II - FOR THE ONE YOU LOVE (Doraemon Reimagination Series)

12 - FALLING INTO PLACE

That was the first noise Suneo had heard in a long time. A noise that wasn't usual or periodic. It was the marching footsteps of several guards walking into the dungeons. Somehow the sound did not sit right with him. There was obviously something wrong and he could feel it.

He sat up straight on his knees, peeping through the bars of his cell. He had convinced himself to patiently wait until his friends came to his rescue, as was the plan. But it grew more and more difficult as each day passed by. The dark nights, locked in a tiny cell, all alone, with the same nasty meals which made him hurl every time he swallowed them down; all of the moments he misses his Mom and Dad back at home; the times when he pondered whether or not the choice of supporting Nobita in his fight was worth it. All of them made him mentally weak and unstable.

"Get the most recent intruder out." One of the voices spoke up as soon as the footsteps stopped in their places.

Suneo couldn't help but feel his heart skip a beat. That's me. Was he going to get me out of here? Suneo was disturbed by how he kind of wanted the unknown person to get him out of there, take him away, anywhere would do as long as he was leaving that rotten cell, even though the rescuer weren't any of his known friends as planned.

"Why?" The keeper inquired.

"Lord's orders. Here's authorization." The same voice replied back.

Lord? Who's Lord? Sounds like someone in charge. Of this place maybe?

Figures stepped before his cell, blocking the light that the small blue bulb was emitting behind their giant physiques. Suneo looked up at them, scared but his eyes hopeful and confused. He had no idea what was going on. The dungeon keeper unlocked the grill doors and saying it open, finally freeing Suneo.

It was so sudden that Suneo did not even know how to react to it. He could not even comprehend the idea of running the hell away now that he wasn't locked up anymore. But it was too late because the guards got in and restrained Suneo. Dragging him out of the cell, he exited the dark place.

Suneo came back to his senses as the entire situation sunk in. "Hey! Where the heck are you taking me?"
No reply came from either of the guards.
"Hey! Assholes! I'm talking to you. I asked where you were talking me?"
Still no reply ensued from them.
Suneo began struggling in their right grasps, desperately fighting for freedom, yelling, "Let me go. I said let me go. LET ME GO."

"It's no use. You can't break free. Stop struggling. That'll make things easier for you." One of the guards said.

"Then atleast tell me where you are taking me. And I'll stop resisting. I promise." Suneo threw over his shoulder, annoyed.

The second guard sighed. "To our Lord. Lord Zuken. He wants to see you for some reason. We don't know why he wants to bother with a random ass intruder like you. But yeah- that's why. He wishes to meet you."

"Zuken? Who the f*ck is that?"

The guard who answered Suneo's question, turned his gaze at the first guard and spoke, "See, didn't I tell you, didn't I? He doesn't even know the Lord. He's a complete bozo. Why does His Grace wish to meet someone like him?"

"Look, I don't know, okay? And I don't intend to pry in the Lord's actions or intentions. You shouldn't either. Let's just do what we're ordered."

Suneo did not have a single clue about what was up. But something told him that he would find out soon enough. So he chose to keep his quiet and let the guards take him to wherever or whoever they were planning to take him and let things play out.

"So that's the plan." Asagi looked up to glance at the pair, looming over the schematics of the entire underground place that he had just mapped out on the soil using a stick. "What do you think? Can you make it work?"