It was our eating time. The guards had moved us into the cafeteria of the prison, which was upstairs in the fluorescent grey halls. The cafeteria was a bunch of tables and was dimmed because of malfunctions with the lighting. The food was in the kitchen at the end of the room and had one alien cook who was serving green slop with eyeballs. I went to the kitchen and grabbed a tray and the other prisoners did too. Byne was behind me. We ordered in a line as we presented our trays in front of the alien cook. A green squid lady with a mask on her mouth.


    I looked at the food and gagged at it.


    “This is the food we eat, Proxima.” says Byne. “Hope you like green eyes because that’s all you will eat for the rest of your life. I suggest extra. You will need the energy.”


    The cook was persistent as she scooped some of the food and attempted to put it on my tray. I removed my tray and she dropped it on the floor. All of the prisoners groaned.


    “Sorry. I’m not hungry.” I said. I left the line and sat down at the table that was farthest from the creepy cook. Byne came over to me and sat down next to me, his tray full of that disgusting, stinky slop.


    “Why did you back out?” he asks.


    “I’m not eating that crap.” I said.


    “Yeah. That’s how I was on the first day.” he replied. “What will you do?”


    “I’m going to sneak out of here.” I said. “And escape.”


    “Woah. Woah, killer. That will make you a galactic fugitive.” he said.


    “I didn’t kill anyone!” I yelled. “It was your stupid brother Klon.”


    “Klon?”


    “Yeah. He’s got the same scaly skin as you.”


    “Klon. Klon. Klon. Klon.” he said thinking. “I know him. We were friends.”


    “Whaaaaat?” I asked.


    He nodded as he took a scoop of the green goop.


    “Klon was a researcher on Scli. When Tuni came, he went back to Allitune with her to do research on life there.” said Byne.


    “Why is it that you know so much about my mom?”


    “Clearly you don’t. I will provide a distraction and I want you to go into the archives, just across from this room. There is a computer where you can research your mother.”


    “Wait what?” I asked. Byne collapsed into his tray, his face covered in the green eyeball goop and stuff. I knew what he was trying to do, so I played along with it.


    “Someone help. Byne isn’t waking up.” I said. Some medics came inside of the cafeteria and came over to him. I sneaked out of the cafeteria and entered the room just across from the cafeteria. The room was quiet and was an archive. It was white-walled and had a carpet flooring and was filled to the brim with books. There were logs and computers in the middle, so I walked towards a computer and turned it on. The computer display opened up and I went to the flies and searched for Queen Tuni. Byne had told me to search about her.


    I sat down for 5 minutes as I read articles about my mom. She was a true angel. She offered money and assistance to any planet in need such as Scli. She always discussed conflicts and solved them with peace. She managed to run one of the biggest IL planets in the galaxy on her own. It turns out the other kings and queens before her had advisors and other people to help with decisions. As I read, I came across an article about my framing. I just looked back at my mother and began to tear up. I wiped my tears away.


    Ignoring my mom and being a useless daughter was one of the worst things I could have done and only now when she died, I truly understood what she was. I’ve made up my mind. If my mom was alive, she’d want me to take the crown back and save Allitune from Klon. I clenched my fist. I turned to see a man in a guard outfit reading a book in the back corner. He was an alien with long tentacle hair going down to his neck. He had blue hair and blue eyes. He looked up to see me staring at him. I turned around and went back to my research. The guard got up and started to walk towards me. He put his hand on my shoulder and I turned around.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    “Hey cupcake.” he said. I grabbed him and pushed him into the bookshelves. She crashed into the shelves.


    “Ow.” he said. “What was that for?”


    “You''re a guard.” I said. “You will report me, right?”


    “I don’t have to report you if I don’t want to.” The guard said. “Why are you here?”


    “I wanted to use the computers here, to research.” I said.


    “I can log in if you want.” he said, his face filled with blush. Who was this creep anyways? He sat down and logged in and then got up to let me sit down to research.


    “Thanks.” I said. The guard just smiled as he walked away. He went to sit down in his corner and began to read again. I began to research and then a sound struck me in the ear.


    “Meow.”


    I turned to my right and a cat was in my face. I jumped and fell out of my chair.  The cat was a black cat with a bright lunar eye and an eye patch. It was walking on the table on four legs towards me and then the unthinkable.


    “You allergic to cats?” it asks.


    I’m not joking. The cat TALKS.


    “No.” I said. “I just wasn’t expecting to see a talking cat. Where did you come from anyway?”


    “Jakob brought me here so that I could get some new scenery..”


