Chapter 14: 12 | survivor; a pretty guard and a handsome prisoner

[I seek the answers to the unknown]

——— xxx ———

Wren trailed after Lucas, floating a few inches in the air after claiming it was more fun to flaunt her inhumane behaviour, than to pretend that she was the same as she'd always been.

For the most part, he ignored her endless chatter. Had he known of her talkative nature, he would've reconsidered the contract.

Unfortunately, he thought mournfully, it was too late for regrets.

In fact, Wren preferred to wander around and observe through her sneaky words, but after witnessing the vivid discomfort apparent in Lucas' expression, she racked up her talkative nature.

"You know, if I squint, you're not so ugly. I think your fashion is a little emo—I mean, an elegant emo, if you know what I mean."

"....."

"Not to mention, not talking? Being silent? The utter lack of social skills? I'm observing a late emo phase, or maybe just a permanent one. Nothing wrong with that."

Then she paused, narrowing her eyes with an exaggerated frown. "You're pretty good at talking with tricking people or getting what you want though... you know what they call that? Absolute scum."

Lucas glanced at her lazily, continuing down into the darkness. "You're noisy. I don't talk to things I dislike. It's a waste of time."

"...wow, really? I talk to things I dislike. Aren't we different?"

"Our feelings are the same."

"Right."

Seeing Lucas' sharp and bland responses, she eventually fell silent until they left the space. Nora and Rome, as promised, waited anxiously outside and rushed over when he exited.

"Is everything alright, Lucas?"

"M-mister, are you okay?"

Wren laughed out loud, rolling her eyes. "So dramatic. I'm not a blood-thirsty monster, y'know? We just had a little talk."

The boy peered at her suspiciously, putting on a brave face. "You look dangerous and scary."

"Little boy," she grinned a malicious sort of grin, revealing her two sharpened teeth and chilling eyes. "I can show you what scary really is."

He revealed the least childlike expression possible, staring at her squarely in the eye. "Do it." Then he stuck out a pink tongue quickly for good measure.

When Wren responded to the immature action in the same manner, Lucas sighed wearily.

Was it really too late to turn back time?

Nora smiled softly in the seat, no doubt reminded of a faded past during her youth. Her brother's image continued to haunt the woman's mind, even after such a long time had passed. "Where to now, Lucas?"

Clicking the seatbelt into place, he turned to glance back at Wren. "Who will take over the store? I intended to buy a few more items later."

"Oh, yeah." At some point, she started chewing a piece of gum and loudly popped a pale purple bubble. "I didn't really own that store, the real person went on an adventure somewhere, so I kindly looked after it."

Lucas sent his silent prayers to the poor monster that was bested by an even scarier creature. They couldn't be killed easily at least, and would likely find its way back to the store.

She smiled, understanding his thoughts before her fingers waved across the air, three braided bracelets hanging loosely.

"The deal was that I could do what I wanted."

"I'm not asking you for anything."

The woman stretched out a hand to Nora, waiting. "Here, given me your hand."

Nora looked down carefully before nodding and obediently stretching out a slender wrist, allowing the other to tie the bracelet around tightly, giving a slight tug to make sure it didn't come off.

"I stole a few items, nothing much. This can protect you from one fatal strike, that's all. Don't lose it."

When she finished, Lucas handed her his arm before she even asked for it. Instead of tying the bracelet, she scowled a little disgustedly. "What're you doing?"

"Tie it."

"I only tie it on beautiful people."

A small laugh came from the driver's seat, but Lucas remained unfazed, offering an irritating slight of his chin as his pale eyes reflected the sun's dimming light. "Aren't I beautiful?"

"....." Suddenly struck speechless by the confident words, the joker wordlessly wrapped the bracelet around and stared out the window with a blank expression.

Rome quietly took the remaining bracelet, avoiding any melodramatic play, as he slipped it over his wrist.

Lucas didn't care, taking back his arm and giving it a tug for measure. Whether his appearance was good or bad, as long as his objective was successfully obtained, then he could say whatever shameless words as needed.

A true talent, really, to say things that would leave another drowning in embarrassment, flushed from head to toe.

The worst thing of it all was that Lucas truly possessed a simplistic sort of beauty that was more intimidating than charming, and blended in with the shadows rather than blinding people in its brilliance.

Wren seethed in the backseat, promising to disfigure that ugly face in the future if she had the chance.

"I need to go to Washington." stated the man, slumping back into the soft confines of leather, resting his eyes. "If you want to go with me, we can go together."

He didn't plan on playing babysitter for long, or helping them more than necessary. Lucas wasn't a good person, not kind nor sweet, filled with nothing but his own selfishness that he'd indulged in.

Well aware of the growing reliance they had on him, he could only offer them a choice. To trail behind him and ignore the direction they wanted to go, or leave on their own and allow fate to decide their final destination.

Death awaited them all. It was only a matter of when and where.

