Everlasting Darkness

Chapter 2

I looked at her for a few seconds before grabbing my dagger and leaving the dungeon. My surroundings were blurred as I ran through the hallways. Guards passed me as they hurried towards the dungeon. I sighed in relief every time they didn't stop me. I looked similar to them because of the clothes Diana gave to me. Desperately, I looked around for the exit. From what I've heard it's on level 5. Spotting an elevator, I hurried towards it but stopped when I saw a boy waiting. He was around my age, yet he had 3 guns and throwing knives attached to his body. I could really use those weapons to my advantage. I am so glad I know how to use all these weapons; I have Lucian to thank for that. He would talk constantly, and luckily, I have a good memory. If Lucian didn't talk so much, I'd probably not even know what a gun is. 

 "Hey," I said quietly, standing next to him. 

 The one thing I noticed straight away was his engaging pitch-black eyes. He nodded to me in greeting. Closing my eyes, I threw the dagger into his leg. I knew it would leave a scar, but I couldn't let him alert everyone that I was here. The boy cried out as he fell to the floor, unconscious from the pain. I took the weapons and attached them to my belt. I hoped I looked enough like a guard that people wouldn't question me, even though I am a kid. Leaving the boy behind, I hurried into the elevator and pressed level 5. My heart beat erratically as I tried to stay calm. I had just killed a person and stabbed an unsuspecting kid. I feel extremely guilty for what I did to Diana; she has no idea how much she helped me today. I just hoped that I didn't hit any major arteries in the boy's leg. Hopefully, he will be able to walk again. The elevator dinged and I was shocked at what I saw. The level was in complete chaos. Hundreds of people were running around panicking. I slipped into the crowd and looked around for the exit, but it was extremely hard because of all the commotion. 

"Attention all residents of The Castle. Lucian has been killed by a child with one purple eye. She is armed with my dagger, 3 guns and throwing knives. She is highly dangerous, and only 11 years old. Everyone, please remove your gloves and be ready to fight. The AOTC is looking for her, so do not panic when you see them," Diana's voice said over the loudspeaker. 

 I noticed how everyone had stopped panicking and were now all looking at each other. What am I going to do? She really described me there. I realized why she never said my name – if they knew my name, I could be seen as a real person and tell everyone what their precious leader did to me. It was good for me, though; I could use my name in the future. I stayed behind tall people – using them to shield me from view. I had to look out for the AOTC; I didn't want to run into them. The AOTC – The Organization of The Castle – was founded by Lucian when he became king. Basically, the AOTC is a police organization that does Lucian's bidding. I'm guessing they are now under Diana's control. I personally have never met a member; I've only heard about them. Apparently, their agents are recruited at the age of 2 and by the time they are 16, they are the best-trained people in the world. As far as I know, all the agents are between the ages of 16 and 24.  I guess after they turn 24, they are too old or something. The boy I stabbed with the dagger might be a trainee for them. Suddenly, I spotted the exit. Bolting towards the door, I pulled it open with all my might. Bright lights surrounded me, and I couldn't see anything. As I looked around, a genuine smile made its way onto my face. Sunlight – the thing I've been dreaming about. Everything was so beautiful. Birds chirped and the sun reflected off the trees in front of me. A forest. 

 "She's over there," a voice shouted. 

I turned around to see AOTC agents coming towards me, guns ready to fire. In that moment, I had no chance of fighting them off. There were hundreds of agents, and only one of me. I wished I had magic to defend myself, but unfortunately, I'm normal. In a split-second decision, I bolted into the forest while dodging bullets. Needing to escape from the AOTC agents, I pulled out one of the stolen guns and started shooting in all different directions. Grunts and screams echoed through the forest as my bullets hit them. I have no idea how I know how to use a gun, but I'm just going with it. I tried to block out their screams – to not think about all the people my bullets were killing. Suddenly, the branches snapped and the shouts stopped. Hopefully, I was safe for now. I knew I wouldn't last long with my purple eye and knotted black hair. I stood out, and that was dangerous. A solution to one of my problems arrived when I spotted shards of glass scattered around a tree. A manic grin spread across my face as I pull my knotted greasy hair together. Picking up a piece of glass, I chopped most of my hair clean off. As my hair fell to the ground, I felt a strange satisfaction. Lucian always said he loved my long hair. Too bad he didn't ever let me wash it. Knowing I have time to rest, I collapsed against a nearby tree. In seconds I had fallen asleep, letting my mind shut off for a few hours. For once I fell asleep with a smile on my face. 

I woke up with aching bones but a clear head. I had escaped. I was free. Yet I still needed to figure out what to do. I was on the run and fairly sure I couldn't stay in one place too long. The AOTC will follow me everywhere. They will never let me rest for killing their leader. What about going back to Redclaw? I asked myself.My hometown. It was small – small enough that Diana and the AOTC wouldn't have heard of it but big enough that people wouldn't notice me being new in town. Plus, I've always loved that place. It was my home. I just hope Lucian hadn't told Diana where he took me from. Deciding that going home was best, I made my way towards Redclaw. I would probably get lost, but at least it was an adventure. 

As I travelled towards my destination, I couldn't believe how much the world had changed. The green fields were no longer there; instead, high buildings were built in their place. The amount of technology had also doubled, and people could do things like ask your car to drive itself. I've noticed that this world is so different from how it was when I was 5. A lot has happened. After a week of travelling, I reached Redclaw – thanks to the help of many nice people who volunteered to drive me to different points along the way. Spotting the local diner, I walked in, only to notice that there were only two people in there – an old, grouchy-looking man with shockingly kind brown eyes and a warm-looking lady wiping the counter. I'm guessing she works here. I walked over to the woman. She oozed comfort and I just wanted to feel safe. 

 "Excuse me," I said quietly, my voice was hoarse from not talking a lot. 

"Hello, darling." Her voice was soft and trusting. 

 "Can you help me?" I asked, looking up at her so she could see my eyes. 

I trusted her, even though I'd only just met her. She bent down to my level to closely look at me, and her eyes showed a weird emotion. Greed? Anger? Excitement? Distracting me, she wrapped her arms around me. In the hug, I forgot everything and embraced the amazing comfort. I felt hope rise in my body – this woman could look after me. A normal life could be on the horizon. Suddenly, I felt a piercing pain in my neck before everything blurred and I fell to the floor. My heart shattered as she pulled out her phone. 

"Sorry, darling, but I will be forever worshiped by Diana if I bring in her husband's killer." 

Tears pooled in my eyes as the woman started reporting me through the phone. I couldn't believe she'd do this; she looked so warm, and I couldn't believe I trusted her. The man walked into my view, and I tried to scream 'help', but I couldn't move or talk. The woman must have put something in my neck to stop me from escaping. 

 "What are you doing? You just drugged a poor child," the old man yelled. 

 "Angus, look at her eyes. It's the child that killed the leader of The Castle," the woman said crazily. 

 Angus looked into my tear-filled eyes, and I noticed a fierce determination overcoming his face. Turning away from me, he moved towards the woman. 

 "Sorry, but she's just a kid," Angus grumbled before knocking the woman out. 

 He sighed and walked towards me. Before I knew what was happening, he had picked me up."You're safe now," he assured me.