No Longer Freedom

21. Maybe in another universe.

Paul's POV

The sky rip apart, causing its liquids to fall, punishing our kingdom from our crimes, our sins. broken walls of our city decorated the chaos around us. Agonizing fear of the unknown creeped into my heart, making it ran faster. The only thing I was able to do was to write. Write it all to our leader. Our precious son...

As the doors of our friends' houses got smashed down, I sat in the closet with the love of my life. I held the black coal pen in my shaky hands while Patryk stroked my hair as an attempt to calm me. "You know I love you right?" I pressed my head against his, so our foreheads were touching. His cold skin sent shivers down my spine as my sweat covered his. "Yeah, You don't need to say it... Just write the message. There is no time for panicking. We will survive, my love." Patryk smiled unsure of his own answer. "F...Fine." I sighed as my hand began to move almost on its own.

'Dear Tord.

It has been ten days since you left. Everything's been one big mess. Shouting. Screaming. Crying. Metal hitting metal. Piercing flesh. Blood. Everywhere. We have been hiding in the closet for I don't even know how long. There is no more food left and we are starving. They are raiding our village, house after another. One by one I hear women scream and beg for mercy but then...It's soon all dead silent for a while before they move to the next apartment. We have lost all our soldiers. We have only civilians left...and us... I'm so terribly sorry that this had to happen. I'm afraid that this might be our fault... We shouldn't have bought stuff from Stardie. We are so sorry... You don't even know how guilt scratches our hearts. Digging deeper and deeper, making it hard to breathe. Not only because of that but also because we were planning on something for a long time. We want to run away. We don't want to live like this anymore. Our love, free from its chains. Our wings spread, not tangled, not mangled.

We can't take this anymore...

Our plan is to run towards the Latin Mors. Those mighty mountains of loss. I will build us a nice home, don't worry. If you want to pay a visit please feel free to knock on the door anytime. We will leave Tom for you, I believe he will be safe with you. You will keep him safe, right? He is very precious to us so please be patient with him. We know he might be feisty but you need to protect him. You are a strong man and we love you dearly. However, now it's our time to say goodbye to this life and say hi to a new beginning. You know what they say right. Something old has to die before something new might be able to start.

Thank you for everything, our son Tord.

Paul & Pat.'

I put the coal down. "We can go, hun." I whispered and leaned for a quick kiss. His chapped thin lips melted under my pressure as I felt his tears dripping onto my rough bare hands. I pulled back before I gave him a last hug. "It's hard to understand that we will be free soon." He held back his cries as he squeezed me. His skinny light hands took a determined grip of my leather jacket as he dug his face deeper into the depths of my neck. "I know... we have so many memories here but we need to say good bye." I smiled as I pressed my plump lips against his messy hair. The texture was frizzy and dry but I loved it. Everything about him was perfect.

"We need to hurry." I mumbled.

Then I saw it. I heard it. I felt it.

The sound of the door creaking open. Heavy footsteps. Closer. Cabinets violently opened. Robed. Then the light. The yellow thin strike of exposing light burned my back and the wall of the closet. A silhouette of a tall soldier, raising his sword.

"Paul!!! Watch ou-" Patryk called warning me, but it was too bad. Something cold pierced my chest before I was able to move. It was emotionless, a killing machine who took me by my hair. It threw me on the cold wooden floor forcing me and Patryk apart.

Everything happened so quickly, I couldn't process anything clearly.

The faceless monster targeted my partner next. It brutalized him. Slammed him next to me after countless hits. "Where is he!!!??" It shouted furiously as he slashed across our faces with his blade.

...

...

Everything got blurry, hearing going to mush, yet soon enough my heart had another wound. White pain spiked my body as the ache tested my constitution. "L-like I would tell." I gritted my teeth under the unbearable pain. "Useless." I heard before he yanked the icy blade from my weakly beating heart. Soon, the clanging metal got farther, leaving the bloody mess behind.

Patryk...PATRYK!!! I forced my eyes to open. Blood splattered all over our house from the deep wounds in my chest. Our photos smashed on the floor, broken like our peace. "Patryk!" I whined. His limbs were all twisted brutally by the nameless knight of Stardie. "Patryk please..." I cried as I crawled weakly next to him, hugging him lightly. "Paul...Dear..." He sobbed as he buried his torn face in my wounded chest. "I'm sorry..." A cry of grief escaped between my lips. "Don't be..." His fragile voice peeped. "I am...I was never able to provide you the life you waited for so long..." I coughed blood between my words. "Don't be silly, love...I always had you... that was enough. I'm glad we get to spend so much time together..." He hiccoughed in denial.

My heart shattered. His final words ached my soul. The warmth in our body started to leave us. My mind started to wander into the imagination of our dream life. Patryk was reading a fantasy book. I was cooking for us. Before serving his food I would have kissed his cheek gently. Then, we would have heard a knock. It would have been Tord, Tom beside him, free from his ropes. They were friends but they still mocked each other playfully. Birds chirping at our backyard which would have multiple apple trees and a grading spot. "Hey Pat...Let's meet again in another universe..." I groaned before I took a final glance out of the window.

It started snowing...

Thank you for waiting patiently for the new cheaper. On today's question is: Do you have any theories abut the plot? I want to hear!