“Hello?”

“Hello.”

“Who are you?”

“That isn’t important.”

“Why am I here?”

“That isn’t important as well.”

“So what is important?”

“I wanted to ask you some questions, and then I will let you ask some.”

“Fine, as long as after, you ‘teleport’ or whatever you did to me back to Rowan.”

“Of course. My first question is, do you believe that you have free will?”

“Yes… I hope so at least?”

“Alright. What if I told you that you are a character in a story and an author created you?”

“Wouldn’t be the weirdest thing that’s happened to me.”

“Do you truly love Rowan?”

“Yes, of course!”

“Truly? It isn’t just some fake feeling that was created by someone else? You really love him?”

“Why are you asking me this?”

“You’ll have your turn to ask questions later.”

“Yes. I truly love Rowan more than anything!”

“If you could leave the villains, but still be with Rowan, would you?”

“…”

“Take your time, answer honestly.”

“No. I love Rowan, but I also love all the others. I enjoy being with them, I kind of enjoy the chaos of being a villain, it’s fun, and we don’t kill people unless it’s the only option. We’re not twisted or greedy, so who care if society labels us villains? I would never leave the villains.”

“One more. If you had to choose between saving the world, Rowan, or the villains, who would you choose?”

“………………….I’m not answering that…………………”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“Interesting. Ask me something now.”

“Who are you?”

“My name is Skye.”

“Where am I?”

“A dream like state. You are really asleep in the middle of the night, at the hideout.”

“How do you know so much about me?”

“Do you really want to know?”

“Answer my question.”

“I created you.”

“Cool, hi mom.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“I know.”

“I’m going to have to wipe your memories of this encounter.”

“I understand.”

“Goodbye.”

I open my eyes, and smile. I learned something important today. Gray is not supposed to not be able to answer the question, he’s supposed to answer ‘the world.’ I guess my characters do have free will. Knowing this somehow makes me extremely happy.