BLOODLINE Vol 1

CHAPTER 6 - "Echoes of Despair: The Weight of Betrayal"

The atmosphere in the dungeons was heavy with despair as Kalel and his father, Edward, were confined. Kalel couldn't contain his restlessness, pacing back and forth with a mind filled with worry and anger, consumed by thoughts of Scarlet's peril.

"Sit down, son. Don't waste your energy," Edward's worn and tired voice ,cut through the air. Kalel stopped abruptly, turning to his father with shock and frustration, feeling as though Edward had given up on Scarlet.

"How can I, Father? She's been captured! They might kill her! I saw the king's furious gaze at Scarlet, and you're telling me to conserve energy?" Kalel's voice trembled with desperation and fury.

"Quiet, Kalel. Know your place," Edward retorted sharply, his tone causing Kalel to pause mid-sentence. Turning away, Kalel's thoughts remained fixated on Scarlet.

Meanwhile, Edward sat in silence, his face a mask of regret as memories of past failures haunted him. "I have betrayed my family, my lineage, the alliance of ancestry," he bitterly thought. "I have lost everything, and it wouldn't have happened if Scarlet hadn't been born. Her birth was a harbinger of disaster, and if she is the sacrificial lamb for the redemption of my family, then so be it.

His dark reverie was shattered by the sound of footsteps echoing down the prison hallway. Edward's heart pounded as he strained to see who was approaching. To his shock, his dear wife, Eleanor, and his daughter, Izumi, were escorted by two stern-faced prison guards. The guards moved with swift efficiency, quickly unshackling the women and pushing them unceremoniously into the cramped cell where Edward and Kalel were held.

"Eleanor!" Edward exclaimed, rushing to envelop his wife in a tight embrace. Eleanor wept uncontrollably, clinging to him as if her life depended on it. Beside them, Kalel wrapped his arms around Izumi, who was still bristling with anger and confusion.

"Where is Scarlet, Father?" Izumi demanded, her voice sharp and urgent. Edward's throat tightened, and he could feel the weight of his hesitation like a millstone around his neck. His wife's tear-filled eyes, wide with desperate hope, bored into him.

"She was placed in a different cell in the palace," he finally admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "The one close to the king."

"What?" Eleanor exclaimed, her voice a mix of disbelief and fury. "You mean you watched them take my baby away and did nothing?"

Edward's face contorted with a mix of guilt and anger. He harshly released his grip on Eleanor, stepping back. "What could I do, Eleanor?" he spat, his voice bitter and defensive. "There were guards everywhere!" He sank onto the cold stone floor, feeling a bitter sense of helplessness.

Eleanor broke down into heart-wrenching sobs, her wails reverberating through the grim, dank cell. "Quiet, all of you!" the prison guard barked, striking the bars with the flat of his blade. But Eleanor couldn't hold back; her cries for Scarlet echoed through the stone walls, a haunting lament for scarlet.

Kalel and Izumi's hearts ached with pity for their mother. They moved closer to her, wrapping their arms around her in a protective embrace. "Don't cry, Mother," Kalel urged softly, his voice trembling with emotion. "You need to be strong for Scarlet." Eleanor nodded through her tears, finding a sliver of solace in her children's embrace.

The news of Edward and his family being captured spread far and wide and became the talk of the town, especially at the bustling marketplace. The chatter was incessant and animated as the townsfolk discussed the fate of Edward and his family. Eventually, the news reached Max, delivered by one of his messengers.

"WHAT?!" Max roared, leaping up from his chair so forcefully that the writing ink spilled across the table. His fist came down with a resounding thud, and the table shuddered under the impact. Rage and worry contorted his features as he thought of his younger sister, Eleanor, trapped in such a dire situation.