Chapter 16: 14 | terror; a fear of women

[the man feared the slightest of a touch]

——xxx——

The introduction to a new Story with unclear objectives put everybody into a sorry state, worried about their lives. At least, they were trying to feel sorrowful and worried, especially in the face of an unappetizing meal and a somber atmosphere.

However, dead-set in the middle of the dirty, yellowed tables, a single man (elegantly?) ate his food as if he were fine dining, not a glimmer of hesitation on his face.

The cloudy soup that was more water than substance? 

Devoured.

The suspicious mashed potatoes with flecks of what seemed to be corn? 

Consumed.

He'd even found a napkin from somewhere, and currently wiped at his lips, blinking calmly. If it weren't from the chains that entangled his limbs, and the guard that sat right beside him, holding onto the end of the chains with a lazy stare, they would've assumed him to be another NPC.

When Nora entered the cafeteria, with Rome hesitantly by her side, that was the sight she witnessed. Following the strange gazes of all the prisoners, she settled on the person she was looking for.

For a second, she faltered, before laughing lightly to herself and walking over.

Lucas glanced up. "You're here."

"Mn, our cells were somewhat far away so it took a moment longer to get here. Thankfully, Rome and I are peacefully seated next to each other—quite lucky, isn't it?"

"It is."

He glanced over her appearance, but didn't notice anything notable. She'd too have to figure out the crime that her character committed.

Actually, he wondered who received his brother's role. Kane's character and crime was a two person one, though the second party died by the end because he couldn't figure out the truth behind the crime.

They back-stabbed and tried to sabotage Kane when he offered his hand, so he didn't hesitate to leave them in the dark.

If Lucas remembered correctly, it should be a crime of theft. A serious robbery of a national treasure that belonged to the Queen. Then again, the Queen described in this Story was likely different from the one he knew.

In this situation, Kane was quite lucky. The true criminal was in fact, hiding within the characters to keep an eye on him, entering inside the jail with a lesser crime that wasn't fated for execution.

As he muddled over his thoughts, the faint scent of roses permeated his nose, floating around him. He glanced back, only seeing long, silky stands of rich gold drift past his gaze, connecting to a proud woman walking without looking back.

Elias' eyes wandered over and he raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Sylvia."

Lucas turned his head. "You know her?"

"By name only. She's the partner of one of my acquaintances."

"Acquaintances?"

A strange look crossed over his expression, somewhat akin to disgust and helplessness. "Something like that. Why, are you curious about me?"

Lucas, after obtaining an answer, resolutely ignored him. Elias faked a look of offense, and Nora laughed. Rome, cautiously eying the suspicious man, shuffled closer in his seat to Lucas, as if to protect him.

Lucas lowered his voice, explaining the rules to Nora and Rome, with a certain somebody listening at the side with eager ears.

"This Story is likely to involve a lot more death, and ugly sights." warned the man , empathizing his words. He had no use for weak-stomached people, and wouldn't look after them. But, at the very least, he was willing to give them a warning. "But, if you want to survive, you can't look away from it."

"I can handle it." A soft, firm voice was the first to answer him, resolution swirling in the young boy's dark green stare.

In fact, this was harshest to children who were forced to grow up too young. They were weak, easily frightened and at an age where their emotions could be the death of them.

That's why, even if it was harsh, Lucas directly gazed at the child without a hint of sympathy. "I won't save you if you get into a mess. You can't rely on me, understood?"

The moment Rome became dependent on him, would be the moment any opportunity for improvement ceased to exist. Regardless, the man wasn't a kind or gentle person. He couldn't be a saviour, or an icon.

His priority was, and always would be, Kane Silvius.

"Understood!"

A bright smile bloomed onto the soft features of his face, and Lucas felt a little perplexed. Although it wasn't as if the boy had to cry, was innocently smiling as if he'd been given a castle filled with candy the right reaction?

He felt probing stares surrounding him, no doubt trying to figure out how to take advantage of the boy. After all, children were the easiest targets to trick and mold.

Lucas patted the child on the head, before grabbing his tray to stand up. He turned slowly, with a casual pace, carelessly lifting his clear, cloudy eyes with a slight angle of his chin—a warning, and a promise.

Quickly picking out the specific people with terrible intentions clearly displayed, he nodded to them quietly and allowed the whisper of a smile to tilt on his face.

If they dared to harm somebody he brought in... well, he'd be in for a fun little game. His muscles were sore from the lack of fighting anyway, so it wouldn't be a big deal.

Those who met his gaze flinched, and hastily turned away, pretending that they were doing anything else.

Lucas finished placing the tray on top of the counter, and walked back over to sit down. Elias, having watched the whole scene, looked at him in amusement.

"Having fun, darling?"

Lucas leaned against the table dismissively. "Tons."

The next tasks for the rest of the day were simple, and not worth noting. Menial tasks such as weeding the bristled field outside, underneath the moody skies, or cleaning restrooms with flimsy pieces of ragged cloth.

