INFERNO: The Fiery Inception

CHAPTER 14

"I know I look like the bad guy here but Trust me when I say this I have a reason for what I did" August tried to explain.

"We know what Amanda did but if you do the same then what is the difference between you and her? Even though you lost people respected you more" Eric continued his lecture, he is even worse than any of my teacher I had to face in life.

"Eric I'm pretty sure August said it wasn't because what Amanda did that day" I said.

"Actually it is about that day-" we all eyed him and waved his arm around in panic.

"I mean, before the fight. She isn't on our side Eric" August said and watched us carefully. 'She isn't on our side?' what does he mean by-

Wait!

"That traitorous woman!" Alex yelled and was about to enter the room Amanda was resting in. but August held her hand preventing her from getting in.

"Alex please wait .she didn't actually admit that. Not properly but from what she said-"

"She said something during the fight?" I cut in.

"Yes that, she told me some things and I'm pretty sure she changed once after coming back from our mission otherwise she wouldn't have been able to enter the gathering"

"Changed?" I asked.

"They change sides join the dark dimension and work against us" Alex explained

"Why would they do that aren't we the good guys? Why would they help the one's that are killing others, evem after being with us?" I asked.

"Yes, we are but we never know why they change sides maybe because the dark dimension is very manipulative, or they are threatening warriors. I heard Lucas talking to Adams about the dark dimension recruiting ordinary humans" Alex explained.

"One more question-" I was cut off by August.

"Questions later, we're going to Lucas now, we need to tell him about this now or it will cause more trouble if we are any more late than already. We dont know how much they already know" August reasoned and I shut my mouth.

"Eric guard the door don't let her escape, got it?" August further added.

"Sure" Eric said. While we started walking away I felt like I saw momentary relief in Eric, maybe not I've been doubting people since I came here I even doubted Lucas to be a bad person. Although his social skills aren't the best.

"should I stay with you?" I asked.

"No its okay, I'm fine you can go with them" Eric replied. Is it just me or did Eric seemed like he didn't want me there? I shoved that thought to the back of my mind and started following Alex and August. We ran towards the gathering, when I say gathering I mean the meeting room because according to August the chances are high Lucas while be in his art room attached to the meeting room, though no one enters it without his permission he doesn't like it one bit (safe haven? Maybe, at least sounds like it)

"Wouldn't he be mad at us? You said yourself he doesn't like anyone disturbing him or going into his room" Alex asked August.

"I don't think so with matters being this important. When was the last time someone changed sides?" I asked.

"Hundreds of years ago" Alex replied. Well that proves my point. nothing's good when people didn't do it for hundreds of years. It catches attention.

We burst into the gathering, literally. I fell on top of Alex, which resulted in few grumbles from Alex and few winches. It's been so long since I worked out I think I gained a bit weight. Now that reminds me that I had not trained today at all.

"Hey! August. What happened to my training?" I asked him while walking towards the art room. Or now that think of it, its Lucas's vision room.

"We could've trained if you weren't so eager to make me and Amanda fight but I'm not complaining I couldn't have connected the dots if we didn't"

We entered the room; we didn't see Lucas in there

"Maybe he is not here" Alex said. I heard a sound to my right.

"Did you hear that?" I asked. Alex was about to shake her head no when we heard that sound again but this time all three of us heard it. Our heads turned towards the source of the sound. And I started to walk towards it August and Alex hot on my trail. There were too many canvases both painted and unused ones. Most of them were in stands. And here I was thinking only one stand was enough for a whole lifetime. But maybe that wasn't the case with Lucas, maybe he had to paint the moment it happens and he wouldn't have time to take a stand and place the canvas and all that explains why there are empty canvases on the stand. We went closer to a circle of canvases and in the middle of it was Lucas. He looked like he was possessed, like he was here yet not. His forehead sweating, his eyes were so concentrated on the painting that he couldn't even notice us coming. His hands were shaking like it was exhausted by painting for so long.

I looked around and saw a painting of many people having a meet up in a local cafe. But what felt strange was they were looking at each other like they were calculating them. It looked least friendly to me. Then another painting caught my eye, it was of August and Amanda's match earlier. Those paintings made me think if Lucas knew about Amanda being a traitor already. I turned towards Lucas and started walking towards him. But when my eye caught the painting he is working, I froze on my tracks. My face became pale. Seeing me like this August and Alex came to me stood beside me and they too paled when they saw the painting. 

"NO.." I whispered. The painting looked real, too real. Eric... laying sprawled on the floor, blood oozing from the deep stab on his abdominal. A pool of blood was already forming around him. This face contorted in pain. The sight was scary and I could not move from the spot I was standing in, Lucas finished his painting and started to get up staggering back while he did so, realising what this painting meant, that's when my common sense came back to me and I sprang out of the door. August and Alex were hot on my trail so was Lucas. I raced towards the room Amanda was in. Did she stab him? I was seeing red now, how can this happen, Eric; who was with us just a few minutes ago. I entered the room, Eric was breathing heavily, his breaths echoed in the room. I ran crouched next to him ignoring the blood that was pooling around us . He was whimpering in pain, slowly losing consciousness. I pressed my hand on the wound on his abdomen to stop the blood or at least slow it down. Thank you, Google. Eric winced and locked his eyes on mine and guilt passed through his features.

"I'm so sorry" he whispered. I got confused, why was he apologizing? Sorry for what? Then suddenly an arrow shot past me, making a whoopong noise, narrowly missing my hand. I whipped my head to direction from which the arrow came from and I saw three assassins who were in positions, with one goal, to kill us and one of them was the one and only Amanda.