Welfare and Warfare

Chapter 49

Day: 3477

Days Left: 2003

Lives Saved: 18

Another six months had passed. The time between each one, though in reality the same, appeared to go by even quicker now in perspective, the same could be said about Cori's children, with Elise babbling nonsense alongside a few actual words. It was odd to think how much had changed all those years ago, with Queen Corinna sitting on the throne and making that offer to spare the family should a volunteer be imprisoned in The Eternal Abyss. In those earlier days, Cori's curiosity about the volunteer, Corinna Warren, consumed her, and she came up with excuses and reasons to converse with her, to uncover what was so interesting yet familiar about her. However, now Queen Corinna had other things to focus on and that curiosity, whilst never fully understood was pushed far back. The only time when Cori would communicate with the woman would be on the days when another member of the Warren-Earl-Best family, that had been deemed traitors, was spared from execution should Corinna Warren escape.

The relay of information was getting shorter each time, and Cori was wondering why she even bothered with it now. She bridged their minds, appearing in Corinna's mindscape to see the young woman, still as young-looking as the day she was first imprisoned in the Eternal Abyss, only she was missing both of her hands. Her eyes had also changed, not that they had changed colour or shape, but more that there was something else behind them. Wisdom, perhaps? That hopeful naivete gone?

"The eighteenth member of your family has been spared today," announced Queen Corinna, remembering to honour Corinna's request of not stating who it was. "Eleven are left, as well as yourself. Five and a half years left to go."

About two thirds of the way through.

Corinna Warren barely registered Cori's words, not that she could not hear, but more indifference. Before, Cori could always feel some degree of elation in her, of hope that it would all be over soon but now it was another notch scored into the wood with so many to go.

"Why do you still do this?" asked Corinna, her mouth moving but her voice originated all around the endless darkness as her arms signed.

"You once asked me to," replied Cori. "Even though you would not remember it when you are awake, you took great relief from hearing that your family was safe."

There was a pause.

"Do you no longer wish to know?" asked Cori.

Corinna stared blankly at her. "Why do you care what I want?"

Another pause.

"You were once scared how you would change," said Cori. "I could feel it, how the Eternal Abyss would change you. When you are here, when your memories are temporarily returned, you would be able to see what you have become, that you would be different."

"You have lurking in my mind? Why such an invasion in privacy?"

"You were not as skilled at hiding your emotions back then."

"And now?"

Cori felt nothing. Was it actually nothing though or was everything now so deeply hidden? The woman's face was vacant of anything, she stood like an inanimate doll, expressionless.

"You have not changed," Cori eventually replied. She did not why she said that, or if that was actually true. But she felt it. Despite everything that had happened to Corinna, Cori felt some strange sense in her mind that nothing had changed.

Corinna frowned, confused, eyes stern studying the queen.

"We will not bother you again," said Queen Corinna. "We will notify you when your full sentence is over."