บท 18: Chapter 18: Friend or Foe

"You noticed me, didn't you"?

An almost silent whisper crept up behind Kilian.

It was the only sound in the room, and he could not place it as someone he knew.

"Yes," he replied, sitting still tightening his hand around his cane.

He was screwed, it was already countless times that he had let his guard down in this house. This time the atmosphere felt heavy, and he felt true fear as his whole body was quickly covered in a cold sweat.

"Well, I didn't expect a sight like this". The voice seemed amused, almost delighted.

"I will admit I made a mistake in waiting until you were done undressing, a very rare mistake if not the first time".

Black glove fingers slithered down over Kilian's left shoulder as the snake-like voice reached Kilian's ear, who sat on the bed looking forward as if in a trance, rooted to the spot.

"Can you let me go?". Kilian was not even sure why he asked.

Kilian could feel a heavy pressure that was slowly increasing from the hand on his skin, as if a force from the fingers, was keeping him in place, making it difficult to breathe.

He didn't want to beg, but there was no way he could draw his concealed weapon in this position.

"I would rather not have to kill someone as precious as you".

The voice sounded surprisingly sad as if he really did not want to anymore.

Kilian was tired of constantly having to fight to live, and anger started filling the pit in his stomach, pushing out the fear.

Kilian stumbled on his feet and looked around with his thin sword drawn in an instant.

The space was empty.

"I'm sorry little boy, but it won't be that easy, they paid a big sum of money to get me here, though I am happy to see such a treat as my prey".

There was a burst of crazy laughter, and in an instant, something launched at Kilian.

Something wrapped around Kilian's arms and waist, like several thin threads, tightening around his skin.

A force tugged at the strings, pulling him forward until he lost his balance and fell face down onto the floor.

"Oh my, I am sorry I forgot the Young Master wasn't supposed to be able to walk very well".

The laughter started again after the sentence, and there was still nothing to be seen in the room.

'Magic'.

Kilian's mind looked around in disbelief, trying to wiggle and move against the threads, only causing them to cut deeper into his skin, creating small lines of red to appear.

It was as if the darkness split in two, unfolding before Kilian and a tall man stepped into the room, holding the other end of the many threads that in his hand became just one thread.

"Oh my I don't mind you looking up at me like that… It is rather exciting".

Kilian angrily stared up at the man, unable to move his arms that were tied down along his sides, feeling the small pierces of pain whenever a thread cut through the skin when he moved.

"Who was it"?

Kilian simply asked, hoping to stall with a conversation, for some reason this man seemed interested in Kilian, or he would already have been dead.

"Does it really matter"?

The man bend down, and Kilian could finally see through the darkness as his face came closer.

It wasn't a face but a hard white mask with 2 small circular holes where a pair of grey eyes looked through, staring back down at Kilian.

"I guess it doesn't matter if I am dead, but if I don't die tonight, then you will tell me who it was".

"Making demands now, huh"

The white mask came down close to Kilian's face, and a long finger slowly poked his cheek.

"Then if you survive tonight, I might just add in an extra service".

It was as if Kilian could tell the face behind the mask was smiling big, and there was something sinister about the words. It almost felt like this man wanted Kilian to live, to put up a fight, or entertain him in some way.

Kilian held tightly onto the cane in his hand, the small part of the sword that he had pulled up earlier was slowly cutting through the threads and he felt how the tightness was lessening.

"You are breaking free already? It seems the rumors about you, not only being unable able to walk but also being unable to use and detect magic is also true".

Kilian panicked he had tried to stall to cut the threads without the man knowing, but had already been discovered, and was even waiting for it?

"You saying these threads are made with magic?"

The mask only swayed slightly in font of Kilian, and the whole body of the man felt like a predator ready to leap, but was currently completely still… waiting.

The mask came closer to Kilian's face, and Kilian could see his own breath create a small layer of dampness on the front of the smooth surface.

"I'll let you cut it. You see, it is so much more interesting to see hope leave someone".

The man took out a knife and in one fast swoop stabbed it down into Kilian's arm.

