章節 83: Black Boxes
There were two of them.
This time, without a mask.
This time, with plain black jeans and shirt.
Elion was in front, leading the way--- the man from the auction room basically sketched to Elion the exact location of the warehouse. Elion did not even have to inquire--- the information was offered to him freely.
"This is a stupid idea." Alyssa backed away--- she suddenly had the urge to return to her room. "I've seen enough."
She had seen nothing.
"Princess!" Elion took two steps ahead of Alyssa, stopping her on her tracks. "Princess…" He did not gain her trust even if he confessed that he was summoned to the throne room early in the morning. "Princess…"
The question lingered between the two of them 'Don't you trust me?'
The look on Eli's eyes brought fear to Alyssa---the look of sincerity. "Yes." Alyssa smirked. "I don't"
To believe in his words would mean to doubt her own family. And maybe, maybe, Alyssa wanted to deny everything--- she does not want to see anything.
'How could I trust a stranger's words if it would mean that my family is lying?'
Laughter suddenly echoed in the empty hallway.
'No. I have to see the truth, whatever that might mean.'
On instinct, Elion grabbed the princess by the shoulder and dragged her towards a dark corner.
The voices kept getting closer to where they were hiding.
The footsteps, clearer.
Elion pressed his back on the wall, observing the two shadows looming towards their direction. He placed a finger onto his lips.
The princess nodded, leaning her back on the wall.
The noise turned into words as two of Ison Vis' attendants walked right past them.
"Can't wait for the delivery, had to get them myself!" someone laughed.
A clicking of metal and a door slowly creaking open.
Alyssa was wrinkling her nose, they had disturbed the area, dusts flying everywhere.
The princess suddenly grabbed Elion's wrist. He turned his head towards her.
"A sneeze is coming." She whispered.
"Cover your mouth."
It was already too late, Alyssa sneezed aloud on an empty hallway.
The door was stopped opening midway.
"Did you hear that?" One of the attendants immediately pocketed the keys.
Elion grabbed the dagger on his side. Worst comes to worst, two would be silenced tonight.
There were a few seconds of silence. "I heard nothing." Someone was smacked at the back of the head. "You did not eat yet and you're already hallucinating? Come on let's get our snack."
"You're right."
Elion released his hold from the dagger.
"Royals are not known for their senses. "Alyssa muttered. "Well of course except for me and…. Ziloh."
The voices turned into distant noises once more.
Elion did not ask for permission when he grabbed her by the elbow and guided her towards the open door.
Fog engulfed the door entrance, their skin prickling from cold.
After a few steps inside, Elion's foot bumped into something.
Looking down, there was a black box lying on the floor similar to that from the auction.
Alyssa crunched down and opened the lid, revealing a leather glove inside. "See," She released a breath she did not thought she was holding. "Nothing worth to know." She said more to herself.
Going deeper inside, the warehouse had piles and piles of black boxes taller than both of them--- it was like a maze.
"They always keep the best ones for themselves," A young man's voice was getting clearer again. "But fortunately, there are leftovers for today."
Elion and Alyssa hid behind the tower of boxes.
"I'll take anything at this point." Another voice said, a thud on the floor signifying something was opened. "Look, here's our item."
"Hey! That's expensive!" A fist came in contact with someone's face. "We're supposed to share!"
"I know, you idiot!" The box was trampled over from the commotion. "Look what you're done, it spilled on the floor." Someone was smacked at the back of their head.
"Nobody said about sharing equally. "There were a few seconds of silence. "First grab, first serve!"
All of a sudden, it felt like they were wrestling on the floor.
Alyssa looked at Elion, Elion shook his head no. They were not supposed to interrupt.
"Dammit!" The commotion toned down. "You have the bigger share this time."
"Hmmm." The two must have been too focused on eating, for there were loud chewing noises. "Yes, this is it."
"But," Someone hissed. "did you have visions?"
"No."
