Lost Ones - A False King

Chapter 19 - Inner Conflicts

Back in the present, Emmod and Novel have made it to the castle's storage room, where Mister Red stands waiting for them.

"You certainly kept me waiting," Mister Red says impatiently as Emmod and Novel brush the dirt off their clothes. "After all the fuss this morning, I expected you to be here quicker.", he adds with a grin.

"Easy for you to say," Emmod retorts irritably. "Walking in complete darkness felt like an eternity. I honestly considered turning back at those stairs."

"Oh, boo-hoo," Mister Red shoots back. "I'd like to see you in the body of a half-meter-tall creature, running from the castle to the outer part of the Whitepool Quarter and back again—all in half a day!"
"My heart bleeds for you," Emmod replies sarcastically.
Mister Red grits his teeth.
"Your heart's about to bleed for real, you little punk!"
"Okay, okay, calm down," Novel intervenes, acting as the peacemaker. "Look, Emmod."
Both turn to Novel, who is holding a torch in his hand.
"There are plenty of them here," Novel says, gesturing to the shelf packed with torches.
Emmod's mood brightens immediately.
"This is a dream come true," he says ecstatically.
"Of course, provisions were made for navigating the underground passages," Mister Red remarks with a self-important tone, hopping onto Novel's shoulder. "They may not be the most durable anymore, but they should suffice for the task."
"Wait a second... Where's Lina?" Novel asks, snapping Emmod out of his reverie.
"Ow!" Novel yelps as Mister Red flicks him on the forehead.
"Do you think Lina can just waltz in here, completely alone and undisturbed, whenever she feels like it?"
"Wait... Was that a rhetorical question?" Novel asks, only to earn another flick from Mister Red.
"As I mentioned this morning," Mister Red begins, with a scolding tone, "Edmur has been keeping a close eye on Lina and Vyncent lately, which is why..."

Suddenly, Mister Red's ears perk up.
"What is it?" Novel asks warily.
"Silence," Mister Red interrupts in a low voice.

From beyond the door, the faint chatter and laughter of soldiers can be heard.
"Perhaps it would be best to continue this conversation elsewhere," Mister Red says.
"And where?" Emmod asks urgently. "How are we supposed to meet her from here without being seen?"
"Leave that to me," Mister Red replies before leaping from Novel's shoulder onto a nearby shelf. From there, he climbs swiftly upward to the ceiling.
"The important thing is that you stay safe and unseen. Everything else will be discussed two floors up," he adds, pulling on a rope hanging from the ceiling. A mechanism triggers, and an old, rickety ladder drops down, landing at their feet.

Cautiously, Emmod and Novel peek upward.

"Pretty impressive, huh? The design and execution were my brother's idea. After you," Mister Red says, gesturing for them to climb.
With that, Emmod begins ascending the ladder, followed closely by Novel. Mister Red scampers back onto Novel's shoulder after briefly ensuring that no one overheard the noise.

Together, they vanish slowly into the darkness above.

As the brothers climb the rickety ladder in the darkness, their sweaty hands grip the rungs tightly. Mister Red's words echo in their minds: "And please tell Lina that our meeting this morning was only to devise a plan to get you here. I'll handle everything else."

The ladder leads them up two floors, where they reach its end—a wall. But just as before, Novel notices an unusually protruding stone on one side. He presses it further into the wall.

This time, no trapdoor opens above them. Instead, the wall next to them shifts back slightly and slides to the side. Emmod and Novel need only wedge their fingers into the gap to push the loose stone fully aside.

After climbing through the opening, they find themselves in a room that once served as a retreat for the household's butler. Novel rubs his eyes to better take in the unfamiliar surroundings, while Emmod pauses for a moment before scanning the strange environment.