The World Cannot Know

Chapter 43

Matthew Wild

Throne's grip on my arm tightened as he dragged me further away from the tavern, the cobblestones cold and unyielding underfoot. My heart pounded in my chest, frustration and fear mingling in a chaotic swirl. I could barely comprehend what was happening—one moment I was reconnecting with people I thought I'd lost forever, and the next, I was being torn away from them by someone I trusted.

"Throne, stop! You don't understand!" I shouted, trying to wrench my arm free. But he was too strong, his determination driving him forward with a relentless force.

"They're lying to you, Winston! It's a trap. The Kingdom doesn't send people like them to help—they send them to finish the job," Throne insisted, his voice harsh, as if he was convinced he was protecting me.

"They're not from the Kingdom! They're my friends—people who've been looking for me for years!" I protested, panic rising as we moved farther from the safety of the tavern.

But Throne wasn't listening. His face was set in stone, his mind made up. "I can't let them take you, Winston. You're too important to fall into their hands."

My pulse raced as I realized I had to do something, anything, to break free. I twisted my body, trying to slip out of his grip, but he held me firm, like a vice. The frustration boiled over, and with a surge of adrenaline, I lashed out, swinging at him with all the strength I could muster.

Throne staggered back slightly, surprised by the force of the blow, but it wasn't enough to break his hold. He retaliated, pulling me closer, his eyes flashing with determination. "I'm doing this for your own good, Winston. You'll thank me later."

"No, Throne, you're wrong! Let me go!" I shouted, my voice echoing off the stone walls of the narrow alley he had dragged me into.

But Throne was relentless. He began to pull me deeper into the darkness, away from the light and warmth of the tavern, away from Alice and Elizabeth, away from any chance I had to make things right.

Desperation clawed at me as I struggled with everything I had, but it was no use. Throne was stronger, and his grip only tightened the more I fought. I could feel the panic rising in my chest, suffocating me as I realised I might not be able to get back to the tavern, back to my friends, back to my only hope of saving Sebastian and Arney.

"Throne, please! You have to trust me!" I pleaded, my voice breaking.

But Throne shook his head, resolute. "I'm sorry, Winston. I can't let you go back. It's too dangerous."

As Throne continued to drag me deeper into the alley, my heart pounded with fear and frustration. The narrow passageway seemed to close in around us, the dim light from the street fading into darkness. My mind raced, searching for any way to make him understand, to stop this madness.

Suddenly, I heard hurried footsteps behind us, and a voice called out, sharp and urgent. "Matthew! Hey, stop!"

I twisted in Throne's grip, craning my neck to see Alice and Elizabeth rushing toward us, their faces pale with worry. Throne froze, his grip still firm on my arm, but I could feel his hesitation as they approached.

"What do you think you're doing?" Alice demanded, her voice shaking with a mix of fear and anger. "Let him go!"

Throne's eyes darted between them and me, uncertainty flickering in his expression. "Stay back, you fucking royals."

Elizabeth stepped forward, her hands raised in a placating gesture. "We're not here to hurt him. We've been looking for Matthew—for years. We're friends, not enemies."

"Who the fuck is Matthew?" Throne called, out. 

"I am, Throne" I pleaded, "Please, just listen, let me go."