章 29: The Corridor
"Okay." Calder said as he waited for Rutley to let him know when it was okay for him to talk again. Rutley's grip on the knife slightly loosened and the madness that was slightly surfacing in his eyes disappeared. He quickly threw the knife away and started to heave. "She still in my head." Rutley said in between gasps.
Calder raised his hands and wrapped them around Rutley. He knew what happened to him and it wasn't his fault. The same voice that he heard his orders from was the same voice that whispered in his head. He remembered what happened before he completely blanked out. He remembered why he wasn't good with women and why he wanted to stay away from them but he didn't want to admit it. "Rutley, am I the real Calder?" He asked.
Rutley jumped back. Calder realized that he was actually pulled out from his desk and flipped onto his back. He slowly got up and dusted himself off. He looked over at Rutley and saw him squatted onto the floor, he had placed his hands over his ears and trembled uncontrollably. "Rutley." Calder started. "No! Don't talk!" Rutley shouted. Calder stopped talking and just watched Rutley's back.
"Ouroboros!" Rutley called out and a black cat jumped out of the shadows, It's one green eye shone with an ominous feeling. "Get him." He instructed. The cat jumped onto the couch and looked at Calder as he walked towards the door. Calder moved to open the door but the cat jumped into the air and dove right into Calder's shadow instead.
Calder was amazed that such a cat could exist in the novel. Then he hesitated, was this place really a novel? Too many things were deviating from the story. He thought he knew the book inside out but the characters were nothing like how Mei wrote them to be. Esai was cool and mischievous but in actual fact he was a very loving, caring, mischievous older brother while Rutley was an iron wall attendant and assassin employed by the royal family, even though he was biologically their cousin.
However the truth was Rutley was more human like then what was written. Even now, he looked so weak and vulnerable that he couldn't help but think this place was not the novel but an actual place. His home to be more exact. Suddenly Commander Wystan, Esai and Landis rushed into the room. Calder just looked at them curiously but Esai was the first to rush up to him and inspected him carefully.
Landis and Wystan rushed to Rutley. Wystan grabbed Rutley and Landis pulled out an a small bottle and needle. "Kill him!" Esai ordered as he grasped Calder's shoulder. "What?! Wait! Why?!" Calder shouted. He saw that Esai's eyes were locked on to a particular spot. He touched his face and looked at his finger tips. "It's not my blood!" Calder yelled. "I said kill him." Esai ordered. "No! He hurt himself so he could break out of THAT woman's control!" Calder shouted.
"THAT woman?" Wystan said, Esai paled. He loosened his grip and dropped his gaze. "Lock up Rutley and make sure he is properly secured. If anything happens to the Duke while he is here I will hold you personally responsible Commander." Esai said as he tried to compose himself. "Y-yes sire." Wystan said as Landis injected orange liquid into Rutley's arm. Rutley stopped shaking and went limp.
"What are you doing?" Calder asked Landis as he stepped around Esai. "Tranquilizer. It might not last long so Commander we must move now before the lad wakes up." Landis said. Wystan nodded his head and tossed Rutley over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "Wait, I don't understand what's going on." Calder said as everyone except for Esai left the room.
"Big brother?" Calder said as he placed a hand on Esai's shoulder but Esai shrugged it off. "I will give you to the end of our group outing. If you don't listen or answer my question Rutley will die." He said coolly as a foreign glare caught Calder's eyes. "Big brother?" Calder whispered. "Sunday is the last day of the coronation celebration. You have until Sunday night."
Esai said. He then turned and walked towards the door, He looked back and glared at Calder with a demonic look, his eyes started to glow an eerie purple as a a dark aura surrounded him. "Sunday night or I kill Rutley personally." He said before he left the room. "What is going on?" Calder said as he dropped to his knees. His hands were shaking as a cold sweat collected on his back.
"No I can't let things end like this." Calder said as he slowly got up from the floor. He then stumbled forward, finding out that his legs had gone weak. "Come on Calder." He encouraged himself as he pushed his body to rise. He finally got up and walked slowly to the door. He placed his hand on the door knob and he could hear his heart beat echoing in between his ears.
He opened the door and he could hear his brother's voice carrying down the hall. "Stand guard in front of his study. Do not let him out of your sight. He might want to visit the traitor. So under no circumstances will he meet him." Esai ordered. Calder quickly left his study and made his way towards the one place that no one would ever think to look for him.
He quickly and stealthy ran through the corridors, turning every second turn and running up a set of stairs until he reached what he was looking for. He slowly entered the hall of the royal family. He looked left and right, up and down until he reached the very end. The last portrait that hung on the wall was of Esai. He had it presented at his coronation and smaller ones were given to his most loyal subjects as gifts.
Calder looked back and didn't see what he was looking for. He turned around and still there was nothing. He tried to think hard but he couldn't remember, instead his head was starting to hurt. "Where is it?" Calder asked himself as he started his search again. "What is going on?!" He shouted as he punched the wall. He must have spent a good hour looking at every single portrait but he couldn't find the one he was looking for.
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