"Well, I'm still hungry." One attendant announced. "That was not satisfying."
"Do you maybe…" One was licking their finger. "a key there?"
"I do." Someone shook his keychain in the air. "Should we…"
"We should…"
Another door creaked open.
Elion and Alyssa abandoned their current position and hid closer to the two young men--- close enough to see their back.
The one who opened the door looked to at his friend as if asking for permission.
The friend nodded in approval.
They pushed the door slowly--- excitement was apparent from their back.
But their shoulders turned stiff as another voice emerged.
"Hey! What are you kittens doing in here! It's not your duty tonight!"
"Uh, eh… well…" The young attendant was scratching his head, ashamed from being caught.
"We just took our orders in advance."
"I could see that." The older attendant observed the mess on the floor. "Now go before you guys cause more trouble."
The two young attendants obliged and skittered away from the warehouse.
"Geez," The older attendant picked up the opened box--- it was empty. "Look who ends up cleaning the mess." Something caught his eyes, he stopped midway, looking from left to right.
Elion pulled Alyssa closed to him, making sure they were not seen.
The older attendant scraped a pea sized meat inside the box--- eating it. "Ahem." Upon licking the box clean, the older attendant immediately exited the warehouse.
They stepped away from their hiding spot. "Well," Alyssa grabbed her elbows tight onto her chest. "It's almost midnight, more of Ison Vis' attendants might come."
Elion observed a door was left a few inches open, he led the way and invited himself inside.
Alyssa followed closely behind. Her hold onto her elbows were getting tighter for in this room, there were black boxes too.
Black coffin boxes.
The temperature was lower too--- at least that's what it felt like to Alyssa.
Elion walked towards one of the coffins without hesitation. He was about to open it when Alyssa stopped him.
"Wait." She held his hand tight, letting it hang on his side. "Let me do it." There was determination on her eyes, curiosity--- and fear.
Elion nodded and back a few steps behind.
Alyssa pushed the lid away from the coffin. The wooden lid falling on the floor with a sharp thud. She did not leave even one coffin unopened. She circled around, not stopping until the last coffin was opened. And then she looked closer on each of them, observing what was lying inside.
They were like a family.
There was the grandfather at the farthest side, with his silver hair and his cheeks full of age spots. The father next to it, with his hair slicked back and bushy eyebrows. The eldest son who inherited his father's facial features. The daughter whose youthful beauty would remain forever. The youngest daughter whose hair was braided neatly on both sides. And the mother who had a round bump for a stomach.
They were humans---or what remained of them--- their skin pale and greying. They were naked, sleeping peacefully, until she observed the same slit at their throats.
Alyssa began shaking, her breathing turning shallow. "Too cold." She back a few steps away until a wall stopped her to go further.
"Princess…" Eli was about to reach the princess for a hug but hesitated. Instead, he reached for her hand--- rubbing it between his. "It is cold."
"Very cold." Alyssa's knees weakened as she sat on the floor.
Alyssa knew without fail that these were not caused by natural death.
Not when there was a perfect slit to their throat.
Not when their heads were open.
Not when their brains were missing.
***
Alyssa did not know how she had traveled from the warehouse to her room--- it was a blur.
Did she even walk? Or was she carried?
She had no idea.
Sometimes, it is hard to know the truth, it is easier to deny it, even easier to ignore it--- maybe much better not to know it.
Something had turned tonight for Alyssa. She did not know what was worst, her mother keeping these everything from her, or Barny reporting everything to her mother.
She cannot help but to reminisce the past, was everything a lie? Alyssa trusted Barny out of everybody else.
Which is worst? Royals having an auction party to buy human brains?
Maybe they got it organically.
Maybe it was not the royal's fault.
She did not have to blame her family for wanting to survive, she would just need to remove the root cause of everything.
It was… the cure that was at fault.
Alyssa had to do something, she had to save her loved ones from this poison, she had to destroy it.
The water of the gods, she had to make it disappear.
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