A Remaining Podeshire 1

Chapter 9 (Part 4)

"Oli! Run!!"

     Oliver whips his head around. The sight before him sends a cold wave of shock through his body, giving him a painful sensation of his heart about to explode. His eyes widen as he glimpses at the horrifying scene unfolding before him.

     Standing behind Gregory are two men, their arms folded across his shoulders. Dressed in sombre black outfits with top hats and masks obscuring their faces, the men appear like shadows from hell. The unknown strangers' sheer height and imposing presence make it clear that Gregory would stand no chance in a fight.

     As Gregory struggled to break free from the two men, Oliver froze in fear with his pupils contracted. It took only a split second for Oliver to realize he needed to help his friend. Oliver hurriedly summoned tiny lightning sparks from his hands and charged forward. But, suddenly, an excruciating pain struck him from behind, causing him to cry in agony.

"Agh!"

     A blaring ring chimes in Oliver's ears as he falls to the wooden floor. Before he even hits the ground, his vision blurs and his eyes slowly close, enveloping him in darkness. When he regains consciousness, he realizes that someone has knocked him out.

A deep and familiar voice calling out to Oliver gradually replaced the deafening ring in his ears. "Podeshire... Podeshire. Wake up!" the voice snarled.

     Oliver's eyes slowly open after a long period of unconsciousness. As he regains consciousness, he lets out a sharp gasp, and his head jerks around. He begins hyperventilating, gasping for air as he glances left and right.

     As he looks around, Oliver's eyes immediately fixate on the floral damask covering the walls inside the room. He then gazes out the blurry window, seeing the starless night sky and the dark outdoors. The sight triggers a distant memory from his childhood as he realizes he lies inside the mansion.

     Oliver immediately realizes he is lying on the cold, wooden floor with ropes binding him to a pillar. He then sees a tall, broad figure with a black mask standing before him. Oliver squints to get a better look, but before he can make out any details, the figure approaches him and kneels.

"W-who the heck are you!?" Oliver questioned the man with the black mask, his voice trembling with fear.

     The man slowly reaches up and pulls down his black mask, revealing his face to Oliver. As Oliver sees the man's face, a rippling wave of fear, insecurity, and betrayal floods him. It is none other than Cal.

Cal greeted Oliver with a malicious smirk. "Greetings, Podeshire," he said with a voice dripping with malice.

Oliver looked around in confusion, trying to make sense of his situation. "W-what? What's this all about!?" Oliver stammered.

     As he looks to his right, Oliver spots a dozen men dressed in black standing motionless with rifles. The men's ominous glares pierce through Oliver. Among them stands Gregory, who looks at Oliver with fear and hopelessness, unlike the others who seem aggressive.

"G-Greg...?" Oliver's voice trembled as he looked at his friend.

"Oli, I'm sorry... I tried to help... but—" Gregory tried apologising, but Cal cut him off.

"Ah... Gregory! My only son. I never knew you two were friends... now, I know why you've been sneaking out, little man," Cal said as he approached Gregory and pinched his ear.

Oliver's eyes widened in disbelief. "Wait... Greg... this man, the whole time, is your father!?" he asked sceptically.

"...Yes..." Gregory admitted, looking down.

"You... you betrayed me! You told them who I am, and I thought it was a promise I could trust you!" Oliver yelled in shock. "I thought you promised to protect me! I trusted you..."

"It's not like that, Oli! I did promise to protect you no matter what. I never told my father anything about you!" Gregory shook his head.

Cal marched towards his son, his face twisting with anger. "So... you never told me about him, you little piece of—" Cal shouted before slapping Gregory across the face.

"F-father... p-please, let me explain!" Gregory said.

Cal slapped Gregory in the face. "I don't need you, Gregory! I found this last Podeshire by myself after fifteen years!" Cal yelled.

Oliver gasped in horror as he watched his friend fall to the ground. "Why are you doing this to me...?" Oliver asked Cal.

"Huh...?" Cal glanced at Oliver, raising a brow.

"Why are you doing this to me!?" Oliver asked as his voice shook in fear

"None of your business, Podeshire," Cal replied as he walked towards Oliver.

"How about my family!? Why did you take them away!? We never hurt you or anything!" Oliver yelled as rage and wrath mixed in his voice.

"I guess you've never learned anything about the Tyrannical Podeshire, huh? That lad killed like megatons of people here," he sneered as he crossed his arms.

"Who? Liam Podeshire?" Oliver asked.

"Hah! Who else!? Of course, it'll be the Podeshires! Your entire lineage killed tons of people," Cal chuckled.

"I'm not even Liam's direct descendant! What are you talking about!? My family didn't hurt anybody purposely!" Oliver yelled frantically.

"Oh? How about my wife?" Cal asked.

"...Your wife?" 

"During the final clash of war... your father used his power to wipe away tons of soldiers, but he took away medics as well... including my wife," Cal explained, his voice cracking. "She served as a medic. But, sadly... she passed away... in the hands of a Podeshire—your father!" he raised his voice as he pointed his finger on Oliver's face.

Oliver's heart sank as he listened to Cal's story. "I'm sorry if my father killed her. It's a war! People naturally die due to it! Please, don't blame my father for that. I know your wife is at peace now, so don't let her witness her husband starting a feud, please...!" Oliver pleaded and tried to squirm out of the ropes around him.

"I know. Your father, Albert, may not have done it on purpose. But... my wife's still dead, for God's sake!" Cal yelled.

     As he finished yelling, straining his voice, Cal drew back his arm and brought a powerful punch to the side of Oliver's face. Pain shot through Oliver's skull as he struggled to stay conscious. Grunting, Cal stood up and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him with a loud bang.

     Oliver slowly regained his senses after the punch, but his head remained throbbing with pain. He then looked up and met the menacing gazes of the other men in black. Horror etched on his face. Oliver quickly broke eye contact and shut his eyes.