Kilian screamed out from the pain looking up at the annoying expressionless mask, knowing the inside was disturbed in some pleasurable grin.

"St..Stop". Kilian let out, seeing the swing of the knife, stabbing down into his other arm, the pain soaring through his body, making him dizzy.

He kept his eyes locked on the white mask, panting heavily while trying to endure the pain as he pulled at his thin sword.

A foot stepped on his hand, pressing down until he could hear the crack from his fingers, making him let out another scream.

'Why...why is no one coming!'

He was angry, why was everyone out to kill him.

He had just one thought in his mind. 'Stop'.

His eyes flashed turning a very pale blue, and a sudden invisible force flung the man straight across the room and up against the wall, holding him there, as if an invisible hand was holding his body up from the floor, pressing hard in on the body to keep it there.

Kilian coughed heavily and dragged himself to his feet, blood was streaming down his arms, leaving a trail of blood as he slowly walked across the room.

He had picked up the sword with his other hand and with a backhand slice, swung the thin blade across the face of the man, cutting the mask with a diagonal cut, making it break in two and fall to the floor.

A vomit-inducing sight was behind the mask, as the man had a young face but it was twisted in some sort of disgusting look of pleasure, as if seeing Kilian before him like this, excited this man to no end.

"Crazy bastard," was all Kilian could get out, and swung the sword again, this time hitting air where the man should be.

Whatever had held him in place had worn off, and Kilian suddenly felt the pain in his body more intensely. His eyes felt like they were burning, and he held his hands to them, dropping the sword.

"What an interesting skill you have, I don't want to mess with the North for some trashy Count".

The voice was again a mere whisper, and sounded like it came from different directions.

"Fucking magic".

Kilian fell back to the floor, feeling his body was becoming heavy against the cold wood, the pain making him contort and turn.

It had been his own father who had tried to get rid of him.

"Just pass out little one, you will owe me after this".

Kilian could barely keep his mind from going blank.

'What a crazy bastard, he is the one who did this to me.'

Hands picked up Kilian, placing him in bed. The way they touched him made him want to punch the person but he was unable to move. In fact, the man could finish him off easily, so why hadn't he?

Kilian could no longer see, everything was blurry, and he cursed himself again and again, until his mind fully blanked out.

Why did this keep happening?

Kilian woke up in a groggy haze, two people were in the room, and he ran his fingers down his arms, which had tight bandages covering them. There was a continuous sniffle and Kilian noticed Stella with a mop, wiping and washing up the bloodstains covering the floorboards.

Dante stood guard by the door, his face was ashen, and his eyes were hollow and blank, to the point he had not registered Kilian had woken and had sat up in the bed. The dead eyes were simply staring at the blood Stella was wiping up.

No one said anything, and Kilian moved a bit to feel the status of his body.

'Strange… I feel completely fine, how?'

His body felt nimble like it simply had just woken up from a good rest, the bandaged arms did not feel painful, and the many cuts he should have had on his arms and lower abdomen were completely gone.

"Stella".

Stella got startled by hearing Kilian's voice, making her drop the mop, and run over to the bedside, where Kilian gave her a kind smile.

"I am fine… But, I need to see my father today as soon as possible, can you arrange for it?"

"Now!?" She exclaimed out loudly, looking over him with a worried expression.

"Yes, now".

Kilian replied with a stern tone, and she straightened up, and left the room.

Dante looked over at Kilian, then looked down and left the room, to stand outside in the hallway instead.

Kilian placed his feet confidently on the floor, and walked over to find his somewhat presentable clothes, starting to get dressed.

"I think it is about time, my mother explains some things to me".

He said it loud enough, knowing Dante could hear it.

"Let's go ask dear father where she is".

Dante entered the room again, bowing some at Kilian, and with a straight face and no words in return, got behind Kilian, following him out of the room.

The redhead looked at the young man in front of him. There were no signs of the attack from the previous night, it was as if it had not happened at all.

What he did notice was that in Kilian's hand was the top part of a white mask, the pure white surface stained with Kilian's blood.