"Once we find a way out of here, we'll know where we want to go. And where we shouldn't. I don't think you'd want to take a route like this again either."
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A Story about...
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Del laid still in his bed, the chain cuffs newly wielded around his right wrist. The blue moonlight seeped through his windows and into his room as he stared at the ceiling of the canopy bed.
Even going back home was useless. Legazpi would be there, waiting for him with the same stupid smile on his face. Del clenched his fists as he tossed and turned in his own bed, trying to at least get a few minutes of sleep.
But nothing seemed to work.
The Empire's words remained engraved on his mind. And every now and then, Del was doomed to repeat those same words again and again, still unable to make sense of it all as he struggles to lull himself to sleep.
'Legazpi will be there, establishing a government. Once he's done, you will return, and you will study all that you need to know.'
Del buried his face into the pillow and whined. He felt sleepy yet his body wouldn't let him sleep, he wanted to get up and fight the Empire right then and there but his body just wouldn't get up. Just as Del was about to toss himself over the bed again, small knocks began rapping on the wooden door.
"Eh?" Del got up from his bed, rubbing his eyes as more soft knocking rapped on the door.
Slowly, Del pushed himself off of the bed and moved closer towards the door, sweat running down his forehead as he leaned towards the wooden door.
"Who's there...?"
Del waited for a while, wondering if the Empire had decided to send some maidservant to see if he was asleep; told to knock him out with a blow to the head if he was.
But the longer Del waited, the more doubtful he became of that theory. He couldn't hear the obnoxiously high-pitched voices of any of the maidservants. In a way, he was thankful for that. Their voices felt like metal being scraped against his ears. Yet again, it raised more questions.
"Hey," Del called out again, "Who's there?"
Slowly, the door opened once the knocking finally stopped. Del flinched and took a few steps back as the door opened to reveal the small figure of España, still in his pajamas with a lit candle in his equally tiny palm.
Del raised a brow as he wiped away the dried tears in his eyes with the sleeve that exceeded the length of his arm, sniffling, "Espanya...? What are you doing here?"
España swung his body awkwardly as he closed the door behind him and ran over to Del, his small footsteps creating a soft yet quick rhythm of "pit, pat, pit, pat," as he launched himself towards Del.
"Del!" The younger boy exclaimed, "I wanted to see you, so I stole papa's polyglot stone and came here."
España reached both his hands out, as if beckoning Del to give him a hug. Eventually, Del gave in and wrapped his arms around the boy as he comfortingly stroked the back of the boy's head as España leaned against Del's shoulder.
