A Man for Himself (Norton X Eli) [Identity V] *UNEDITED*

Chapter 33 - Chosen

"She's gone."

Martha slammed a piece of paper against the dining table which made everyone in the room glance in her direction. The look on her face was a mixture of confusion and disbelief. It was unusual for Martha to lose her cool.

It was a normal morning for everyone. At least, as normal as it could get. They were gathered at the long table for breakfast, chatting and doing anything that would distract them from the reality that nothing was normal about their situation.

At the coordinator's announcement, the noise gradually ceased. Every head turned to the brunette, curious and expecting.

"What do you mean 'gone'?" asked Freddy who was sitting closest to where the coordinator was standing. His brows were knitted together in annoyance.

"Helena is not in our room," Martha explained in a calm voice. She straightened up and took a deep breath before continuing and lifting the paper for everyone to see. "All of her belongings are gone. Everything. Even her diary. This is the only thing that she left behind. It's a letter, a farewell letter. She has finally left the manor."

Gasps and whispers filled the room as the survivors turned to each other in bafflement. Some looked surprised. Some shared incredulous looks. Some appeared excited.

"What did the letter say?" Emma asked, raising her hand.

"I'll let you see for yourself," Martha answered, handing the paper to Freddy Riley. "Go pass it around to everyone."

The lawyer took the letter from Martha and adjusted his glasses before skimming through it and passing it to the one sitting next to him. Judging from the way his eyes widened, it looked like Martha was telling the truth.

"She can finally go to college," Norton heard Eli mutter from his left. "She can finally go outside and see the world."

The prospector glanced at the blindfolded seer to see him smiling down at his plate. Norton could tell that it was not a heartfelt smile. If anything, it was a bittersweet one. He would have reached out for Eli's hand to give it a reassuring squeeze if not for the fact that Naib was sitting between them.

It had been more than a week since the night Norton claimed Eli as his own, yet there wasn't much of a change. He had expected Naib to keep his distance, but the mercenary decided to become more protective of the seer. Perhaps it was Naib's way of pissing him off, his way of telling Norton that he did not give a damn about what was going on between him and Eli. He had made it quite clear. He would stay by Eli's side with or without Norton.

Norton did not find it amusing, but there was nothing that he could do if Eli himself would not drive Naib away.

The letter eventually found itself in Norton's hands. He had expected to see it written in Braille, but it was a normal letter. Reading through it, Norton found that Helena had requested for it to be transcribed. It was a simple letter of farewell and gratitude. There was nothing much in it. No information or clue as to what she had done to make her freedom possible. Still, it served as proof that there was a chance of escaping that hellhole.

"And she told me that she wanted me to be the first one to escape," Norton mumbled with a shake of his head, passing the letter to the mercenary.

Flashing a sneer at Norton, Naib took the letter from him and shared it with the seer. Norton could only watch from his seat, unable to make a move. He knew Naib would find an excuse to brawl with him whenever he could. Norton would rather not have any of that. That's when he felt Eli's owl land on his right shoulder, its talons digging into his shirt and lightly pricking his skin.

"Well, hello there, Rosie," Norton greeted, reaching up a gloved finger to rub the fowl's chin.

Remembering what Eli had told him about the owl, a smile formed on the prospector's face. Brooke Rose was a part of Eli. She was his eyes. To have Eli's most trusted owl perch on his shoulder and nuzzle into his neck was enough to assure Norton that the seer was aware of his frustration.