Justice

With a gun in his hand, Riley steps towards the bed flipping Edok onto his back with the tip of his pistol. Edok clutches his shot arm with his unwounded hand, gasping for air as he fails to comprehend the current situation. A blood-covered Spark rises from his bed, dumbfounded to see Edok clinging to his life. Spark knew that Edok had a general resentment towards him, but wouldn't have expected him to try to take his life in cold blood. Exasperated, Spark dashed out of his room in an attempt to retrieve the Emperor and a guard to better understand the current situation. Riley grabs the pistol Edok planned to use to kill Spark and tosses it to the middle of the room, falling into the purple glow penetrating through the window. With a knee on Edok's chest, Riley waits for Spark to leave his room before returning his attention to the now disabled man bleeding out, fire in his eyes.

 "Confused? Wondering why I'm here? Please, do be. You have no idea how satisfying this is for me right now, but I must say that my thanks are in order; truly, I wouldn't be in this position right now if it weren't for you." 

Riley slowly places his pistol on Edok's forehead, in the same place where Edok had previously finished him off. Fighting the urge to lick his lips at this delicious opportunity presenting itself before him.

 "Oh my, do you know how much self-control it's taking me not to pull the trigger right now? I really wish I could, but I did make Austin a promise that if I found you trying to kill his son, he'd come and see you first, give you a piece of his mind and that stuff."  

Still, Edok fails to speak, fear clearly present in his eyes. He managed to figure out that Riley knows more than he's been letting on to, but every scenario he imagines is contrary to reality. Leaving a trail of blood on Spark's bed, he manages to prop himself on the headboard. In his mind, Edok knows that he's most likely going to be killed for treason, but that doesn't mean he needs to surrender his dignity and look like a fool. 

 "Riley... was it? Tell me, how did you know?" 

 "You always were that kind of guy, weren't you Edok?" Riley said, chuckling softly while shaking his head. "The guy to be like; oh, you're dying, so I might as well tell you my plan, or, I'm dying so tell me what your plan is. Here's the thing, this time I outsmarted you. But you're going to have a few questions to answer before I indulge you with the truth."

As if on cue, a couple of guards bust into the room as their shared dialogue comes to an end, followed by the Emperor and Spark hiding behind him. Riley holsters his pistol and steps down, off of Edok's chest. The two guards present yank Edok off the bed, throwing him down on his knees to continue bleeding at Austin's feet. Edok hung his head, unable to look at his friend in the eyes; ashamed, but without regret. Before Austin could think of something to say, wanting to see through Edok's eyes, he remembered what Riley had asked earlier that day. Curious as to how Riley might've seen an event like this come to pass before it happened. To Austin, that was a ridiculous question to ask at the time, but now he sees that such suspicions were valid. He also knew that he would have to give the order for Edok to be killed; he wouldn't be able to make an exception, but attempting to kill a member of the Imperial family carries a sentence of death to anyone who commits it.

Finally snapping out of his daze, Austin no longer saw Edok as his friend or aid; to him, he was now a criminal on trial who needed to be given a fair trial. 

 "Tell me everything, and tell me the truth. You of all people should know that no good will come from attempting to lie in this position."

With Spark and Riley both present to fact-check his story, Edok didn't dare to try to fib. In fact, Edok told the whole story, the same one that he'd told Riley before he killed him. Everything from him hating the Empire, to having those guards killed, to his plan to kill Spark. He even told them about his involvement with the New Light and how their forces actually were not running thin, and planning an ambush. Everyone except Riley was stunned when he mentioned that he was indeed part of the New Light, no one could imagine that someone as high-ranking as Edok could still find a way to be affiliated with the very people who were trying to take them down. 

When the Emperor had eventually heard enough from him, he silenced Edok with a single hand gesture. Edok was finally able to raise his head, look his old friend in the eyes, and say what would end up being his last words to him.

 "If you really knew who I was this whole time, you'd know that I'd be sorry for the way these things turned out, but if it all had to happen again, nothing would've changed." 

 "Please, this is all too personal for you guys, let me finish this." Riley stepped in, urging the Emperor to give him the duty of killing the traitor. At first, he seemed unconvinced, not seeing why Riley would want to be the one to kill Edok rather than one of the guards who'd accompanied him and Spark to Spark's room. The Emperor soon realized that he must have a personal reason for wanting to be the one to finish the job, and because someone would have to execute him anyway, he relented and gave Riley the job. Slowly, everyone except Riley and Edok filed out of the room, the two guards standing on the other side of the door, making sure the convicted received his sentence. 

 "Now that it's just the two of us, let me tell you a story," Riley began. "As you know, I, myself used to be a proper citizen of Jimat, but I wasn't who you'd think I am."

Without any need for formalities, Edok crawled to the foot of the bed, resting his back against the material. Riley followed him over, crouching down to his level inches away from his hip, once more removing his pistol from its holster.

 "Now I know this is going to sound crazy but you must believe me." Riley's tone deepened, proving how serious he was. "I used to be Spark. You killed me. The very same way you tried to kill Spark tonight. Last time, you succeeded because I wasn't there. Austin found me on that machine to be a perfect match to protect Spark and take down the New Light, because I was Spark. Twice now, you've taken everything from me, and now I finally have the chance to return the favor." 

Edok's eyes widened at this revelation, no wonder he knew that he'd try to kill Spark if he was Spark; but his shock was short-lived as a fiendish grin filled his face as he began to laugh.

 "Reincarnation is real! You proved it! You're walking into a death trap, going after the New Light now. A reincarnated soul is the last thing they need to achieve immortality, and you're just giving it to them!" 

Disturbed by Edok's shift in mood, Riley truly had enough of him. He lifted his pistol to the madman's forehead, trusting it at his skull as he cackled; taking a deep breath before pulling the trigger. Edok's body went limp and thudded against the floor, blood now spilling from three separate locations on his body. Riley stood up, looking down pitifully at Edok's corpse he wiped off a few drops of blood that splattered onto the barrel of his gun. He felt satisfied to have taken his revenge but it wasn't complete, he wouldn't have the satisfaction he desired until he reclaims his life for himself; knowing that it can't happen until he takes down the New Light. Regardless of his incomplete feelings of contentment, the job was over for tonight. Without turning back, he left the room and returned to the bedroom he'd been lent, tucking away his pistol before tucking himself into bed for the rest of the night. 

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The next morning, Riley woke up to a knock on his door. Getting out of bed, he found that someone had placed an Imperial uniform on a chair next to his bed; similar to his old casual wear, primarily black, gold hemmed and the Empire's crest on the back. He got dressed but made sure to grab his pistol, tucking it away in his uniform before answering the door. Opening the door, Riley was treated by a butler who informed him that he was being summoned by the Emperor to the bottom of the tower.

Looking out of the glass walls of the elevator on his way down, Riley was reminded of how gloomy Jimat could feel, especially in the morning. Jimat is haunted by a constant overcast of clouds, but the morning is the only time of day when just a little bit of sunlight can illuminate the underside of the clouds; even then, the vibrant colors from neon signs all over the city clash with any natural lighting as the sun alone isn't able to provide ample lighting to the city.

Making it to the bottom of the tower, he was greeted outside by the Emperor, Spark, and a squad of soldiers in front of an army truck. Riley noticed Spark looking determined, unsure if it was from Edok failing to kill him or Spark taking his bet with Riley seriously. The Emperor stepped forward with a pressing look on his face.

 "It's time."