Freed (Magics AU - Part 2)

Chapter 10 - Marcus

Marcus was going to lose his mind if he had to stay in this single, empty room for much longer. Nearly two hours before, Ruby had been taken from him by a single Dark with an unknown intent. Marcus, in an act of angry desperation, had somehow managed to teleport himself outside of his cell. He had decided not to dwell on how he'd figured it out; instead, he'd raced after his wife - only to be confronted by a wizened, strangely sympathetic female guard. When she had found him, she'd mercifully given him the punishment of solitary confinement instead of death, which was what he figured would have come to him if anyone else had come across him. Marcus wasn't sure if he was to be grateful for that or confused about it - or angry. After all, it had ended up with him behind a sealed door for who knew how long. Even if Ruby did return unharmed, he wouldn't be able to see her because of this blasted solitary room.

The room itself was never used, especially because Ariel had no use for it. Any crimes that were punishable by jail time were just that - jail time. There was no need for a solitary confinement room, but they had one just in case, like any other kingdom. Marcus and Ruby had both agreed that they never wanted to use it unless absolutely necessary. 

Marcus never imagined that he would find himself locked behind the door. He never imagined that anything like this would happen. The past five months hadn't even been a possibility in his mind, and that had caused their downfall. The world had been reveling in their relief, too blind to see that the end of the fighting had not been the end of the war. No one had been prepared, not even the kings and queens, who were supposed to protect their kingdoms under any circumstances. No one had been ready for this outcome of their future, and now they were paying for it. 

The king of Ariel was paying for it. 

Marcus had tried everything he could think of to break the metal door down. There wasn't a door handle on his side of the room, so he couldn't try to pick the lock from the inside. He knew punching and kicking would get him nowhere, but he figured that if he used magic, it could at least damage the metal. Somehow, he'd called the darkness to his fingers and coated his hands in it; but slamming his magic-covered hands into the metal had hardly done anything. He'd realized that the door must have been under a spell, and though he knew that there was no way out, he'd angrily thrown his all at the metal for an hour and a half. 

After Marcus had lost his energy, he planted himself directly in front of the door and stared at it as if he could burn a hole through it with his eyeballs. He was exhausted, angry, and devastated - and the anger scorching through him was like madness pinching at his mind. It scared him that he was thinking such horrible things, especially things like how he would maim the guards who had taken Ruby. 

The questions that were running through his mind were all practically the same - what had happened to her, and where had she been taken? Marcus couldn't imagine what The Dark Lord wanted with his wife, but he knew that it couldn't be anything that wouldn't leave her unscathed. If anything horrid was done to her, Marcus would personally find a way to end the unkillable Shadow King. 

Darkness could overcome darkness. 

Marcus would overcome Darkness itself, no matter how long it took him.

~

Two and half hours after Marcus had been thrown into the solitary room, there was a soft tapping on the door. Immediately, the king was on his feet and directly in front of the door, pressing his hands against it like an eager child. He didn't know who was behind the door, but the second they opened it he would bolt. 

No matter the consequences.

A male voice that Marcus didn't recognize floated into the room. "Your Majesty?"