Nora smiled. "Washington it is then, I suppose. I have nowhere better to go."

"I'll follow you, mister!" The boy said eagerly, without hesitation.

Wren continued to sulk in the back—did she have much of a choice, when their souls were already tied by a piece of paper until death?

The man said nothing in response to the joyous replies, opting to close both his mind and eyes to the world as the car rumbled to a start, cruising down the uneven road.

On the way to Washington, there was a particular Story that opened, right on the main highway. He'd enter it in order to gain a rare weapon—duel fans that had the ability akin to a gun, only with more power. When they were opened, they could serve as a protective shield that could deflect all matters.

If he was to save Kane, he'd have to become an existence that rivaled the Kings.

The issue with his boss, Elias, scratched at the corners of his thoughts annoyingly, at a constant pace. Would that man really lose? Of course, he fully believed his brother had the ability to become the strongest human on the planet.

Even so. Something didn't settle with him, and his instincts screamed out a warning.

Right now, if the novel followed the same scene, Kane should be in a hospital, taking care of dozens of ill youths. Only, it was never specified where, because Lucas was too lazy to decide a proper location.

There would be a mass tragedy that occurred when a Story opened up underneath their hospital, stealing the lives of many children.

Forever the Beauty Sleeps—better known as Sleeping Beauty.

At the dead of the night, the children would be lured away into the tale. The difference between this Story was that it didn't drag in a person's physical body, but instead their spiritual self.

However, when the Story concluded, the body would be inflicted with the same wounds as the spiritual one had been.

If they died in the Story, their body would fall into eternal sleep. If they fell and bled to death, blood would gush from their orifices and pool onto the ground until they died.

Kane witnessed more death in that week than in his entire life.

Lucas' hand curled against the fabric of his jacket, eyebrows furrowed and protesting at the future. His brother didn't deserve such a fate, and he'd do anything to stop it. At whatever cost.

The cracks of his eyelids peeked open to gaze at the moving world, and he sighed softly. The contract with Wren could cost him everything, but perhaps more than one deal would have to be made.

While he was dozing, the car jerked to a stop as Nora slammed onto the brakes, gasping.

Lucas snapped his eyes open and immediately shoved the door open. "Get out! Right now!"

Everybody jolted at his crashing words and scrambled to pry open their doors, stumbling onto the streets. Only, instead of scratching gravel, their feet tore through fine paper.

White folded into the sky until it was surrounding them entirely, concaved over their heads at a towering height.

And then they were falling.

Lucas cursed under his breath and lunged out to wrap the fragile boy into his arms, protecting him from the slices of paper that cut through their skin, determined to bring them pain.

The car crashed first into a vacant road, splitting into various chunks that shot across the air. No doubt, had they remained in the car, they'd have met the same fate in that enclosed space.

Instead, they slammed into the ground, groaning.

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"Shit... I did not sign up for this." muttered Wren grouchily, rolling on her pained back. 

Lucas gritted his teeth at the faint, throbbing pulses against his bones. He couldn't move, before grumpily realizing that a child was plastered to his back like glue, having fallen out of his embrace at some point during the fall.

It didn't take Rome long to hurry off after realizing that the sturdy bed underneath him was in fact breathing, and also rather frightening when made angry.

"Where... where are we, mister?"

Lucas opened his mouth to respond, but just as he stood up and recovered from the dizziness that plagued his vision in the form of black spots, a stiff piece of metal clicked around his wrists.

"You're under arrest, Lucas Silvius!"

A similar scene occurred with both Nora and Rome, as they widened their eyes in surprise and confusion before being tugged away into a barred police vehicle. Wren, perhaps because of her special identity, was overlooked and ignored.

"Stay calm." mouthed Lucas, watching the panic slowly settle into his companions' face. There was nothing they could do but allow themselves to be whisked away into a cell. "Don't resist."

Prisoners that disobeyed or lashed out would probably receive punishment. As for the punishment in a Story like this? 

One could leave it to their disturbing imagination.

Wren waved from the ground, legs crossed and bemused—her connection with him would likely allow her to move as she pleased. Technically, her true existence wasn't a solid manifestation, so it wouldn't be difficult for her to follow him in.

Before he could get another word in, a sharp hit pierced his neck and his vision sprinkled with spots, before darkness completely consumed.

The particular stench of sweat and sorrow trailed past his nose, face pressed against the chill of the lonely cell floors. His eyes slowly cracked open, a peek at a time, as he took in the pitch that made him wonder if he was still dreaming.

That would be wrong though; Lucas didn't dream.

He groaned, complaining in his mind that they couldn't have at least tossed him onto the bed at the side. The more he thought about it, however, the more relaxing the floor felt.

There was no rush... maybe he could take a brief nap?

He leisurely raised his eyes, tugging at the cold metal that wrapped around his thin wrists. The action looked calm and restrained, but the tremble of the wall and the loud clattering of metal revealed the amount of strength contained in every tug.