It's evident that the guards were purposely trying to make the prisoner's lives harder, and he wondered if the true danger wasn't their execution, but the imbalance in power in this Story.

Soul Stories were based off the real history of those long passed. This corruption and false accusation was something that had happened before, except the real person had died without anybody knowing their truth.

The strangest person was Sylvia—her beautiful looks attracting much attention, despite her icy demure. Yet, she weaved between conversation and listened carefully to the slightest of sounds.

As if she were searching for something.

He narrowed his eyes, making a mental note to keep an eye on her. Many of the significant characters of the story couldn't be easily determined, hiding their true names under hidden identities that he'd yet to uncover.

Only when they made a move, could he discover who they truly were. Enemies, or allies.

In the middle of weeding, with a scarce pile beside him as he lazily plucked at the ground, Rome ran up to him. He glanced sideways, taking a large swallow of air before squatting to join him in picking the grass enthusiastically.

"What's up?" asked Lucas in a relaxed manner. He doubted the boy approached him for nothing.

In fact, Rome did run over simply to help the man pick some weeds, but that wasn't his only reason. He once again darted his eyes around and whispered, "I think somebody is watching me."

"Watching you?"

"I... I feel a stare on me. If that makes sense?"

Lucas assumed it was from those looking to take advantage of the boy, but he'd politely warned them earlier, so he it wasn't likely. He had a feeling that there was something more to it.

To begin with, it was a wonder if the 'somebody' was actually a 'something'.

Kane's role had something similar... perhaps the boy had fallen into the same one? Although who would his partner be—Nora? Lucas needed to observe a little longer first.

"Don't pay it any attention, but don't let yourself be alone at any time."

The boy nodded obediently, and silently continued to add to the rapidly increasing pile.

Lucas picked one up randomly, raising it into the sky in a daze. The little weed had prickly edges that itched at his skin, arrogant before being plucked. An annoying thing. He turned it around until it stood proudly next to a certain guard.

Elias raised his eyebrow, smiling lazily. "What?"

"It's pretty similar."

"What is?"

Instead of responding, Lucas nodded to himself and tossed the weed back into the pile, leaving the other staring at him oddly with confusion over his face.

Elias glanced down at the pile, coming up with a few conclusions in his mind. All of them were... offensive? No, there was no way he'd be compared to with a weed. He quickly dismissed that thought.

Later, in the evening after another disgusting meal that happily sat in the pits of Lucas' stomach, he wandered near the medical room. All the files on the cases were likely in there, as well as personal information for each of the prisoners.

His character's name was Andrew, discovered after one of the nicer guards referred to him by name. 

Most of them simply shouted, 'hey you', or other degrading words.

He rattled on the doorknob, but it didn't budge. There were no windows to break into, only a solid white door that indented a section of the wall, almost blending in. The light above him flickered ominously, casting a dim glare over the outstretched hallway.

"Lucas?"

He jerked his head back, startled, only to meet Nora's questioning gaze. "Are you trying to enter the medical room?"

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"There should be files about our crimes in there."

She paused, nodding in agreement. "Actually, I wanted to tell you something. I think I have a vague idea of my crime, and the method of finding the real criminal."

"What is it?"

Nora slowly turned her head up, pointing at the ceiling. Lucas frowned before he followed her line of sight, jolting.

A condensed figure that seemed to be made of some kind of coagulated substance, plastered over with long limbs and a dangling head. Two concaved holes made for its eyes, which stared off in the corners.

'Too damn creepy.' thought Lucas immediately, repulsed.

"I noticed it appearing in the corners, or its eyes popping up in the gaps under my bed or through narrow slits between doors. After I noticed it, it started to appear when I'm alone or with very few people."

Imagining the empty sockets peeking through the cracks of open doors when nobody else around... it was an unpleasant thought for anybody.

Nora smiled, but her gaze kept flickering up. No doubt, the woman was terrified when first witnessing the gruesome creature, but attempted to keep calm.

"I think that thing is the ghost of my character. The one that already died."

"Does it have any ill intent?"

She shook her head. "I don't think so, I've been keeping an eye on it for a while. I believe everybody has one, though its likely their ghost only appears for them. It always seems to be staring at somebody, and at random times it starts to shake and tremble, letting out a screeching noise only I can hear."

Lucas narrowed his eyes, lowering his head in thought. "Is it staring at the real criminal?"

"I assume that to be the case." nodded the woman uncertainly, lips pursed in thought. The peculiar creature stalked her, but showed no signs of wanting to harm her.

"When it starts to shake, try to find out the target. Once you have a few suspicions, pull them aside and check the ghost's reaction."

"Mn, I'll do that then."

As they spoke, Lucas heard the soft tap of heels clattering down the hallway. Prisoners weren't meant to be in this area, though the guards often slacked off. The issue was, getting caught meant punishment that would peel back your skin and leave you crying.

