You Only Live Twice

XVI

WHEN OLIVIA FINALLY caught up to Amos she was heavily panting yet Amos just stood there with his arms crossed over his chest, pouting.

"Seriously...how...are you not tired? Are you...some kind of...monster??" Olivia wheezed out between pants and deep breaths feeling a bit dizzy and lightheaded.

Amos humphed, "The third prince's palace is right there." He grumbled out pointing his finger in front of him. Olivia's head shot up gaping at the castle in front of her, it wasn't anything big and special, sure, and not anything like the shiny palaces further back with its overgrown garden, cracked walls, boarded-up windows, and mossy exterior but it was exactly where she needed to be.

"Wah! You brought us here?" Olivia looked at Amos with adoration. "I knew you cared about me somewhere down in your dark, cold, frozen heart." She squealed going in for a hug. Amos only rolled his eyes and moved out of the way, "Yeah whatever let's go." He grumbled and stomped up to the front door. Olivia followed close behind humming to herself which only further soured Amos' mood.

Olivia knocked on the large double wooden doors and waited the resonating sound being heard even from the outside. After a few minutes of no answer, she repeated her action only to once again be met with silence. "Hello?!" Olivia called out the door as Amos tried to look through a broken window and get a peek of the inside only cobwebs, furniture covered in white sheets, and layers of dust caking everything. "HELLO?!" Olivia tried again louder this time and sighed in defeat after no response.

"Maybe they moved this place looks completely deserted." Amos said. Olivia huffed, "Yeah, well, I thought the same thing about you when I saw your living conditions." Olivia retorted deciding to just let herself in.

"I guess it's also just your thing to let yourself into other's personal space?" He asked. Olivia ignored him and continued deeper into the building. Amos was right, this place looked like it hadn't been touched in years. It was dusty and dark the only source of light being the rays of sun that slipped in through the torn and ajar curtains. But Olivia didn't give up hope! This has happened once before and besides, where else would he be?

"Hello? Is anyone here?" Olivia's voice echoed through the desolate hallways giving the place an eerie feeling. "Goddess this place gives me the creeps." Amos muttered looking back and forth between the rooms. They'd traveled upstairs in hopes of finding the prince's room, they stopped when the hallway spilt into two one way going left and the other right. Which side had four doors and led to dead ends, the very end is the fourth door and the other three on the wall facing their backs, the wall in front of them is lined with windows.

"I just know this place is freaky at night no wonder no one wants to live here." Amos said staring at an armored knight statue in front of them. "Ok. You go left I'll go right." Olivia said.

"What!? You-you want to spilt up??" Amos said looking panicked, "No. I think that's a horrible idea."

"Oh please, you'll be fine just check the rooms for any form of life and move on. Call out to me if you find the prince." Olivia waved him off and started down the right hallway. "B-but-but-!" Amos fumbled with his words before letting out an exasperated sigh and stomped off muttering under his breath and holding his arms close together.

Olivia opened the first door on her side of the hallway dust and dirt cascaded down from the ceiling as she pushed the door open it was empty, she moved on to the next one. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Amos on his second door as well, standing and taking a deep breath as he clenched and unclenched the doorknob seemingly preparing himself for whatever what beyond the door, he then swiftly threw open the door and took a brief look around finding nothing and moving on to the next room repeating the process.