broke
"Diana? What are you doing- let her go!" Clarke yelled, her voice trembling with desperation as they forced her down and tied her.

Abby stepped out of the shadows, a knife glinting in her hand again.
"I'll ask you again, Clarke. What's the passphrase?" She asked, stepping toward me.

Clarke shook her head, tears brimming.
"Don't hurt her, please" she begged.

But Abby didn't hesitate. The blade cut my skin, sharp and merciless. I bit back a scream but couldn't stop the sound that tore from my throat. The burn of blood searing against my flesh made my vision blur.

"You could stop this, Clarke. If she dies, it's on your hands" Abby said, her voice eerily calm.

Another slash. The blood welled up faster this time, dripping down my side.

Clarke sobbed.
"Stop please!" She said

I forced my head up, locking eyes with her even as the world tilted.
"Don't...don't tell her, Clarke. If I die, I die a warrior. My blood will be on them.....Not you" my breaths came shallow, ragged, but I gave her the smallest nod I could manage.

Her lips quivered, her body shaking, but she nodded back, understanding.

Abby drew the knife across my skin again. The spin shot through me, white-hot, but I clung to the sound of Clark's voice, to the promise that neither is us would give them what they wanted.

Finally, Abby stopped. My body slumped forward, blood dripping in steady trails to the floor, my chest heaving.

"I told you. We need to find Bellamy blake. Then one of them will break" Abby said, turning her head slightly as if listening to someone again.

She finally set the knife aside, but the damage was already done.

Time dragged. My wounds pulsed with every heartbeat, but I forced myself to stay conscious. It seemed like their plan wasn't working the way they wanted. The guards began tying a rope, stringing it up in the center of ten throne room. My stomach turned. Someone was about to hang. The only question was who.

Abby walked over to Clarke, her hands unnervingly gentle as she brushed her daughter's face.
"Don't be afraid. It's not for you." She said

Clarkes eyes widen in horror as the rope was secured.

Then Abby moved toward it.

"No....Mom. Mom, stop. Listen to me- I know you can hear me. Just stop." Clarkes voice cracked

"You know how to stop this" Abby said evenly, looping the rope around her own neck.

Clarke shook her head violently.
"Wait! Allie, if you kill her, you'll never get what you want." Clarke said

Abby's gaze hardened.
"Allie's not killing me. You are" she said

"Mom, don't do this. Please-I'm begging you- don't do it. Please" Clarke begged, tears streaming down her face as Abby stoped closer to the edge.

"What's the passphrase, Clarke?" Abby asked again, her voice chilling in its calmness.

Clarke sobbed.
"I can't. I can't." She cried

Abby stepped off.

"No!" Clarkes scream split through the throne room as her mother's body dropped.

I strained against my bindings, panic clawing at my chest.
"Clarke, listen to me! You can't tell her. Your mom wouldn't want you to. Lexa wouldn't" my voice shook, but I forced the words out.

Clarkes hands trembled as she looked at her mother, broken.
"I'm so sorry" she whispered through her tears.

Before I could say anything else, my attention snapped to Ontari. Her expression shifted- understanding, resolve- and she grabbed a metal pipe.

"I understand" she muttered, before storming towards jaha.

"What are you doing? Wait, stop- jaha don't do this. Allie, stop it- please, don't do this!" Clarke screamed as jaha lifted the pipe and struck ontari across the head. The crack echoed in the chamber. Ontari collapsed instantly, her blood spilling across the stone floor.

Jaha turned slowly, his gaze locking onto me. He stepped forward. My body sagged, weak and almost unresponsive, every muscle screaming in protest.

Then the doors burst open.

"Bellamy! Stop him!" Clarke shouted as jaha lunged toward me. A shot rang out- the bullet tearing through jahas arm. He cried out, dropping the pipe, before Bellamy slammed into him with a furious punch.

The other man sprinted to Abby, cutting her down from the rope.

Bellamy turned, his eyes darting straight at me. He rushed over, starting to untie the ropes that cut into my neck.
"Are you okay?" He asks

I struggled to catch a breath, my body trembling.
"Help Clarke first. She needs to help her mom" I said

He hesitated, then nodded, quickly freeing Clarke. She sprinted over.
"Is she alive? Is she breathing?" Clarke asked, finally reaching her mom.

"She's okay. She's breathing" the other man assured her.

"Jaha has the flame. Go get it" Clarke snapped, urgency in her voice. The man sprinted off while Bellamy retuned to me, pulling me gently to my feet.

"Are you okay?" He asked again, his voice softer now, more desperate.

"Yeah" I managed a nod, though my legs nearly gave out beneath me. He steadied me, guiding me closer to the others.

Clarke looked up, her face pale and stricken.
"She's brain dead. She can't give us the kill code" she said

"What kill code?" I rasped, forcing my eyes open.

Clarke turned toward me then- really looked at me. Her gaze dropped to the blood staining my skin. The realization hit her like a shockwave.

"You're a nightblood? How did I not know? Oh my God, I saw you fight Roan, I saw your blood- I'm so sorry- I didn't realize-" her voice broke out in a panic.

"Your worries were elsewhere. It's not your fault, Clarke. Just... tell me, how do we stop this?" My voice was weak but steady.

Clarke hesitated, then explained everything- fast, urgent, but clear enough that even though the haze of blood loss, I understood.

"You can take the flame. You can stop her" Clarkes voice was fierce, full of desperate hope.

I nodded, though the room tilted around me.
"It's risky. When you take the flame, you have to be at full health..... but I can do it. I'll take it" I said

"No. No, if it's risky, you can't." Bellamys voice cut sharp, panicked.

"I must, Bellamy" I met his eyes, my voice soft but unwavering.

I turned back to Clarke.
"Get your mom. She can help watch my vitals as I take the flame" I said, Clarke nodded quickly, wiping her face, already moving.

"Bellamy and...." I trailed off, looking to the other man.

"John Murphy" he replied quickly

"Bellamy, john, secure the floor. Then bring everyone here" I said

They both nodded. And for the first time in hours, I felt the faintest flicker of control return to me.