After determining that his hands were properly locked up, he frowned and scanned the scene.

The pitch, dusty floors felt especially disgusting against his bare feet, splayed across the ground. Perhaps there were rats scampering around in the corners of the darkness. He thought it was better not to wonder about that.

He couldn't predict what Story he was in. The situation is too vague, and he can't make out enough details to reach a conclusion.

Was this one of Kane’s Stories? If so, which one could it be? It would be too risky to make an assumption without being certain.

Should he just scream and shout for help?

It wasn't a bad idea. At least, it'd attract the attention of the guards or whoever was loitering around. Thinking that, the pale man opened his mouth with steady calmness and said,

"Help."

His voice was loud and very unlike a victim calling for help.

"Help. He-lp."

He called out a few more times indifferently before abruptly doubling over and groaning loudly in pain. His chains banged against the wall as his groans increased, and trickles of sweat dripped down his forehead.

Face plastered against the floor pitifully, he thought, 'This prison has terrible service.'

Narrowing his eyes as the sound of footsteps appear around the corner, he kicked the bars loudly and cried out.

The minute a shadow appeared before him, he leaped up and shoved the chains that connected his hands into the air as it slammed against the person's neck, dragging them down in a painful choke.

He heard a groan as he yanked the person against the bars, tugging at the metal chain on his leg that prevented him from going further.

He had the other under his control, neck tightly wrapped in a collar of chains.

Then he heard a muffled laugh. Lucas' eyes immediately dimmed.

"So provocative, darling." muttered the man, hot breath against his face. "I didn't know you wanted me so badly."

Lucas scowled. "What are you doing here?"

"Flirting with you, of course."

"Elias." growled Lucas in warning.

"Lucas." replied Elias in amusement.

"Stop playing around."

"I'm quite serious about you."

The back-and-forth exchange continued, and Elias's grin continued to grow the more Lucas' eyebrows furrowed. Finally, the latter released the chain and turned around, sitting back on the floor lazily.

He leaned his head back as he gazed arrogantly at Elias, as if waiting for the other to respond or tell him about the situation. Like a little confident cat, strolling around as if they owned the place.

Well, a big cat in this case.

A big cat that was especially cold and elegant, and wandering around with lost eyes, as if, despite owning the world, they had nowhere to go.

Elias rubbed his neck, feeling the faint throb where the metal had been. Really, that cat hadn't held back at all, even after finding his identity.

"I still haven't determined the identity of the story." said Elias as he leaned against the bars with an arm, lowering his eyes. "You're clearly a prisoner, a good-looking one at that. And I'm likely a guard, an especially good-looking one. A handsome prisoner and their guard. Isn't that romantic?

Lucas ignored all irrelevant words. "A story with a prisoner and a guard? Is this another Soul Story?"

"Possibly. It would make sense, but we shouldn't cross out the other possibilities. There must be an objective somewhere, and we only need to find it. Once we find that, we can determine what this is."

Lucas raised his hands, displaying the thoroughly wrapped metal. "Do you have a method for this?"

"I think it looks rather good on you."

"...A. Method. Now."

Elias shrugged carelessly, the sort of man that made one instinctively want to swing their fist. Perhaps it was a good thing that Lucas never met this boss of his earlier, or there would've undoubtedly been a scuffle.

"Once your role is set, I don't think there's anything to do but follow it obediently. Do you have any ideas what's going on?"

Upon realizing that Lucas was staring at him wordlessly, he let out a breath of a laugh and leaned against the bars. "Admiring my good looks?"

"My ring. Where is it?"

Of course, when Elias had snatched away the ring as pretty vengeance, neither parties expected to meet again so soon, nor so suddenly. 

Thinking this, Elias shook his head with a false look of pity stretched across handsome features that were constantly mocking. "Unfortunately, I left it back in my office."

"If you're lying, I'll have your head."

"Fell free to take it, anytime."

Lucas scowled, tired and speechless at the other's nonsense. "Return my ring to me, and I can tell you what I know. I might be able to figure out the rules of this Story as long as I confirm a few things."

"Such as?"

"The ring."

He lifted his sleepy gaze expectedly, and Elias smiled. "I really don't have it. How about this? I'll help you survive through this Story, and also give you back your precious ring in reality. In turn, you'll tell me what you know."

In other words, the man was blatantly asking Lucas to put his trust that the other would follow through with his promise.

Lucas glared at him before tugging at the chains with a frown burrowed into his skin. Seeming to have given up, he restlessly made his ways to the bars where Elias watched him patiently. He stopped inches away from the cool metal, leisure in his stance.

"I refuse."

Elias didn't back away. "Why?"

"I'll survive this Story, and get my ring back with or without your agreement." His eyes darted sideways to the endless hallway behind, and the flickering light that created an eerie atmosphere above them.

To confirm whether this truly was the deadly prison Story his brother had entered, he needed to see a certain prisoner.

The Punisher.

A creature even death couldn't dominate.

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