He had full faith in his sharp senses, excluding his eyes that often blurred or saw vague images at random.

It wasn't long before the footsteps drew near, just around the corner.

Click. Click. Click.

Nora widened her eyes, and Lucas glanced around, observant and sharp. A place to hide.

It didn't exist.

However, his gaze landed on a set of three bins—compost, garbage, and recycling that sat along the side. He'd seen them in several other places, likely to promote recycling habits in prisoners or whatever nonsense they wanted.

Regardless, there was nowhere else. He grabbed Nora's wrist and dragged her into the middle bin, realizing that the center was empty. Making sure the door shut softly, he pried open the furthest left bin, and crouched inside.

Except for the gap at the top to slide garbage through, there was no way to see inside.

He held his breath, and heard the restrained breathing of the woman beside him, separated by a thin barrier. The sound of heels stopped right outside the medical room.

He could vaguely make out a prison uniform from peeking through the slit that quietly twisted to face him.

Click, click.

They were approaching the bins.

Not even a swallow, or a wisp of air left his burning chest. A low hum, a melody or a lullaby of some sorts trickled in the air before them.

Complete silence.

He pressed his hand against the barrier, feeling a slight tremor. Nora was shaking in the bin next to him, hands wrapped around her mouth desperately as she stared up with fearful eyes.

The woman furrowed her straight brows, trying to chase away the fear. But it couldn't be helped.

She didn't want to die.

A stone weighed down her chest, and she struggled to breath as the air grew chilly. Nora curled her nails in, digging into her shaking palm as she continued to peer out of the slit.

She would absolutely not fall, as long as this stupid game continued to play.

Unfortunately, a human's breath could be held for only so long. With a red face, the sliver of a choked breath melted with the stagnant air, so quiet it normally wouldn't have been heard.

In this moment, it became the loudest and most terrible sound.

The humming stopped, and the faint giggles of a woman replaced it. "Well, well. Do we have some adorable rats hiding here?"

Lucas saw the body turn, growing increasingly closer as it approached the section Nora curled up in. Cursing in his mind, he let out a short, abrupt cough.

The body froze.

Nora's shaking stopped, and somehow, Lucas felt as if he could feel her horrified stare from across the wall.

Bam—!

Bulging eyes, and gathered skin pressed against the slit, peering at Lucas with laughing thrill. He almost thought the eyes would pop right out of their sockets, considering how they squeezed through the narrow gap.

Sharpened fingers crept into the sides, and Lucas shuffled back as he scowled.

The door was flung open on its hinges, tossed far away.

"If it isn't you?"

He felt his body jerked out of the small space, bones protesting at the sudden pain that jolted along his limbs. The woman cackled at his appearance, tossing him to the floor roughly.

"There's a wonderful reason we keep those bins empty." said the guard, circling him with a joyful grin.

Lucas lifted his head calmly. "You don't like to recycle?"

"That's a lovely guess!"

"....."

An empty smile rested on her ghost pale lips before she lunged forward with wide eyes, nails digging into his flesh. An abnormal amount of strength. Lucas wasn't weak, but if this was the basic strength of these creatures, then he wouldn't survive.

He felt the jagged edges pressing further, breaking through his skin as blood ran down silently, coating the indifferent face in a startling red.

He sighed in his heart. Nora would likely jump out soon, considering her self-sacrificial and justice-seeking personality. That would only further add to the trouble, and honestly, be a waste.

However, he couldn't get sent to the punishment room before finding the medicine Kane had obtained in order to survive the torture.

He also couldn't die at this moment.

While he was thinking, the smile twisted into a frown on the guard's face as she pushed it closer to his, peering at him. "Are you no longer scared?"

Lucas wrinkled his nose at her breath fanning his face, vaguely catching hints of garlic. "...terrified."

The word spoken with a bland expression didn't make the woman at ease. "Have we been too easy on you? Did you take drugs?"

"What?"

"What's the matter, have you overcome your fear of woman so quickly?" muttered the guard under her breath with a scowl. Do you need to get psychological treatment?"

He paused. Was the character he had a victim of women? If it was expected for him to have a more adverse or fearful reaction, perhaps abuse from a mother figure? Or a wife?

It was helpful information to note down.

She dragged her nail down, breaking through more skin as she did, evidently irritated by the lack of reaction. The blood was pooling fast, but he couldn't break free of her grip.

For a second, as she tilted his chin up, he thought he saw her eyes fill with black, as if ink had been emptied into the whites. Her red lips parted to reveal rows and rows of crooked yellow teeth.

"You look so very delicious."

An exceedingly uncomfortable appearance.

Then, a scream tore through the tension and she flinched, twisting her neck around impatiently.

She dropped him, standing up before casting a last, reluctant glance at Lucas before hurrying away.

When the sound of her footsteps disappeared, Nora rushed out.