When Anna regained herself, she was on the floor, tears soaking her face and her entire body trembling with the weight of the recovered memories.

Suddenly, everything made sense.

The journals she’d found. Princess Orchid referring to her heats as a curse. Drax’s suspicion when Anna, ignorant about the truth, had gone waltzing to his place to ask about said heats.

I was so stupid...

Anna thought of when she’d thrown Leila’s death in AI Orchid’s face back then and she cringed hard.

Foolish. Ignorant. You couldn’t even keep your mouth shut for two seconds.

The memories still played on repeat in her head. Orchid’s scream looped in Anna’s brain. Anna hadn’t ever heard anyone scream with such raw pain and hurt.

Anna felt an unknown emotion rise in her heart towards Orchid. She couldn’t say she’d forgiven the Princess, but Anna now understood her.

She understood everything.

She also knew, from the sheer closeness and intimacy between Drax and Princess Orchid, that her cover was blown.

Slowly, Anna picked herself up and wiped her eyes. Her heart felt heavy and burdened.

In her past life, she was way older than Princess Orchid. She had gone through a lot pains and her life wasn’t the best by a million miles. But Anna had never lost a child.

She can’t imagine how much it must have hurt. Losing her own flesh and blood.

She turned to the Dream Weaver which was now watching her with keen eyes. "Thank you,"

The creature didn’t reply.

"I’ll un...I’ll set you free. You should be able to rejoin your people."

"No!" It shrieked. "I cannot return. It’s been too long. Far too long."

"Well I can’t keep you here either you’re—"

"Kill me!" It lunged forward, grabbing the steel bars. "Kill me. Please. You promised!"

Anna stuttered, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of a pond. "I can’t.."

"You must! Please! You said you will if I showed you!"

Anna looked around the lab. The tears that had dried came rushing back.

It’s just an AI beast...it’s not even real. It’s not alive.

But the voice that was begging for death didn’t sound like that of a beast. It sounded painfully human.

"I—"

The creature started sobbing. "Please just do it. I’m tired. I can’t take this..."

For a split second, Anna thought of getting Kai, asking him to kill the Dream Weaver.

That’s horrid!

She shook her head, forcing the thoughts out of the nonexistent windows of the lab.

"Alright," she whispered. "I’ll set you free."

****

An hour later, Anna stepped out of the hidden lab.

Kai, who was pacing the bathroom floors, paused and ran over to her, worry drawn all over his handsome features. "Anna,"

"I’m okay," she said, looking up to meet his eyes. She offered him a soft smile, even as her heart didn’t feel like smiling at all. "Let’s go back. I have tea with the queen and then I need to visit my sister and I also have to—"

She didn’t finish her sentence before Kai pulled her into his arms and held her tightly.

Shocked, Anna stood there, blinking. Then slowly, her arms came up and she wrapped them around his middle.

"It’s okay," he said, as if he could tell what had transpired in there.

Anna’s lips wobbled but she didn’t cry. She’d already shed all her tears inside there. Especially as the body of the Dream Weaver crumbled into silver dust.

"Thank you, Kai. You’re so kind to me," she whispered into Kai’s shoulder, meaning every word.

They remained that way for a minute until she shyly pulled back.

"What will you do now?" Kai asked with a frown.

Anna took him to her bedroom before she said. "Divorce Leon. Maybe get exiled. Or punished. I don’t know...but somehow I’ll figure it all out."

Even if she was somehow exiled, the kingdom still had Princess Lotus. It’s not they’d be strapped for an heir.

Kai took Anna’s hand, squeezing her tightly. "Whatever happens, I’ll be with you." He smiled.

Anna’s heart skipped a beat, and she felt lightness warm her heart and cheeks. "Smooth talker." She scoffed, her voice low and soft.

Kai replied by kissing her knuckles. "Always at your service."

Anna returned to her real lab, and started work on the suppressants. By evening, her first batch was ready, and she was on her way to tea with the Queen.

I think I’m gonna throw up...

Her nerves twisted and coiled into a giant ball of yarn in the pit of her stomach as she made her way, accompanied by Bella, to the Queen’s private gardens.

The Queen sat waiting for her, sipping tea from her signature cup and staring wistfully into space. She noticed Anna and her expression brightened, with just a hint of apprehension in her eyes.

"My darling," the Queen rose to her feet, pulling Anna into a warm hug that smelled of flowers. But to Anna it felt like a countdown to doom.

"Mother," Anna said with a sweet smile. "You look well,"

"As do you, my dear." The Queen replied with a radiant smile.

They sat down, servants poured tea, and Anna focused all her attention on the cup like it would help ease the brewing tension inside her.

"My darling, about the council meeting earlier, you surely cannot mean it?"

Ah, here it comes.

Anna lowered her tea cup and faced the queen. "I mean it, mother. My marriage with Leon is—"

[Ding.]

A low, ominous ring echoed in Anna’s head. Her spine straightened and her eyes went wide with horror.

"Darling?" The Queen called, her brows twisted with worry.

But Anna couldn’t hear her. Not over the mechanical voice in her head.

[Your final task has been assigned, host. Poison your sister with your black spores and hold the attack for thirty seconds. Failure to do this will result in point erasure and permanent goal change denial. You have five minutes. This is your final task, hostie. Good luck.]