Tʜᴇ Pᴀᴛʜ Tᴏ Hɪɢʜɢᴀᴛᴇs

Bᴇʏᴏɴᴅ Tʜᴇ Rᴇᴀᴄʜ Oғ Sᴛᴀʀs

Cʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 17

You stand in the doorway, half in half out. Watching.

The Empire was on an antique phone, his expression was that of wrathful intentions and bordered on that of a barbaric inclination. It seemed as though he wished he weren't speaking to the person he was on the other line with.

He held a cone like receiver up to his ear, listening intently to whoever was on the other line while his other hand held his head up, covering his eyes from you. Attached by a twirling cord was the speaker, which German Empire would occasionally scowl in to, speaking in fast German.

"Das sage ich nicht." The Empire spat with a tone of malice so potent it made you jump. "Es gibt nichts, worüber man sich Sorgen machen müsste." He ran his fingers between his eyes as though he was pinching the bridge of his nose, though he had no nose to actually pinch. "Das müssen Sie nicht tun."

The golden epaulettes of his tailored black suit bounced slightly as he heaved a heavy breath, his head shaking. The medals he bore constantly caught the light, and illuminated his already lit presence, making it hard to tear your eyes away from him. "Sie ist gut so wie sie ist." He muttered irritably into the speaker, moving his hand to clutch its body in a tight fist. Yet as he did so it gave him a view of you, still standing patiently in the doorway, and his eyes lit up. "Ich rufe dich zurück, wenn du mir wieder wichtig bist." He rushed as he slammed the receiver back on the hooks and pushed his chair back, standing up to his full height, his expression fraught.

"Schatz, I vas looking for vu. Vere vere vu?" The country declared as you finally walked fully into the room and stood before the imposing Empire. You saw no reason to lie. "Reich wanted to go out on the roof with me." You say, watching in quiet contentment as the Empire seemed to think that over, then nod his head slowly. Almost as though he were reassuring himself.

"Vell now I nein longer need vu as I have places to be." German Empire sighed. Your eyes darted between the floor and him, wondering what it is you should do now, it was getting quite awkward. "So should I go?" You ask, wondering why exactly he wanted you in the first place. Yet the Empire just thought for a moment, before he spoke slowly. "Vell I zupoze I can take vu vith me."

"Where are we going?" Questioned you as the Empire retrieved his coat jacket from a hook and slipped it on, masking his gold laced accessories from the light and allowing the abundance of smoke to mirror clearly outward.

He didn't speak, he simply stood there momentarily before he glanced at you, then the door. He proceeded to stride forward and open the door which had closed after you entered. "Burial grounds." Was all he said before he left without even a gesture for your admittance.

You dashed after him, down the hall. Though you found you weren't thinking about the gripping walls or the twisting layout. You didn't really think of where it was you were going, you didn't think at all, you simply followed like a propagandist. You marched down the hall as though you already knew the way, which of course was as far from the truth as it was close to a lie. Before you knew it you were standing before the doors to the front of the house, your free ticket to freedom.

With a hardy push the Empire swung the towering doors open with little to no effort, and let himself out, you following suit as the doors shut slowly on their own. The same set of stairs you had crawled up mere days ago greeted you, though they looked larger in the dark. Though that wasn't the part you focused most on as you walked down the stairwell.

Your eyes were fixated upon the car parked in the courtyard. The car itself seemed old enough to be left in a museum. Its body was stretched to seem as though the engine was larger than the seating area, which was really just leather stitched together in two rows; passengers and driver. It was mat black with mud guards rising above its thin golden wheels and through its tinny body. A thin tarp-esc material covered the roof and ended at the front windshield, which seemed rather tough to see out of. It was your history lecturers wet dream.