    “Jakob?” I said. The cat nods.


    “He is the guard, a friend of mine. I’m Linc. But, he’s always invested in his books.”


    “Okay.” I said.


    “Do you know the warden?” asks Linc.


    “I spoke with her when I was admitted here.” I said.


    “She isn’t a good person. She forces us to work and get injured throughout the work. She works us like slaves.”


    “Isn’t that a valid punishment?” I asked.


    “No.” said Linc. He walked over to me.


    “In this prison, those who don’t comply with the working in this prison are tortured and some are even hanged.” he said.


    “That’s.. inhumane. Even for a criminal.” I replied. I went back to my computer and Linc jumped on my shoulder.


    “You know. You aren’t supposed to be here right now.” he said.


    “I know.”


    “They could hang or torture you if you don’t comply.” he said. I researched Byne on the computer and found articles about him killing the new leader of Scli. He was caught holding the corpse in his arms. He was then taken and brought here to Morvit. Byne had done some horrible things. It was the gang who told him to do it, according to him. Byne said he did it so he could protect his family. This made me remember when my mom tackled Klon out the window in her final moments to protect me. I looked at the wound on my arm to remember.


    “Byne.” said Linc. “Why are you researching him?”


    “Because I want him as my ally”


    “Because you were both killers?”


    “I didn’t kill my mother.” I said in a serious tone.


    “Whatever.” said Linc. “We need to head back to the cafeteria or else we could get in trouble.”


    I had a future vision. There were four guards running into the room. I blinked and it vanished. The door was closed and likely guards were going to come. I immediately grabbed Linc and slid behind the bookshelves. I tapped Jakob.


    “What’s happening?” he asks.


    “Guards.” I said. “I don’t want to get caught. Just follow me and Linc.”


    “Alright,” he said. Jakob came with us as he hid behind the shelves.


    “Why are we here?” Linc asks. I looked at the computer and noticed I had forgotten to turn it off. I am such an IDIOT! The four guards barged into the room and looked around for people. They did a quick check and didn’t go to the back corner where we were hidden.


    “No one is here.” said one of the guards. The four guards walked out of the room and we sigh.


    “That was close,” said Linc. “How did you know they were going to come?”


    “I can see into the future.” I said.


    “See into the future?” Jakob asked.


    “With my eyes.” I said.


    “Damn. More frosting to the cupcake.” he said looking at me. Linc immediately took out his claws and scratched him in the face as he collapsed to the ground. I look really confused and then I sigh. He drops his book on the floor and I crawl over and hand him the book back. Jakob eventually awoke and the three of us snuck out of the archives and slipped back into the cafeteria. Linc and Jakob followed me as I walked back to my table with Byne. He had been tapping his fingers on the table as his plate was empty. When he saw me with Jakob and Linc, he stammered and then grabbed my ear.


    “Can we talk privately?” he asks.


    “Yeah sure.” I said. He dragged me a couple of metres away from Jakob and Linc.


    “Those are the weirdos,” said Byne. “Jakob the weird guard, who just simps and reads and Linc is the warden’s cat.”


    “That sounds like them. Jakob really likes me, you know.” I said.


    “Of course he does,” said Byne.  “Did you read about your mom?”


    I nod.


    “She was amazing.” I said. “She solved problems across the galaxy with her kindness and away from violence and she was able to put a smile on the whole galaxy’s faces. That’s what I want to be. I want to be just like my mom. If not, better.”


    “That’s great,” he said. “Proxima, I don’t think you killed your mom and I believe you. I can just sense your determination with this goal.”


    “That’s why..” I said. “I want you to help me achieve it.”


    “I don’t know,” he said.


    “I read about you. The assassin who murdered the newly elected leader of Scli.” I said. “You probably have some amazing combat skills, which is why.”


    I put my right arm in front of me and clenched my fist.


    “I want you to train me and turn me into the second coming of Tuni.” I said. Linc and Jakob came over as they saw me speaking to Byne as we were friends. They obviously knew what Byne had done and therefore were shocked.


    “Are you sure?” he asks.


    “Yeah.” I said. “It’s the only way I will grow.”


    “Very well,” said Byne. “When do you want to start?”


    “After this.”


    “During factory hours?” he asks.


    “Leaving during the cafeteria time isn’t allowed either.” says Linc. “Proxima’s confidence boost is something I’ve never seen. I want to watch you two. Jakob?”


    Jakob was reading his book at the table. He turned to us and then realised he should have said something.


    “Uh.” said Jakob. “I’d love to watch your training.”


    …